This easy and comforting Slow Cooker Taco Soup is perfect for busy weeknights and makes great leftover lunches. Made with beans, corn and the best Tex-Mex ingredients!
This post is sponsored by my friends at Honeysuckle White. All opinions expressed here are my own.
There’s nothing better than a hearty, filling and flavorful bowl of taco soup! Seasoned with my favorite southwest seasonings, this soup is made with pinto beans, black beans, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, onions and ground turkey.
It’s made in the slow cooker, which means you can get it going in the morning, forget about it during the day (though that may be hard because your house will smell amazing) and then eat it for dinner! It’s a definite crowd pleaser that’s also budget friendly and healthy! That’s a win-win my book.
Slow Cooker Taco Soup Ingredients
To make this soup, here’s what you need:
- Ground Turkey – Use a lean mix like Honeysuckle White 93% Lean Ground Turkey. It adds a ton of protein without leaving the broth too greasy! I’ve been using Honeysuckle White for YEARS and cannot recommend them enough. Their products are high quality and their turkeys are raised without growth-promoting antibiotics, hormones or steroids.
- Seasonings and Mix-Ins – Chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika and dried oregano are mixed in and slow cooked with all the main ingredients. Then some chopped cilantro and lime juice are mixed in at the end to provide some needed brightness and acidity that balances everything out!
- Canned Goods – Pinto beans, black beans, fire-roasted diced tomatoes for extra flavor, and corn. All of these ingredients are easy to find and also great for your wallet!
- Onions – These add some sweetness and richness to the soup that you can’t get from anywhere else!
- Chicken Broth – For a little added flavor. You could use water or a different type of broth if you don’t have any though.
How to Make Taco Soup in the Slow Cooker
Cook the onions in a nonstick skillet until they become translucent and begin to caramelize. This will help really bring out their rich and sweet flavor.
Add the ground turkey and saute it until it’s browned and cooked through.
Add everything to the slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on low. I prefer to cook this soup on low and not on high for a shorter period of time because I find that the flavors concentrate and develop more.
That being said, you could cook this on high for half the time if you’d like! It’ll still be delicious.
Last but not least, don’t forget all the toppings! That’s my favorite part of eating taco soup. Some of my go-tos are tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream and cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this taco soup spicy?
No, not at all. If you’d like to make it spicy, I recommend adding a teaspoon or two of ground cayenne or red pepper flakes. You could also saute some chopped jalapeno peppers along with the onions.
Can I use different kinds of beans?
Yes, you can use all black beans or all pinto beans if you prefer. You can also swap out either of them for kidney beans or white navy beans.
Can I make it creamy?
Absolutely! I recommend adding 4 ounces of cream cheese at the end when you add the lime juice and cilantro. Stir it until all the cream cheese has melted. I’ve made this soup both ways and love them both!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 pound Honeysuckle White 93% Lean Ground Turkey
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can whole corn kernels, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about the juice of 1 lime)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (optional)
- optional toppings: tortilla strips and shredded cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add ground turkey and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together and break up the meat using a spatula. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the meat has browned and fully cooked through.
- Transfer cooked ground turkey and onions to a large slow cooker. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, corn, the remaining 1 tablespoon salt, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika and dried oregano.
- Mix together until fully combined. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.The longer it cooks, the thicker and more concentrated the flavor of the broth will be.
- Mix in lime juice, cilantro (if desired) and cream cheese (if you want the soup a little creamy).
- Serve and top with tortilla strips and shredded cheese.
Isabel’s Tips:
Nutrition Information
I now live near Puerto Vallarta and have never been able to find canned pinto beans or even kidney beans anywhere in my travels from the Sea of Cortez to Zihuatanejo. Any suggestions or are these recipes for people living in the US?
Hi Kristin! You can try black beans, but really any canned beans of your choice will work.
I noticed in the recipe you add 1 tsp salt in the meat. Further down I believe there’s an error. You mentioned adding the remaining 1 tablespoon.
Someone may over salt their recipe.
Hello! Thank you for brining that to our attention!
I’m allergic to cream cheese and Greek cheese. I’ve tried with replacing this with cottage cheese but would prefer a better substitute. What would you suggest for a better replacement?
Thank You…
Hi Donna! While we haven’t tried this recipe with a substitute, you may try it with Greek yoghurt, sour cream, or mascarpone.
How do you think the flavor would be without meat (granddaughter is vegetarian!)? Thanks- I’ve tried many of your other recipes and we loved them all!
Hi! We’re happy to hear that you loved those recipes! I think the flavor of this soup would be fine without meat. You may need to adjust the amount of beans or spices to your liking though. Hope she enjoys!
So easy and delicious. Great taco flavor. Thinking I could add spinach or kale for vegetable bonus.
Yummy soup I used regular paprika not smoked and it worked great.Thanks for the easy recipe!