This great taco soup is low in fat and calories but is “kicktail” spicy with a ton of taste plus it is thick enough to be called taco chili. You won’t believe this fits your diet.
Publishing Note: Originally Published: January 13, 2012, Updated with expanded discussion and updated photos.
I do not call many recipes “the best.” Too much bragging in that term. I need to feel deep in my heart that the recipe is worthy. This recipe is worthy in every way.
This taco soup is low in fat and calories but is “kicktail” spicy with a ton of taste plus it is thick enough to be called taco chili. You won’t believe this fits your diet.
This is the sixth soup in my “Week of Soups.” A personal favorite.
Pre-Week of Soup Recipes
Week of Soups Recipes
My Rating
It is only a 1-5 scale, but this is a 6. I loved it. A personal favorite of mine.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes on Crock Pot Taco Soup
I wanted to be lazy and not pay any attention to this, so I went the slow cooker route. You could do this on the stovetop in a couple of hours or a dutch oven in an over for a couple of hours.
Is it Taco Soup or Taco Chili?
This is a thick soup as published but if you want a very thick chili-like result, leave out the beef broth.
The Spicing and Taco Meat
I originally called this “Kicktail Taco Soup” due to the spicing and the great taste. The main complaint about most taco soups appears to be the mild washed out taste.
Most recipes start by cooking some burger and then dumping into a crock pot with the taco seasoning. The spices are minimal, to begin with, and then diffuse into the liquid, so the meat has little if any flavor.
I started with a modified version of my spicy taco meat. I bumped it up and added a little jalapeno. I added all the spices to the meat when cooking so it would keep some flavor and not have it all washed out in the soup. Excellent, just right.
This is 6/10 on the heat-o-meter. I thought it would be hotter. Add more spices or another jalapeno if you want to burn.
If you want less heat, cut back the cayenne pepper and/or eliminate the jalapeno pepper. You will still have great taste without the heat,
The Dry Ranch Dressing
I looked at a lot of recipes and really can’t claim an “inspired by.” This Paula Deen recipe had ranch dressing powder as did several others. It added an interesting taste, a little cool to oppose the heat of the jalapeno. I recommend it, but it is optional.
Recipe Size and Storage:
This is a relatively easy recipe to cut in half. Just adjust the serving area in the recipe card. It will do the math. But the instructions do not adjust. Cooking time is unchanged.
Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and good in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Ingredients for Taco Soup.
Prep one jalapeno by mincing and a medium onion with a medium chop.
Combine 1 lb lower fat ground beef with the onion over medium-high heat. Cook and break up the beef.
While beef is starting to cook, combine the spices 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
When beef and onion has cooked for 6-8 minutes and just browned, drain fat. Add the spices and about half the can of tomato sauce. Continue to cook until beef is well browned. About 10 minutes total cooking time.
Add beef to the crock pot. Rinse 1 can black beans, and one can of kidney beans and add to the pot. You may substitute any beans you want.
Add all remaining ingredients: 1 small can green chilies, two cans diced tomatoes, 1 – 14oz can tomato sauce, the diced jalapeno, one-half envelope of dry ranch dressing mix (optional), and a 14 oz can of beef broth. The beef broth may be omitted if you want this thick.
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
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The Best Crock Pot Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef - lower fat 90% or better
- 1 onion - medium chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper - minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne - less to decrease the heat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 4 oz green chilies
- 14 oz black beans - rinsed
- 14 oz light kidney beans - rinsed
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 14 oz tomato sauce
- 14 oz beef broth - Optional leave out if you want very thick
- 1/2 envelope ranch dressing powder - Optional
Instructions
- Prep one jalapeno by mincing and a medium onion with a medium chop.
- Combine 1 lb lower fat ground beef with the onion over medium-high heat. Cook and break up the beef.
- While beef is starting to cook, combine the spices 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
- When beef and onion has cooked for 6-8 minutes and just browned, drain fat. Add the spices and about half the can of tomato sauce. Continue to cook until beef is well browned. About 10 minutes total cooking time.
- Add beef to the crock pot. Rinse 1 can black beans and one can of kidney beans and add to pot. You may substitute any beans you want.
- Add all remaining ingredients: 1 small can green chilies, two cans diced tomatoes, the rest of the tomato sauce, the diced jalapeno, one-half envelope of dry ranch dressing mix (optional), and a 14 oz can of beef broth. The beef broth may be omitted if you want this thick.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- As written, this needs a larger crock pot of 6 qt or more. Half recipe will fit in a 3 qt.
