The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
I made this the first cold week of the season, mostly because I didn’t want to think about dinner and I had a pound of ground beef that needed to happen before it went bad. It’s not a fancy soup. It’s a “brown the meat, dump the cans, walk away” soup, and that’s exactly the point.
Taco soup shows up in a hundred versions online and most of them are just chili wearing a taco costume. This one leans harder into the taco seasoning and adds a ranch packet, which sounds like a strange combo until you taste it — it rounds out the heat instead of just doubling down on it.
Why This Works
The ranch seasoning is doing more work than people expect. Taco seasoning alone tends to go flat and one-note by the second bowl — it’s all chili powder and cumin, no brightness. Ranch seasoning brings dried buttermilk, dill, and garlic salt into the mix, which cuts the heaviness of the beef and beans.
Draining most of the fat off the beef matters more than it seems like it should. Leave in the full amount and the soup separates into a greasy layer on top by hour three. Two tablespoons is enough to carry flavor without it pooling.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, diced and seeded (optional)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 15 oz can pinto beans
- 15 oz can black beans
- 15 oz can corn
- 1 cup water
- 2 (14 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Toppings: cheese, sour cream, green onions
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. If you’re adding the onion and garlic in with the beef, toss them in for the last few minutes so they soften.
- Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat, then move the beef into the crockpot.
- Add everything else — both beans (don’t drain them), corn, water, tomatoes, both seasoning packets — right on top of the beef.
- Stir it together, cover, and cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 4–6.
- Give it a final stir before serving. Ladle into bowls and let people build their own toppings.
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 4–6 hours | Servings: 6
Tips
- Don’t drain the beans or corn — that liquid is part of what thins the soup to the right consistency. Drain everything and you’ll end up needing extra water anyway.
- If you cook the onion and garlic with the beef instead of raw in the crockpot, you lose that raw-onion bite by serving time.
- Taste before adding extra salt — both seasoning packets already carry a good amount, and petite diced tomatoes usually have some too.
Variations
Swap the black beans for kidney beans if that’s what’s in the pantry — it barely changes the flavor. Skip the ground beef and use shredded chicken instead if you want something lighter; it works, though the soup loses some of the richness the beef fat gives it. What I wouldn’t do is drop the ranch packet to “cut sodium” — the whole flavor balance depends on it, and without it the soup tastes like plain taco filling in broth.
Make-Ahead
This soup keeps well in the fridge for about 4 days and actually tastes better on day two once the seasoning has had time to sit into the beans. It does not freeze particularly well — the beans go a little grainy and the tomato base separates some on reheating. If you’re making it ahead, fridge over freezer.
FAQ
Can I make taco soup on the stovetop instead of a crockpot?
Yes — brown the beef in a pot, add everything else, and simmer covered for about 30–40 minutes instead of hours in the crockpot.
Is taco soup the same as chili?
Not exactly. Chili usually leans on chili powder alone and skips corn; taco soup gets its identity from the taco seasoning packet plus corn and often ranch, which gives it a different flavor lane entirely.
Do I have to seed the jalapeño?
No, but if you want the soup mild enough for kids or heat-sensitive eaters, seeding it removes most of the punch while keeping the flavor.
What toppings work best?
Shredded cheese and sour cream are non-negotiable in my kitchen. Green onions add freshness but crushed tortilla chips or corn chips stirred in right before eating are what actually make the bowl.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, as long as your crockpot has the capacity — a 6-quart handles a doubled batch fine, but check that it’s not filled past the max fill line before it cooks down.
Closing Thoughts
This is the kind of soup that’s better the second night, so if you have the freezer — sorry, fridge — space, make it a day ahead of when you actually want to eat it. It also holds up fine in a thermos for a packed lunch, which is honestly how I eat most of my leftovers of this one.
Crockpot Taco Soup
This hearty Crockpot Taco Soup combines seasoned ground beef, beans, corn, tomatoes, ranch seasoning, and classic taco flavors. It is an easy slow-cooker dinner made with simple pantry ingredients and served with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Brown the Ground Beef
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and no longer pink.
- If desired, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook them with the ground beef until softened and fragrant.
- Drain all but approximately 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat.
- Transfer the browned ground beef and reserved fat to the slow cooker.
Assemble the Taco Soup
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic if they were not cooked with the beef.
- Add the optional jalapeño, pinto beans, black beans, corn, water, petite diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir until the ingredients and seasonings are evenly distributed.
Slow Cook
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3–4 hours or on LOW for 4–6 hours.
Serve
- Stir the soup well and taste. Adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.
- Ladle the taco soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, or other desired toppings.
- Serve hot over corn chips or alongside crackers or cornbread.
Notes
- Yield: The original recipe does not provide a serving yield, so the servings field has been left blank.
- Cooking times: Cook on HIGH for 3–4 hours or on LOW for 4–6 hours.
- Onion and garlic: For additional flavor, sauté the onion and garlic with the ground beef before transferring everything to the slow cooker.
- Jalapeño: The jalapeño is optional. Remove the seeds and membranes for a milder soup or leave some intact for more heat.
- Seasoning: Taco and ranch seasoning packets may already contain salt, so taste the finished soup before adding much additional salt.
- Consistency: Add a small amount of water or broth if a thinner soup is preferred.
- Serving ideas: Serve over corn chips or with tortilla chips, crackers, or cornbread.
- Toppings: Try shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, avocado, cilantro, diced tomatoes, or crushed tortilla chips.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
