Beef Taco Soup Recipe (Easy!)

This creamy taco soup with ground beef, onions, peppers, taco seasonings, cream, and ooey gooey melted cheese - will surely be a hit in your house! There are 2 ways to make this easy Mexican-inspired soup recipe - in your Instant Pot or on the stovetop. 🙂 Bonus: it's high protein, low carb, keto, and gluten free - with no added sugar.

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You will love this Easy Taco Soup Recipe

It's delicious! Watch out, this creamy taco soup is addicting! It has the perfect balance of flavor and texture - and yummy melted cheese. 😊 Your family will eat every last drop.

2 ways to make it! You will love this recipe for taco soup - it can be made in your Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Both options make for easy cooking - and cleanup! The perfect soup for busy weeknights!

Make it a low fat or keto taco soup! The recipe can be adapted for either a low fat diet or a keto diet. See the Variations section below.

Beef Taco Soup Ingredients

Here are the ingredients and equipment you'll need to make this beef taco soup recipe:

• Ground Beef - 80/20 ground beef was used in this recipe, but leaner ground beef would also be fine.
• Onion - yellow or white onion.
• Bell pepper - any color of pepper can be used.
• Garlic Cloves
• Beef Broth
• Diced tomatoes - crushed tomatoes or another kind will work too.
• Salsa - use any favorite salsa.
• Taco Seasoning Mix - my homemade mix is easy, but store-bought packets are fine too! Be sure to check the label and make sure it is appropriate to your dietary needs (gluten-free, sugar-free, etc.).
• Cream Cheese - should be very soft before adding it to the soup. Light cream cheese would also work great if you are wanting to cut the fat content.
• Heavy Cream - fat-free half and half can be substituted for heavy cream.
• Cheddar Cheese - use mild, medium, or sharp.

Equipment

• Instant Pot - or other pressure cooker brand.

Taco Soup Recipe Easy variations

There are so many ways you can adapt or customize this taco soup recipe to your taste and dietary needs:

• Lower the fat in this soup by using fat-free half-and-half and light cream cheese. Use half the amount of cheese, and use lean ground beef. Cook the ground beef first, drain the fat, and set the meat aside. Cook the vegetables, then add the beef back in and proceed with the recipe! Enjoy!
• Substitute ground chicken, ground turkey, or lean ground beef.
• Feel free to add more veggies. Squash, zucchini, or even riced cauliflower taste great. Beans and corn are good too (if you’re not following a keto diet).
• If you like things spicy - add hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste.

How To Make Taco Soup

Here are the steps for making this creamy beef taco soup recipe, easy Instant pot and stovetop instructions are provided:

Saute Vegetables and Beef

In an Instant Pot or soup pot, saute ground beef, onion, and bell pepper over medium-high heat until the beef is no longer pink.

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Add Soup Ingredients

Add garlic cloves, beef broth, tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning. Stir to combine.

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Cook

Creamy taco soup can be cooked in an Instant Pot or on your stovetop.

Instant Pot

Set pot to high pressure - 2 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow pressure to release naturally.

Stovetop

Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

Add Dairy Ingredients

Add very soft cream cheese, heavy cream, and cheddar cheese to the pot. Stir until the cheeses are melted, and the soup is blended. Adjust seasoning and serve. Enjoy!

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How To Serve This Recipe For Taco Soup

• This creamy taco soup is really a meal in one, but here are a couple of ideas of what you can serve as a side dish:
• Garnish with your favorite taco toppings such as sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese, green onion, olives, avocado, and fresh cilantro.
• If you’ve got carb lovers in your house, this soup is great topped with crumbled tortilla chips or corn chips.
• Simple Meal idea! Serve with a fresh green salad drizzle with Avocado Dressing, or try my layered salad.
• A cheese quesadilla is the perfect thing to serve for your non-low carb followers. While cheese crisps would work for low carb and keto followers.

How To Store Beef Taco Soup

Refrigerate: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an air-tight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

A note on freezing: typically, you should not freeze soups that contain dairy because the fats from the cream will often separate and give the soup a fine, slightly curdled look. That separation of the fats does not affect the taste, however. I have frozen this soup before and got a very slight separation. Before reheating, I refreshed it with a little more cream and some freshly grated cheese, and it was still delicious!

Taco Soup Recipe Top Tips

• Make-ahead tip: Follow the recipe instructions all the way through, let it cool, then store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Just reheat when you’re ready for lunch or dinner. The flavor gets even better with time!
• Use my Copycat Taco Seasoning Mix for the best taste. It's a lot healthier than store-bought packets.
• Try and use freshly grated cheese! Pre-grated cheese in packages is coated with cellulose (a wood pulp) that absorbs moisture and prevents the cheese from clumping. Unfortunately, this also keeps the cheese from melting properly.
• The nutritional analysis was calculated using my homemade taco seasoning packet - which has no sugar added and is gluten-free. If you choose a store-bought seasoning packet - be sure to read the contents of the ingredients before purchasing and using.