- This is 6/10 on the heat-o-meter. Add more spices or another jalapeno if you want to burn.
- If you want less heat, cut back the cayanne pepper and/or eliminate the jalapeno pepper. You will still have great taste without the heat,
- This is a realatively easy recipe to cut in half. Just adjust the serving area in the recipe card. It will do the math. But the instructions do not adjust. Cooking time is unchanged.
- Good in the refigerator for 3-4 days and good in freezer for 3-4 months.
- The Ranch dressing powder gives an interesting "cooling" to the taste even with the heat of the jalapeno.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezes well for 3-4 months.
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
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Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
Originally Published January 13, 2012
I'm DrDan and welcome to my blog. You will find delicious easy everyday recipes mostly for smaller households. Please look around and enjoy your visit. 
Vickie
January 14, 2018 at 10:44 amThank you. Appreciate the quantity breakdown information, good to know for the future.
GREAT suggestion on the lemon bars. Looks easy!
Vickie
Vickie
January 13, 2018 at 7:41 amWant to make this for a “girls” weekend, ” “, meaning we are way past that age designation, but what the heck, you are only as young as you feel.
Just want to make sure this recipe really does feed, more than 2-4. There will be 5 of us, and if it’s as good as it sounds, I’m sure there will be seconds, all round!
Have a great celery, fennel, and green apple salad with a walnut Dijon vinaigrette that I think would make a great accompaniment to this soup.
Looking for a light lemon-y desert, any ideas?
DrDan
January 13, 2018 at 8:18 amThe total volume is 12-14 cups. So a bowl of soup is considered 1 1/2 cups so 8 plus bowls. Also look at the lemon bars. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/yummy-lemon-bars/
Have a good weekend.
Dan
Karen
January 12, 2018 at 10:45 amWe love, love, love this recipe! Thanks for republishing; reminds me that I haven’t made it in awhile.
DrDan
January 12, 2018 at 10:50 amHi Karen,
I couldn’t do a soup week without it. You will notice a slight change in technique. I drain the meat just as it is barely browned before the spices. I found that I was doing it that way. I wanted to get rid of the fat but not drain any spice. Before, I wasn’t draining.
Thanks for the note and enjoy the soup.
Dan
Jim Comer
February 3, 2017 at 5:52 pmI am a big chili lover and love to try different recipes. Will try this for sure in a crock pot for 6 hours. Correct. Jimmy C.
DrDan
February 3, 2017 at 7:07 pmHi Jimmy, 6 hours on low is fine. You can do 8 like most other chili recipes but not really needed.
Dan
marms
January 29, 2017 at 11:42 amThis looks great although I have no idea what “Kick tail” means. Must be an Americanism.. I’m making a version of this today, with what I have. or as a friend of mine says “what you got”. I virtually never make a recipe the same as what I see, or the same way twice, because “what I got’ varies. I do have cayenne pepper, chipotle hot pepper powder, Anjou fresh peppers and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Yee haw. What will mine be called? Canuck Woman’s What You Got Chili.
Other substitutions here: Bison, and because it’s so lean I add lots — 1/4 cup at least, olive oil, and I will use half the amount of beans, or maybe none and more vegetables. ZUcchini for sure, I see one looking forlorn in my vegetable bin.
Thanks again for another superb recipe.
DrDan
January 30, 2017 at 1:11 pmAll chili should be to use what you got just like soups. But I remember reading some Mark Bittman recipes that say just use what you have. I was more inexperienced then and it gave too little guidance to the beginners who are the majority of my readers. You have been around cooking enough to feel comfortable adding and subtracting. All recipes are just guidelines anyway.
Kick Tail is an old Americanism meaning excellent or great. I suspect it is too old of a phrase to use here and I may change the recipe name.
Dan
Mishele
January 28, 2017 at 4:37 pmLooking forward to trying this recipe … Garlic powder is on the recipe twice, is this a typo or does it in fact call for 2 tsp of powder?
Thanks,
DrDan
January 28, 2017 at 10:05 pmGarlic Powder only once so 1 teaspoon only. Fixed and thanks for the proof read.
Dan
Chris
January 14, 2012 at 11:14 amWow, a 6? That’s high praise and it looks wonderful. The ranch dressing is an interesting spin, I hadn’t tried that before.