This easy slow cooker brothy taco soup is the perfect combo of delicious broth, taco-seasoned beef, and plenty of toppings.
It’s an easy soup made in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop- and I’ve included instructions for all three in the recipe card down below.
It’s also – spoiler alert, this is kind of my “thing“ – a bomb freezer meal!
I don’t recommend freezing the toppings with the soup, but the soup itself? Freezes and thaws out like a champ.
That makes this brothy taco soup a great one to have on hand for work-from-home lunches.
Just pull it out from the freezer when you’re ready to eat, thaw, and reheat, add your toppings, and turn off Zoom for a while. It’s like a reward.
Whenever I pack soups for the freezer, especially if it’s something like this brothy taco soup or white chicken chili, I always freeze them in a Soupercubes container.
The soups pop out in a cute little frozen block and reheat easily. The containers themselves are lined with steel, so there’s no wobbly tray to worry about. And the lid is clear, so you can easily peek inside and see what you got. They’re linked here in my Amazon store and I can’t recommend them higher!
Talk to me about the toppings
Toppings are the best part of a taco or chili, don’t you think? Since this taco soup takes inspiration from both, I hereby advise you to load up on as many toppings as your heart desires.
Here are the toppings I love to add:
- diced avocado
- shredded cheese (like a pepper jack or cheddar)
- crumbled fresh Mexican cheese, like cotija
- hot sauce
- lime juice
- corn chips like tortilla chips or Fritos
- cornbread crumbles
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
How about other swaps and substitutions?
If you’re skipping meat, sub in 2 large sweet potatoes, diced, and cut the cooking time in half.
You can also bump up the black beans by adding an extra drained can (or about 1 cup, cooked) in place of the meat.
The recipe below calls for prepackaged taco seasoning, but if you want to make it on your own, I’ve got a recipe for making taco seasoning from scratch! If you’re using homemade, sub about 2 tablespoons seasoning for the amount in a packet.
Brothy Taco Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 red onion diced
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning about 1.5 tablespoons
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 14 ounce canned black beans drained
- 1 28 ounce canned diced tomatoes
- 4 cups beef broth
For serving:
- shredded cheddar cheese
- Diced avocado
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
Instructions
Prep Ahead:
- Chop onions and mince garlic, and add to a large resealable bag or container.
- Add to the same bag the remaining ingredients.
- Label, including the water amount needed at cook time if using broth concentrate/stock cubes.
Prepare From Prepped:
Instant Pot Instructions: Thaw in fridge overnight before cooking
- Add contents of prepped bag to Instant Pot, including water if broth concentrate or stock cubes were used.
- If using with thawed ingredients: Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes with a Quick Pressure Release.
- If using frozen ingredients: Cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes with a Quick Pressure Release.
- Serve hot with desired toppings.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Thaw in fridge overnight before cooking
- Add contents of prepped bag to slow cooker, including water if broth concentrate or stock cubes were used.
- Secure lid and cook low on 6-7 hours, high for 4 hours.
- Serve hot with desired toppings.
Stovetop Instructions: Thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking
- Add contents of prepped bag or container to large pot, adding water if broth concentrate or stock cubes were used.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
- Cook on low, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, using a spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. The soup is ready when the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are soft, and the liquid has thickened slightly.
- Serve hot with desired toppings.
Make From Fresh:
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the toppings to Instant Pot and secure the lid.
- Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes with Quick Pressure Release.
- Serve hot with desired toppings.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the toppings to the Slow Cooker and secure the lid.
- Cook on low for 6 hours, high for 4.
- Serve hot with desired toppings.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering, then add the onions and taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have started to soften, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ground beef and cook, stirring to break up the beef and crumble it as it browns.
- Once the beef has browned, about 5-8 minutes, add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes.
- Serve hot with desired toppings.
Notes
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
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