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 low carb, keto, and gluten free - with no added sugar.
Jump to:
- Watch how to make this Easy Taco Soup Recipe
- You will love this Easy Taco Soup Recipe
- Beef Taco Soup Ingredients
- Taco Soup Recipe Easy variations
- How To Make Taco Soup
- How To Serve This Recipe For Taco Soup
- How To Store Beef Taco Soup
- Taco Soup Recipe Top Tips
- Easy Taco Soup Recipe FAQs
- Recipe
- More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- More from Seeking Good Eats
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Watch how to make this Easy Taco Soup Recipe
If you love taco soup recipes, be sure to try this easy 7 Can Taco Soup and Chicken Fajita Soup - both can be made in your Instant Pot or Crockpot!
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 - our 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:
1. 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.
2. Add Soup Ingredients
Add garlic cloves, beef broth, tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
3. 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.
4. 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!
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 our 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 our 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.
Easy Taco Soup Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! This taco soup can easily be made on your stovetop.Brown the beef and cook along with the vegetables. Add the broth and seasonings, cover, and let simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes to blend flavors.
Add heavy cream, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and salsa. Stir until cheeses are melted and soup is blended.
Ground chicken or ground turkey can be substituted in this recipe. While it will take away from the beefy taste of the original recipe it is still quite delicious, and I've made it many times this way!
Yes! This recipe is the perfect keto taco soup with only 5.5 grams of net carbs, 35.3 grams of fat, and 23.7 grams of protein. No beans, corn, or rice are used in this recipe. Creamy cheese goodness that's so satisfying.
You can lower the fat in this recipe by using half and half or a low fat half in half, and a fat-free cream cheese. You can also use lower fat ground beef, or switch to ground turkey or chicken.
Note that if you use half and half the soup may be waterier. You can thicken the soup with a little cornstarch if desired.
As with any store-bought product, it varies among brands. Taco seasoning packets may or may not be gluten-free - always check the label. This recipe's nutritional analysis is calculated by using our homemade taco seasoning mix - which is gluten-free.
Tortilla soup contains pieces of fried corn tortilla while taco soup does not. Both taco soup and tortillas soup are very similar in ingredients with usually broth, corn, beans, and seasonings such as cumin, chili powder, etc. Tortilla soup is often made with chicken and taco soup with beef, but either one can be used in both soups.
If your taco soup is too watery, it may be that you added too much broth or water. While this recipe doesn’t call for any additional vegetables, the addition of too many or using frozen vegetables can make soup watery.
Recipe
Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 24 oz beef broth
- 28 oz diced tomatoes (crushed tomatoes are fine too)
- double recipe taco seasoning mix (or 2 store-bought packets)
- 4 ounces salsa
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese (light cream cheese may be used)
- 1 cup heavy cream (fat free half and half can also be used)
- 2 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 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.
- Add garlic cloves, beef broth, tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
- 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 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, serve and garnish with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use our Copycat Taco Seasoning Mix for best taste - plus it's 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 sticking of the cheese. Unfortunately, this also keeps the cheese from melting properly.
- Feel free to make some substitutions. Keep the onions for flavor, but 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). Use ground chicken or ground turkey as a substitute for the beef too!
- NOTE: on 1/11/23 this recipe was refreshed with Instant Pot and stovetop instructions, new images, and an updated video.
Nutrition
© 2023 Seeking Good Eats™
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Here are some more easy and delicious slow cooker or Instant Pot soup recipes you can try! All our low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, and keto recipes. Enjoy!
More from Seeking Good Eats
Make this Instant Pot Creamy Taco Soup recipe and you'll be addicted! 🙂 This creamy, delicious Instant Pot beef taco soup gets gobbled up quickly. With ground beef, onions, peppers, taco seasonings, cream, and cheeses, your whole family will love this tasty, healthy recipe. Using your pressure cooker this low-carb and keto soup recipe is an easy-to-make weeknight dinner. #souprecipe #tacosoup #beeftacosoup #instantpot #pressurecooker #onepot #soup #Mexican #lowcarb #keto #healthyrecipe
Francis says
I made this soup and it was so delicious and super easy in my Instant Pot!! My whole family loved it and I even froze some for lunches later! 🙂 Thanks!!!
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you!! So glad you loved the recipe. I actually just pulled the ingredients out to make this soup today! 🙂
Marilyn says
how did the soup do when frozen?. Am Leary to freeze with the cheese.
Jay says
This looks delicious. Can it be made on the stovetop or in a crock-pot? I don't have an Instant Pot.
seekinggoodeats says
It will work on your stovetop, in a crockpot or Instant pot 🙂
Kim says
This soup is amazing!! I am about to try the tomato basil recipe next!! Thank you for making keto so easy.
