This Crock Pot Taco Soup is made without beans, includes straightforward ingredients and pantry staples, requires just 20 minutes of prep time, and is low-carb and gluten-free. To make it, all you’ll have to do is brown some ground beef on the stovetop, add all of the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker, set it to cook, then garnish and serve!
When I need a “set it and forget it” meal to be prepared for weeknight dinners, this recipe is my go-to.
The resulting soup is warming, flavorful, and filling – and low in carbs as it’s made without kidney beans or black beans. (Want to add beans? See my recommendations in the “Variations” section below.)
It’s easy to make and requires next to no effort in the kitchen to get it into your Crock Pot and start cooking.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Minimal prep time (only 20 mins).
- High in protein, low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.
- Straightforward ingredients that you may already have on hand.
➡️ Ingredients you’ll need
- Ground beef
- White onion
- Cream cheese
- Canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used Rotel brand)
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Pepper
- Salt
- Red pepper flakes
- Beef broth
- Heavy whipping cream
- Sour cream (optional garnish)
- Cilantro (optional garnish)
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional garnish)
(Need ingredient substitution suggestions? See that section below for my recommendations.)
⏲ How to make crock pot taco soup
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Brown Ground Beef On Stovetop: On the stovetop in a large skillet, cook the ground beef until browned, and then drain the excess grease.
- Add In Ingredients And Stir: To your Crock Pot, add the browned ground beef, chopped onions, cubed cream cheese, canned tomatoes with green chilies, and spices. Stir to combine the ingredients and then add in the beef broth and heavy cream and stir again.
- Cook In Crock Pot: Set Crock Pot to cook on “high” for 4 hours or on “low” for 6-7 hours.
- Garnish And Serve: After cooking, stir the mixture before transferring the soup to bowls and topping with desired garnishes.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Ground Beef: Any other ground meat should work just fine here. Alternatives that I would recommend would be shredded or ground chicken, shredded or ground turkey, or shredded or ground pork.
- Spices: You can use a packet of homemade or store-bought taco seasoning instead of using individual spices. If you go this route, I would still recommend including additional garlic powder and cumin.
- Beef Broth: Chicken broth or vegetable broth can be substituted in for beef broth at a 1:1 ratio.
✨ Variations
- Have leftover chicken or leftover turkey or even some rotisserie chicken in your refrigerator? Shred it up and add it to your Crock Pot before cooking for added flavor and protein.
- Stir in a bag of frozen corn with the other soup ingredients for some added flavor and texture.
- Enjoy beans in your taco soup? Add canned kidney beans, black beans, and/or pinto beans before cooking.
- Increase the spice level by including chopped jalapeños, chopped anaheim peppers, or chopped serrano peppers. You can also add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper, too!
- Add a squeeze of lime juice to each bowl of soup just before serving.
- Serve with tortilla chips or slices of crusty bread.
➜ Cooking and recipe tips
- Decrease net carb content by omitting chopped onions.
- Reduce sodium level by decreasing or omitting the added salt and using unsalted beef broth.
- Double the recipe to ensure you have leftovers for the coming week. My husband thinks the flavors of the soup are even better the next day!
💬 FAQs
Do I have to use a Crock Pot or can I use a different kind of slow cooker?
This is the slow cooker I use (Crock Pot brand). But, this recipe should work successfully in any brand of slow cooker. I personally prefer a slow cooker that allows you to control whether that temperature is low or high, but it isn’t necessary. If your slow cooker is either “on” or “off” (meaning that it doesn’t have the option to set it to low, medium, or high), cook this recipe as instructed and after 3 to 3 ½ hours, check on it. If it seems like the edges may be slightly burning, turn it off.
Can I make this on the stovetop?
Absolutely. Brown the ground beef in a large pot on the stovetop then drain the excess grease. After, add all of the remaining soup ingredients and cook on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, decrease the stovetop heat to low and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
How long is taco soup good for? How should it be stored?
Store it in an airtight container without garnishes and eat within 5 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed throughout.
Can I freeze this soup after cooking it?
Yes, store in the freezer in an airtight container or storage baggie without garnishes. The soup will remain fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it on the stovetop until warmed throughout.
📚 More easy soup recipes
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Crock Pot Taco Soup
Ingredients
Taco Soup:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ medium-sized white onion, chopped
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened, cubed
- 10 ounces canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Optional Garnishes (Not Included In Nutrition Info):
- Sour cream
- Finely chopped cilantro
- Finely chopped green onions
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Brown Ground Beef On Stovetop: In a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop, cook ground beef until browned. Drain excess grease.
- Add In Ingredients And Stir: To Crock Pot, add browned ground beef, chopped onions, cubed cream cheese, canned tomatoes with green chilies, and spices. Stir to combine ingredients. Add beef broth and heavy cream and stir again.
- Cook In Crock Pot: Set Crock Pot to cook on “high” for 4 hours or on “low” for 6-7 hours.
- Garnish And Serve: After cooking, stir the mixture before transferring soup to bowls and top with desired garnishes.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Photo Credit: Jess Larson
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