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Let’s be real—some nights, you need a dinner that basically cooks itself. That’s where Instant Pot Taco Soup comes in. It’s hearty, packed with smoky, Tex-Mex flavors, and requires minimal effort, thanks to the magic of pressure cooking. If you love tacos but want something warm and cozy, this soup is your new best friend. It’s perfect for meal prep, freezer-friendly, and customizable with all your favorite toppings.
Craving more Instant Pot soups? Try Instant Pot Lasagna Soup or Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup next.
Table of Contents
Why This Instant Pot Taco Soup Is A Game-Changer
- Quick and Easy Dinner Solution: Weeknight dinner stress? Gone. This soup comes together in under 30 minutes from start to finish. The Instant Pot handles all the heavy lifting—just sauté, dump, set, and forget.
- All the Comfort, All the Flavor: It’s got everything you love about tacos—seasoned ground beef, smoky spices, fire-roasted corn, and black beans—wrapped up in a cozy, savory broth. It’s warm, filling, and full of bold flavors.
- Perfect for Meal Prep and Leftovers: Make a big batch today, and you’ll have lunch for days. This soup tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully.
- Easily Customizable: Want to make it lighter? Swap the beef for turkey. Need a low-carb option? Skip the beans and corn. Prefer more heat? Add extra jalapeños or hot sauce.
Looking for another soup recipe? Try healthy chicken tortilla soup or Italian meatball soup next.
How to Make Instant Pot Taco Soup
Step 1. Saute the Base: Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and saute the onion, red pepper and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown for 3-4 minutes, or until no pink remains.
Step 2. Build the Soup. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Give everything a good mix, making sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom (this helps prevent the burn warning!).
Step 3. Pressure Cook. Lock the lid and turn the vent to the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Manual) for 8 minutes. Once it’s done, let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release to vent the remaining pressure.
Step 4. Top and Serve. Stir, taste for seasoning then serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Can I Make it in the Slow Cooker?
Yes! This recipe easily transfers to a slow cooker meal. Follow the steps to saute the meat and veggies over medium heat on the stove. Transfer to a slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
Serving Suggestions
- A side salad, like this roasted chipotle sweet potato salad or cucumber tomato avocado salad.
- Cornbread or cornbread muffins
- A piece of crusty sourdough bread or soft sourdough rolls
- Chips and guacamole
- It’s also great on it’s own with tons of toppings!
Storage and Freezer Instructions
Fridge: Allow the soup to cool completely then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To Freeze: Follow the steps to saute the meat and veggies (could do this over the stove) then allow it to cool and add the mixture to a plastic bag with the rest of the ingredients. Lay it flat in the freezer to freeze solid then stand it up to save space.
To cook/reheat: allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge then cook it on low in the slow cooker for 6-7 hours. Or reheat it on the stove or in the microwave until heated through.
Making a double batch and freezing it is such a great option as we head into the school year. You’ll get two dinners with one effort. Freeze half and save it for a busy night when you’re rushing kids around to practice!
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Instant Pot Taco Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can fire roasted corn drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 cups beef broth
- Toppings: avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, sour cream, red onion, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, jalapeno
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Allow it to heat until the oil is rippling then add the onion, red pepper and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown for 3-4 minutes, or until no pink remains.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1 lb ground beef
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, fire roasted corn, black beans, spices and beef broth and stir to combine. Lock the lid into place and seal the vent. Set to Pressure Cook (manual cook) for 8 minutes. It will take a few minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure then it will start counting down. When the time is up, allow the soup to Naturally Release (do nothing) for 10 minutes, then Quick Release the pressure valve with the handle of a wooden spoon until the soup has vented all the way.1/4 cup tomato paste, 1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1 (15-oz) can black beans, 1 (15-oz) can fire roasted corn, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 3 cups beef broth
- Stir, taste for seasoning then serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We made this in the slow cooker tonight following the notes section of the recipe card and it was SO delicious! I put it all together while my daughter ate lunch and it was ready to go by dinner time. We’ll definitely be having this one again.
Love that! Can’t beat a slow cooker recipe.
Love this soup and I love that there is barely any prep work to be done, especially if you buy pre chopped onions. I will definitely be making this again. One note – the instructions don’t mention anything about the tomato paste. I assumed I was supposed to add it with the tomatoes so that’s what I did and it turned out great.
Thanks for taking the time to share, Alyssa!! Glad you love it! It’s a weeknight staple around here.