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Rita says
This really was easy, thank you. We’re not following a low carb keto diet but as with many of your recipes they work for everyone. To lower the fat content we used a lower fat ground beef, fat free cream cheese and fat free sour cream plus added black beans. We also used fat free half and half but then thickened the broth with a little cornstarch! It was so delicious!
seekinggoodeats says
Thank you! We are a family with mixed dietary requirements so I try to make all my recipes adaptable for whatever situation you're in. 🙂 So happy you loved the recipe. I love your ideas for making this a lower fat taco soup!! Sounds so delicious.
Nicole says
Can you add the cream cheese and whipping cream from the beginning and have it taste good? Or does the cheese not do well when cooking for a long time?
Kori says
Hello! You need to add it at the end so the cream and cheese does not break apart and curdle. I hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂 Let me know how it turns out...
Michelle says
Could I use queso blanco cheese instead?
Kori says
I haven't tried it but I bet that would be quite good! 🙂 Let me know what you think
Jessica says
How would we do this if we were to use a crockpot instead? Add the cheese the last 30min maybe?
Kori says
I think it would work fine! You'll have to pre-cook the beef I believe then add everything but the dairy ingredients. The dairy would be added at the end (last 30 minutes or so). The soup would be done once the vegetables are tender. Another tip: soften the cream cheese in the microwave so its warm, but not hot, and soft. It melts way easier. Hope you enjoy let me know how it turns out - I'm a huge crockpot lover 🙂
Corey says
Is it seriously 2 minutes? Or is that a typo? I can’t even set my pressure cooker to that low of a time.
Kori says
Yes, it's 2 minutes. 🙂 It's to blend the flavors of the soup - as the meat is already cooked. What brand of pressure cooker do you have? What is the lowest time pressure it goes? I would like to do some research in case anyone else a similar pot. I have 2 different brands (Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi) and they both go as low as 0.
Kori says
You can do 5 minutes, it's fine.
Liz says
Can you use boneless chicken breasts?
Kori says
Sure! 🙂 That would be quite delicious. The pressure cooking time would be 8 minutes with the chicken.
Liz says
So you would Add the chicken raw and let cook in the crockpot?
Kori says
Yes - here's what I would do. These are the exact instructions re-worded for adding chicken... 🙂
Saute onion, and bell pepper over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
Add raw boneless skinless chicken breast (or thighs), garlic cloves, chicken broth (or beef broth), tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning. Set pot to High pressure, 8 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow pressure to release for 10 minutes.
Remove chicken and shred, then add back to pot.
Add softened cream cheese, heavy cream, and cheddar cheese to the pot. Stir until cheeses are melted and soup is blended.
Serve and garnish with your favorite taco toppings! Enjoy
Nancy E Woodruff says
I am going to prepare this soup within the next few days. It looks amazing! I have a feeling it is going to go into regular rotation with my winter soups that I eat all year long.
Kori says
So happy you are trying the beef taco soup recipe! It's one of my family's favorites. I hope you enjoy 🙂
Jennee says
How long do u do a natural release for?
Kori says
Hello, there is not actually a set time. Depending upon the amount of pressure built inside, the amount of contents, and other factors, it could take a varying amount of time for the cooker to release all of its steam (usually no more than 30 minutes, though). Letting it release pressure naturally is really just allowing the flavors to blend more so if you don't want to wait you can release the pressure immediately, or maybe wait 10 to 15 minutes and quick release. Hope that makes sense! 🙂 Enjoy!
Lisa says
We’ve had temperatures of -6 all week so I’ve been making lots of soups. I have to say, this one will be going in my regular rotation. I used leftover meatloaf in place of the hamburger, but everything else was the same. My husband loved it! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Kori says
Thank you so much! I am happy that this soup brought you some comfort when you were sick - and it was easy to make while you were sick! Hope you are better! 🙂
Emily says
Do you drain the grease off of the burger before you add all the other ingredients first?
Kori says
Hello! Because the meat is cooked with vegetables (onion, bell pepper, garlic), you do not want to drain the fats as you will also lose the juices and flavor from the vegetables. Two ways around this, you can use a lower-fat beef and continue with the recipe as is - or, you can cook the beef first, drain its fat, then add the vegetables and continue on from there. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Suzie Dallan says
How long do you cook in a crockpot?
Kori says
Well, the soup would be done once the vegetables are tender so I'd say 4 to 6 hours. You'll have to pre-cook the beef first, then from there add everything but the dairy ingredients. The dairy would be added at the end (last 30 minutes or so). Another tip: soften the cream cheese in the microwave so its warm, but not hot, and soft. It melts way easier. Enjoy! 🙂
Tammy says
This recipe is fabulous!! Instapot made it super easy.
Kori says
Thank you!! Super happy you loved the soup. I love making it in the Instant Pot too!
Lynn says
My neighbor made this and shared it with me. I'm Obsessed! It's so delicious. I am planning on making a lighter version to add to my weight watcher recipes. How many servings does this make?
Thank you!
Kori says
Awww, thank you so very much for trying it out! I'm so happy you love it! It makes about 8 to 10 servings 🙂
Cree says
I absolutely love this recipe! I didn't have bell pepper, so I added frozen corn instead.
seekinggoodeats says
That sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you