Easy Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing (Crockpot + Stovetop)
This Easy Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing will be a huge hit with your whole family! Ground beef, tomatoes, and taco and ranch seasonings are all simmered to perfection, then served with all of your favorite taco toppings! This easy taco soup recipe can be made in the crockpot or (quickly!) on the stovetop and it’s freezer-friendly and perfect for meal preps!
Taco. Soup. Two of my very favorite things coming together in ONE BOWL….what could be better?! This is one of my family’s favorite soups! I never seem to make it EXACTLY the same every time, which is the beauty of this soup…
I’ll mix up what type of beans I use, switch the meat, and sometimes I’ll even throw in some extra veggies! One thing that stays the same…
The soup is DELISH every single time! The ranch seasoning packet gives it that rich, tangy taste that pairs perfectly with the meat, tomatoes, and mild spice from the taco seasoning and chili powder. This is a soup you’ll make over and over!
Need more comforting soups to try?! This Cheesy Velveeta Soup is always on repeat at my house, and you can’t go wrong with this super easy chicken noodle soup! These are both fall and winter staples!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Ground Meat: I like using lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken (90% lean or more).
Stock or Broth: Both chicken or beef broth/stock work just fine. I tend to prefer beef stock for a deeper flavor.
Mexican tomatoes: You can use Mexican stewed tomatoes like these or tomatoes with diced green chilies, like Rotel.
HOW TO MAKE TACO SOUP WITH RANCH DRESSING: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below! ((You can also see the stovetop instructions in the recipe card))
Step 1: Brown ground beef and onion and add them to your crock pot.
Step 2: Add all remaining ingredients to the crockpot and give everything a big stir to combine.
Step 3: Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Step 4: Ladle soup into bowls and top your favorite taco toppings!
Confidence Tip
This soup is very “customizable!” Don’t like beans? Leave them out and add more meat! Need more spice? Add some chopped jalapenos! This is one of the beauties of cooking at home- you get to make your food exactly how you like it!
STORAGE & REHEATING
- Storage: Leftover taco soup is insanely good the next day! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat this soup in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat on the stove. Add a splash of chicken stock or beef stock to thin it out a bit, if needed.
- Freezing: This soup freezes wonderfully! Cool soup completely. Then transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top freezer bag. Store flat in the freezer for 4-6 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight, then follow reheating instructions above.
Additions and Substitutions
ADDITIONS:
- Added Heat: 1-2 chopped jalapenos are fantastic in this soup to add a little heat! You can also add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
- Added Protein: Feel free to double the ground meat to 2lbs. or add an extra can of beans.
- Extra Veggies: Bell peppers, red onion, and even zucchini are delish if you want extra veggies!
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Meat: Ground turkey or ground chicken work beautifully in this recipe, too!
- Beans: I love black beans and kidney beans, but feel free to mix and match whatever beans you love! Other ideas: pinto beans, navy beans, great northern beans cannellini beans, or mild chili beans.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Soup “thickness” is really a personal preference. There are three ways to thicken your taco soup:
1. Continue Cooking: UNCOVER the crockpot or stovetop pot and let the soup simmer until desired thickness is reached.
2. Make a Slurry: Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch and 2 tablespoons of COLD chicken/beef broth. Stir the mixture into your soup and cook until desired thickness is reached.
3. Add & Mash Beans: Add an additional can of beans to your soup–that will thicken it a bit. To thicken the soup further, after cooking, remove some of the beans and mash or blend them until chunky. Return beans back to the pot and stir to combine.
Your favorite taco toppings like sour cream, cheese, avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, red onion, green onion, corn chips, and lime juice…can complete this meal!
However, if you need something more, chips and fresh pico de gallo are excellent. You could also opt for a fresh salad or this sweet cornbread. Need more ideas? Check out: What to Serve with Taco Soup: 18 Delicious Sides.
This easy taco soup recipe has about 32g of carbs. You can make it lower-carb by omitting a can of beans and leaving out the corn. You can add more protein by adding another pound of ground meat to replace the beans.
In a Dinner Rut?
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TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
Check out all of my kitchen essentials in my Amazon store!
Crockpot: LOVE my pretty Pioneer Woman crock pot!
Stock Pot/Dutch Oven: this dutch oven is a workhorse…and cute!
Potato Masher: Secret tool to get your ground meat broken up nice and fine!
MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE…
I hope you love this Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Easy Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing (Crockpot + Stovetop)
Ingredients
- 2 -3 tsp olive oil or enough to coat the bottom of your pan
- 1 lb. lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
- 1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes preferably fire-roasted
- 1 14.5. oz. can tomatoes with green chiles such as Rotel
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth or stock or low sodium chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup frozen corn or (1) 8 oz. can of corn
- 1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp chili powder + more to taste
- 1 1 oz. packet of taco seasoning mix or 2 tbsp homemade taco seasoning
- 1 1 oz. packet of ranch dressing mix or 2 tbsp homemade ranch seasoning
- your favorite taco toppings: sour cream, cheese, avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, red onion, green onion, corn chips, lime juice. optional, for serving
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Brown Meat: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add ground beef. Brown the meat (about 2-3 minutes), using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Drain any excess grease, if necessary. Add onion and cook 1-2 minutes more. Pro Tip: Use a potato masher during the last minute of cooking the meat to get your meat broken up nice and fine!
- Add + Slow Cook: Transfer ground beef to your slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients. Give everything a big stir and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Taste, season with salt only if needed.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream a squeeze of lime juice or any of your other favorite toppings!
Stovetop Instructions
- Brown Meat: In a large stock pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add ground beef. Brown the meat (about 2-3 minutes), using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Drain any excess grease, if necessary. Add onion and cook 1-2 minutes more. Pro Tip: Use a potato masher during the last minute of cooking the meat to get your meat broken up nice and fine!
- Add + Cook: Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Give everything a big stir. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream a squeeze of lime juice or any of your other favorite toppings!
Love this taco soup good for taco night thumbs up!!!
This soup sounds deliciously rich in flavour, definitely will warm me up on cold winter days. Thanks!
Such a delicious and comforting soup recipe – yay for soup season! Now I can stuff my face with THIS!
Such a delicious and belly-warming soup! I could eat this every day.
I made mines in a crockpot. It came out delicious. Its the perfect soup for our taco nights.
I just finished our Easy Taco Soup; it came out perfect; we cooked it on a low for 6 hrs, served it with some sour cream as you suggested, and it tasted fantastic 🙂
This soup was so hearty and satisfying! Even my picky kids loved it!
I love taco soup but never thought of putting Ranch dressing in it. I think this may just be the perfect Taco Tuesday recipe I’m looking for today!