Ground Meats
$1.66per plate
Prep
10 min
Ground Beef · Taco Soup
Taco Soup
This easy taco soup recipe is everything you love about taco night in a bowl, and it might be the simplest dinner on the whole site: brown a pound of beef, dump in cans of beans, tomatoes, and corn, and simmer. It is soupier and lighter than a thick chili, built on a homemade taco seasoning and finished with all the taco toppings you like. A big pot feeds six for about $1.84 a plate before toppings, and it only gets better the next day. Serve it alongside our ground beef tacos for a crowd, and browse the rest of our cheap ground beef dinners, price up front.
What is taco soup made of? It is a pound of browned ground beef, two cans of beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce, all simmered in beef broth with a homemade taco seasoning of chili powder, cumin, and paprika. That short, mostly-canned list is what keeps it so cheap and fast, and the broth is what makes it a spoonable soup rather than a thick chili. It is the Tex-Mex cousin of our other ground-beef soups, so if you like it, try a creamy cheeseburger soup or a brothy hamburger soup next. Browse the full set of soup recipes, each costed per plate.
$1.84per plate
Estimated recipe total
$11.05 · serves 6
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Serves
6
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/taco-soup-recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
Variations
- Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef; brown it to no pink and drain any fat.
- Use a store packet of taco seasoning instead of the homemade blend if you are short on spices.
- Use pinto, black, kidney, or a mix of any canned beans.
- Swap in diced tomatoes with green chiles, or stir in a diced jalapeno or a pinch of cayenne, for a spicier bowl.
1 How to make it
1
Brown the beef and onion
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, breaking the beef into crumbles, until the beef is browned with no pink left, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off the excess fat so the soup does not turn greasy.
2
Toast the taco seasoning
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano and cook for about a minute. Toasting the taco seasoning in the hot fat is what gives the soup its deep, taco-night flavor.
3
Add the beans, tomatoes, and corn
Add the drained beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, and beef broth. Stir well and bring to a simmer. The broth is what keeps this a spoonable soup instead of a thick chili.
4
Simmer
Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, so the flavors meld and the soup thickens slightly. Keep it brothy; stir in a splash more broth or water if it reduces too far.
5
Taste and adjust the salt
Taste and season with salt and pepper, adding a little at a time since the canned beans, tomatoes, and broth all vary in how salty they are. Adjust until the flavors pop.
6
Serve with toppings
Ladle into bowls and pile on your favorite taco toppings: shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips or Fritos. Toppings are figured separately.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Ground turkey or chicken for the beef. A leaner, often cheaper pot. Brown it to no pink and drain any fat, then season it the same way.
- A packet of taco seasoning. One store packet (about 2 tablespoons) stands in for the homemade blend if you are short on spices. The from-scratch mix is cheaper and lets you control the salt.
- Any canned beans. Pinto, black, kidney, or a mix all work. Use whatever is cheapest or already in the cupboard; drain and rinse them first.
- Add heat or a can of Ro-Tel. Swap one can of diced tomatoes for diced tomatoes with green chiles, or stir in a diced jalapeno or a pinch of cayenne, for a spicier bowl.
3 Budget tips
- One pound of beef plus cans of beans, corn, and tomatoes makes a huge pot that feeds six for well under two dollars a bowl.
- A homemade taco seasoning from pantry spices costs pennies and beats a packet, with no fillers and no extra salt.
- Beans and corn stretch a single pound of meat, so a little beef feeds a crowd. Drop the meat for an even cheaper vegetarian pot.
- Taco soup freezes and reheats beautifully, so make a double batch and stash half for a busy night.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Like chili, the flavor deepens by day two as the spices settle.
Freezer
Taco soup is one of the best freezer meals going: cool it completely, portion into containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight or reheat from frozen, and leave the toppings off until serving.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot through, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened in the fridge. Add fresh toppings just before serving.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
360
Protein
22g
Fat
14g
Carbs
38g
Estimates per serving of soup, before toppings, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between taco soup and chili?
Taco soup is thinner and brothier, seasoned like taco night with cumin and mild chili powder, and it almost always includes corn. Chili is thicker, cooked down longer, and leans harder on chili powder. This recipe keeps plenty of broth so it stays a spoonable soup, not a thick chili.
How do I make it thicker or thinner?
For a thicker soup, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot or simmer a few extra minutes. For a thinner, brothier bowl, stir in a splash more beef broth or water. It is very forgiving either way.
Can I use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef?
Yes. Ground turkey or chicken makes a leaner pot; brown it the same way until no pink remains and drain any fat. It changes the flavor slightly but works well with the taco seasoning.
Can I make taco soup in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the ground beef and onion first, then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3. There is no dairy or pasta to break down, so it holds beautifully; stir the corn in near the end if you want it firmer.
Can I freeze taco soup?
Absolutely, it is one of the best freezer soups going. Cool it completely, portion into containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened. Leave the toppings off until serving.
How is $1.84 a bowl figured?
About $11.05 for the whole pot, six bowls, so roughly $1.84 each before toppings. The ground beef is most of the cost; the cans of beans, tomatoes, and corn are cheap. Cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips to serve are figured separately.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
Feeding a crowd tonight? This one is also part of our Easy Family Dinner Recipes collection.
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