Tex-Mex taco soup deserves its own meme—the mix of ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and green chilies shows up in countless soup and casserole recipes. Here, we’ve calibrated it for the slow cooker, definitely the easiest (and arguably the most satisfying) version yet. All you do is sauté onion and ground beef, then transfer them to the crock of your cooker along with canned pinto and red kidney beans, Mexican-style and diced canned tomatoes, corn, green chilies, black olives, and seasonings. Four hours later, you have a nourishing, comforting soup, ready to be garnished with sour cream, cheese, scallions, and fresh or pickled jalapeños.

  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 4 hrs Active: 5 mins

For the soup

For more, check out our Slow Cooker Chicken Soup, Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, and Slow Cooker Pork Ramen.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef, chicken, or other meat of your choice
  • 2 cups chopped white onion, in approximately 1/2-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium pinto beans
  • 1 (15-ounce) can low sodium red kidney beans
  • 1 (15-ounce) can sweet whole-kernel corn
  • 1 (15-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 (5-ounce) cans diced green chilies
  • 1 (5-ounce) can pitted black olives, drained
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 1 1-ounce package ranch dip mix

For garnishing

  • Sour cream
  • Shredded cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
  • Sliced green onions
  • Sliced fresh or pickled jalapeño peppers
  • Corn chips, optional

  1. Set a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat and warm the oil. Add the onion and cook until soft and transparent, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add the ground beef to sauté pan and cook until the meat well done, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the pieces. Add back the onions and mix well. Season with salt and black pepper. Drain any remaining fat from pan and add the mixture to the crock of your slow cooker.
  3. Add the can of pinto beans, red kidney beans, corn, both kinds of tomatoes, green chilies, olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dip mix. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4 hours.
  4. To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish each with a dollop of sour cream, cheese, green onion, and jalapeño. Serve the optional corn chips on the side for scooping, or crumble on top.