You'll love this delicious easy turkey taco soup recipe. It's simple to make and full of that Tex Mex flavor we all crave! This version is similar to chili but uses ground turkey instead of the ground beef and my homemade Easy Taco Seasoning mix. Perfect for lunch or dinner and ready in 30 minutes.
Why you'll love it
It's quick and easy. What I love about this taco soup is how quickly it comes together--you just need 30 minutes and you'll have a piping hot lunch or dinner you and your family will love.
It's made with easy to find fresh and pantry staples. This soup recipe relies on plenty of canned pantry staples. I like to keep these on hand at all times because I use them in so many of my favorite dishes. I like to stock up on ground turkey and keep it in the freezer so I can get a last minute dinner on the table.
It's full of Tex Mex flavor. Since I grew up in Texas and right along the border, I'm always looking for ways to incorporate that familiar flavor in many of my dishes. This soup does just that! This version is mild, but feel free to add some fresh sliced jalepeños to kick the heat up a notch.
what's in taco soup
Homemade taco seasoning - but you can use packaged if you wish
Ground turkey - you can use ground beef instead
Beef broth - or chicken broth as a substitute
Tomato juice - nice tomato flavor, sub with tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes.
Black beans and pinto beans - sub kidney beans if desired
Diced tomatoes with green chili - also known as Rotel, any spice level
Onions and garlic - add bell peppers if desired, green or red
how to make taco soup
Heat a stock pot or dutch oven coated with oil or cooking spray over medium heat. Add turkey, onions, and garlic. Cook until turkey is completely browned and no longer pink.
Add taco seasoning and mix into meat until thoroughly combined.
Add broth, tomato juice, Rotel, black beans, pinto beans, and corn. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
recipe notes and tips
Use ground beef instead of ground turkey if desired. You can also use chicken or vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
To use a crockpot/slow cooker: brown ground turkey with onions and garlic in a skillet. Add to crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Try these toppings:
- Crushed Tortilla Chips or Strips
- Sliced Avocado
- Sour Cream
- Pico de Gallo
- Pickled or fresh Jalepeños
- Sliced Black Olives
- Thinly Sliced Green Cabbage
- Sliced Green Onions
Gluten free - check all ingredient labels. Avoid wheat flour tortillas as a topping.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days.
Freeze for 3 months for longer storage. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat: gently warm over medium heat in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Simmer in a slow cooker on high until heated through, about 2 hours.
Yes, it's full of protein and vegetables. Use low sodium broth to reduce salt content and don't overload the soup with cheese and fried tortillas.
more soup recipes you'll want to try
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📖 Recipe
Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil mild flavored
- 1 lb ground turkey ground beef or chicken
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 2-4 tablespoon Easy Taco Seasoning or 1 package store bought taco seasoning
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2-3 cups tomato juice such as Campbell's, less for chunkier, more for soupier
- 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, not drained
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce package frozen whole kernel corn no need to thaw; or 15 oz can, drained
Instructions
- Add oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add turkey, onion and garlic and cook until meat is no longer pink.
- Add taco seasoning and stir until completely combined.
- Add broth, tomato juice, Rotel, black beans, pinto beans, and corn to pot, stirring to combine.
- Simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes, uncovered. If desired, cover pot and simmer for 40 minutes more.
Notes
- Crushed Tortilla Chips or Strips
- Sliced Avocado
- Sour Cream
- Pico de Gallo
- Pickled or fresh Jalepeños
- Sliced Black Olives
- Thinly Sliced Green Cabbage
- Sliced Green Onions
Nutrition
Janice Lester
I made this soup because I was craving tacos and I make a big pot of soup every week and eat it for lunch during the week. I’m hooked on this now. I’ve made it about four weeks in a row. I crave it. I did do a few things different. I didn’t have tomato juice so I added an extra can of diced tomatoes, 4 cups of broth instead of three, and an extra taco seasoning packet. Everything I use is low sodium or no salt added. This is a great recipe. Thank you for sharing it!!!!!
Sandra Campbell
Made this for the very first time and we really enjoyed it. To my surprise it was delicious the grandkids asked for seconds.
Sandra Hudson
Made this according to directions but added a packet of powdered ranch dressing in addition to taco seasoning. Absolutely delicious! Topped with sour cream and served with corn muffins. Love love love this recipe
Chanda
I loved the recipe! I used crushed tomatoes instead of the tomato juice and I added an extra can of light kidney beans. I also increased the taco seasoning and added a little bit of beef soup base, it was delicious! Served it with shredded cheese, crispy peppery onions and sour cream. My family loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Kelsey G
What do we do with the garlic cloves? I assume it gets added to the meat and onions...
Nikole
Yes ma'am add in with turkey, onions, and garlic! Thanks for noticing that omission!
Jules
Loved it! 🙂
Candie Jensen
Absolutely DELICIOUS and quite easy! I made this for Winter Taco Tuesday night and it was a hit! I’ll be making this in the regular!
Elizabeth
This was delicious!! My husband said, “Don’t lose this recipe!” And it was fast and easy.
Nikole
That's awesome to hear, Elizabeth! Thank you for your feedback!
Jo Wright
I made this recipe for my hubby who can't have a lot of salt so I rinsed the 2 cans of tri beans and used low sodium taco seasoning and no sodium beef broth. Topped it with sour cream cheese green onion and tortilla chips!
Denise
This was fantastic. I used pinto beans with jalapeños and it gave it a little extra zip.
Becky Tonti
Hello! As I'm making this I realize I don't have tomato juice. Can I use just plain tomato sauce?
Nikole
Hi Becky- Yes, you can make your own tomato juice by mixing tomato sauce and water at a 1:1 ratio, so for two cups of tomato juice mix 1 cup tomato sauce and one cup water. Hope that helps!
SHELLEY
Thank you!
Melissa
Easy, fast, and healthy taco soup. I can put together in the morning and have for lunch. Freezes well. Yummy!!
Nikole
Awesome! Thanks so much for the review Melissa!