Quick, simple, and delicious-3 words that everyone wants to hear! This Instant Pot Taco Soup is the perfect addition to your weekly meal plan!
With winter fast approaching and cooler weather coming in, one of my favorite mealtime solutions is warm, soothing soups (like a savory ham soup). Tex-Mex is also a food that I love year-round. So what about combining the two in a tasty Instant Pot Taco Soup? Top that off with a quick and effortless cook time in your pressure cooker, and this easy taco soup recipe is sure to be a hit in your home!
INSTANT POT TACO SOUP
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Soups are such great options this time of year! What I really love is how sipping on a bowl of soup just warms up your whole body. It really is the best after coming in from the cold air! It’s also soothing to your throat and stomach. So if you or your kiddos are feeling a little under the weather, this delectable dinner is just what you need.
We absolutely love taco soup in my household, but typically cooking any kind of soup takes a good while. That’s where the mama stress comes into play.
When you’re scrambling around to throw dinner together while trying to get the kids to quit running through the house and do their homework. We all know how messy that is, but it doesn’t have to be.
Using your instant pot, you can have this meal on the table in 35-40 minutes! That’s the real gem here, and the reason my whole family is obsessed with taco soup night!
TAOC SOUP INGREDIENTS
MEAT: We’re making this soup hearty with some extra protein! I like using ground turkey or ground beef for this recipe. Each meat works just as well as the other. My husband does prefer the instant pot ground beef soup though. He likes things beefy!
BEANS: I used a combination of pinto beans and chili beans. The chili beans are pinto beans, but with a seasoned sauce. They really add great flavor to the soup. You can use Southwest-style black beans if you can’t find chili beans.
SEASONING: The combination of ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning in this soup is delicious! Not a combination you’d normally think of, but they work so well together! It’s all about the herbs and spices in the mix… not what you’d normally make with them.
TOPPINGS: You can have SO much fun with your toppings! My family loves putting nacho cheese Doritos or Fritos on top for some crunch. I think many of us can agree that Doritos are some of the best chips ever! They really add an amazing touch when combined with a bowl of taco soup from the Instant Pot. Throw some shredded cheese, cilantro, and sour cream on top, and you’ll have the picture of perfection in your bowl.
How to Cook Taco Soup in an Instant Pot
Like all instant pot recipes, this one is fairly simple, but there are a few steps to follow when making your taste-bud-tingling taco soup:
- You’ll want to start off by browning your meat in some olive oil with the onions and bell pepper. To do this, simply push the Saute button and then add these ingredients to your Instant Pot.
- Once your meat is done browning, carefully drain any excess grease. If you really want to get the meat good and degreased, you can use a paper towel to dab it, or you can pour it in a strainer and mash it a few times with a spoon.
- Pour in the ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning, and drained corn. Then you’ll add in the tomatoes and beans along with any juices in the can. Then, stir everything together.
- Next, you’ll want to lock the lid in place and set the steam valve to sealing. Then set the Instant Pot to high pressure (manual setting) for 8 minutes.
- Once the time is up, let the pot naturally release for 15 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure. Now your taco soup is ready! Just give the seasoning a quick check and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve up the soup and add Doritos, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and sour cream.
Sound like a breeze? It really is a quick and easy family meal that everyone can enjoy. I’ll bet they’ll even come back for seconds!
How Do You Thicken Taco Soup?
There are a few different ways we can thicken our taco soup, and add some awesome flavor!
- Rice–If you decided to make rice with your dinner, you can actually mash it down and add it to the soup for an overall fuller texture.
- Sour Cream–Cream makes a great soup thickener. Since this is taco soup, and we’re already using it in our recipe, sour cream would be the best choice of cream.
- Cornstarch–This is a great thickener for many foods and won’t add any unwanted flavors.
- Roux–You can make this thickener by combining flour and butter, or flour and oil.
Any of these would be great options. If you’re looking for more flavor, I would go with the rice or sour cream. If you’re just wanting to thicken the liquid in the soup, I would recommend the Roux or Cornstarch.
How Long is Taco Soup Good For?
So you’ve made your Taco Soup, and now you’ve got to deal with the leftovers. How long have you got to polish off this tasty dish? If storing in the refrigerator, the soup will keep for about 3-4 days. Make sure that you pick a storage container that seals tightly. If you want to save your soup for a rainy day, you can freeze it for up to 6 months. Be sure to store in a freezer-safe container.
What Goes Good With Taco Soup?
Besides the toppings we’ve already discussed, what else would complement this meal? There are actually several quick and easy sides you can make to go with taco soup.
- Salad–Think Taco Salad, but with a twist.
- Mexican Rice–This recipe already has beans and corn, Mexican rice would fit right in.
- Cornbread–If you’re wanting a little more of a southern vibe, go for some jalapeno cornbread.
Become an Instant Pot pro with these other delicious recipes!
- Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage
- Tex-Mex Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Meatball Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Chili
- More dinner recipes…
Tools used to make this Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe
Instant Pot: This piece of kitchen equipment is what puts the magic of time and simplicity in the recipe, as well as many others!
Bowls: You can’t eat soup the way it’s meant to be eaten without them. Check out these decorative bowls, perfect for your taco soup fiesta!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- ½ cup bell pepper chopped (any color)
- 1 ounce ranch dressing mix (1 packet)
- 1 ounce taco seasoning (1 packet)
- 15.25 ounces canned corn drained
- 14.5 ounces canned fire-roasted tomatoes
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans
- 15.5 ounces canned chili beans
- Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
- Nacho cheese Doritos
- Sour cream
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Add oil, turkey, onion, and bell pepper to the pot. Cook until browned breaking up the turkey as it cooks. (Pour off any grease if using ground beef.)
- Turn off the pot and add ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning, and corn. Pour in tomatoes, Rotel, pinto beans, and chili beans with the juices from each can. Stir to combine.
- Lock Instant Pot lid in place and set steam valve to sealing. Turn pot to high pressure (Manual setting) for 8 minutes. Once cooking has finished, let naturally release for 15 minutes. Carefully quick release any remaining pressure.
- Open lid and stir soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm topped with crushed Doritos, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and cilantro if diesred.
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