This delicious creamy taco soup recipe is so easy to throw together and loaded with flavor! It is the perfect soup for any day of the week, but especially on a busy weeknight when you’re looking for something comforting and simple.
This and my white chicken chili are my new favorite soup recipes and I’m so excited to share this new dish with you all. To make life easier and get dinner on the table even quicker, this recipe calls for store bought shredded chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken. Add in a few pantry staples and you’ve got dinner ready to go! And while I made this soup on the stove top in my dutch oven, as always I include directions for making it in the Instant Pot and slow cooker.
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Why this recipe works
- Nutritious and healthy ingredients make this a great recipe you will feel good feeding the whole family. And an easy option to make it low carb by leaving out the beans.
- Tastes amazing with loads of creamy flavor that is comforting and filling without being too rich and heavy.
- Great to feed a crowd or to make for meal prep. This recipe easily feeds 6-8 people depending on serving size, and can be doubled if you’re feeding a lot! Stores beautifully too, so makes for a great option for healthy meal prep.
- Affordable ingredients that won’t break the grocery budget. Feed your family a healthy and delicious dinner, and have leftovers for less than $20.
Homemade taco soup ingredients
- 2-3 cups shredded chicken – most grocery stores now carry pre-shredded all white meat chicken and I just love the convenience of it. At my local market it is the same cost ($9.99) as a rotisserie chicken, you get more white meat and no mess of shredding up a chicken by hand. But if you can’t find it or it’s too expensive, use a rotisserie. There are also notes in the recipe card on how to cook and use fresh chicken breasts.
- ½ onion diced
- ½ red bell pepper cubed – can also use green
- 2 cans of Ro-Tel – this is a brand of diced tomatoes and green chilies, but you can always buy a generic store brand. I suggest using mild.
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1-2 tbsp taco seasoning – depending on how spicy you want your soup. You can use packaged or see below for a simple homemade taco seasoning recipe
- 1 can black beans – drained and rinsed. Feel free to also use pinto beans if you’d prefer, or leave the beans out entirely if you want a low carb soup.
- 1 block cream cheese – allow to sit out and come to room temperature and cut into small chunks to make it easier to mix in.
- Optional additions of 1 tsp of paprika to deepen flavor and color of soup, and ½ tsp of fresh oregano.
- Favorite toppings of choice – the possibilities here are numerous of course. Think of this as topping your taco, so sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, fresh avocado or a dollop of sour cream would all be delicious!
Easy step-by-step-directions
Begin by heating a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot on medium heat and adding the diced onion. Sauté till soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes, then add in red bell pepper. Sauté for another couple of minutes, just to slightly soften the pepper, then add the dry seasonings and stir.
Allow that to cook for about 1 minute till the pot gets all nice and fragrant, then add in the tomatoes, beans, chicken and broth. Cover and let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
Remove lid and add in cream cheese a couple pieces at a time, stirring constantly. Adding it in smaller portions will allow it to blend in much more smoothly and quickly. Once cream cheese is completely incorporated in, dish into bowls and serve! Don’t forget your garnishes of course.
Ingredient substitutions
- If you would like to use chicken breasts, sauté breasts along with the onions till browned and cooked through on both sides; about 6-9 minutes per side. Remove from the pan, allow to cool then shred and return to the pot. As you can see, this method will take a bit longer but will still taste just as delicious!
- If you would like to use ground meat instead, like ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey, sauté the meat along with the onion till cooked all the way through. Leave in the pot and add remaining ingredients, minus the cream cheese, just as directed above. Just make sure to use lean ground beef or else you may need to drain the fat from the pot before adding everything else.
- You can sub 1 cup of heavy cream for the cream cheese.
FAQ’s
Microwave the onions with the seasoning mixture for about 3 minutes. Warming the aromatics will release more flavor into your soup, so don’t skip this easy step. Add to the slow cooker, along with your remaining ingredients, except the cream cheese, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Stir in cream cheese as directed above. Since everything is already cooked, you are really just warming it all up.
Follow all the same directions as above, by sauteing the onions, then red bell pepper on the sauté function. Then add all remaining ingredients to the pressure cooker, minus, the cream cheese, and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow for a natural release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure, and stir in cream cheese.
I really think you will love this hearty creamy taco soup and that it will become a new family favorite. It’s the perfect delicious meal for any weather, but especially on a cold winter night. If you give it a try, please consider leaving a comment and rating!
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The Best Homemade Creamy Taco Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups Shredded chicken
- 2 cans Ro-Tel
- ½ Onion diced
- ½ Red pepper cut into 1" chunks
- 4 cups Chicken broth
- 2 tbsp Taco seasoning use 1 tbsp if you want a milder spicy flavor
- 1 can Black beans drained and rinsed; may also use Pinto beans
- 1 tsp Paprika optional
- ½ tsp Fresh oregano optional
- 1 block Cream cheese room temp, divided into 6 portions
- Toppings
Instructions
- Begin by heating a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot on medium heat and adding the diced onion. Sauté till soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes, then add in red bell pepper. Sauté for another couple of minutes, just to slightly soften the pepper, then add the dry seasonings and stir.½ Onion, ½ Red pepper, 2 tbsp Taco seasoning
- Allow that to cook for about 1 minute till the pot gets all nice and fragrant, then add in the tomatoes, beans, chicken and broth. Cover and let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.2 cups Shredded chicken, 2 cans Ro-Tel, 4 cups Chicken broth, 1 can Black beans, 1 tsp Paprika, ½ tsp Fresh oregano
- Remove lid and add in cream cheese a couple pieces at a time, stirring constantly. Adding it in smaller portions will allow it to blend in much more smoothly and quickly. Once cream cheese is completely incorporated in, dish into bowls and serve!1 block Cream cheese
Susie says
We were so excited for soup season here in the Midwest and this was the first recipe we made. It turned out perfect and even my super picky kids LOVED it. Thank you for sharing!