Instant Pot Taco Soup (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)

You’re about to up-level your ‘Taco Tuesday.’ Veggie-loaded, wholesome, hearty, and full of flavor, this Instant Pot Taco Soup is a quick and tasty weeknight meal with endless topping possibilities. It’s meal prep and freezer-friendly, making this a delicious reheat-and-eat meal that you can enjoy in the days, weeks, or months to come. 

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Get dinner on the table fast.

Instant Pot Taco Soup is a meal you can make and get on the table in less than 30 minutes (even faster if you pre-chop the veggies). I’m all for meals that are not only quick to make but also ones that are tasty, veggie-filled, prep-ahead friendly, and made with minimal dishes. This taco soup has it all and you’re going to love that this recipe is made entirely in the Instant Pot making for a quick kitchen clean-up. Additionally, it’s quite a satisfying meal thanks to the 10 grams of fiber and 25 grams of protein that’s provided in one serving.

Made flavorful with a blend of spices and lime juice.

Chili powder, cumin, and oregano come together to really give this soup that ‘taco-y’ flavor we love. You’ll find this soup to be milder on the ‘kick’ factor so if you do like a little ‘kick’, feel free to add a 1/2 teaspoon or so of cayenne. The flavor-boosting ingredient is the lime juice. The lime juice takes this recipe to another level. Truly, it does! So while it might be tempting to omit the lime (because one less ingredient), I highly recommend you add it. Heck, you might as well toss a couple of extra limes in your cart so that you can whip up our Real Food Margaritas, too! You won’t be sorry.

Meal prep and freezer-friendly.

This is a recipe you’ll want to add to your weekend meal-prep rotation. When I meal prep, I like to include at least one recipe that’s freezer-friendly – something that I can tuck away in the freezer for a future meal down the road. Instant Pot Taco Soup is perfect for that. You can save a few portions to enjoy now and in the days to come and then freeze the rest for a meal to have on hand when time just isn’t in your favor. Additionally, this would make for a great meal to bring to a neighbor, friend or family member who might be going through a trying time or recently became a new parent and could use a good, home-cooked meal OR you simply just want to spread the ‘real food’ love.

How to make Instant Pot Taco Soup:

If you’re looking for the Slow Cooker or Stovetop directions, you can find those below in the recipe card. Here, I walk you through the Instant Pot steps.

1. Using the ‘sauté’ setting on the Instant Pot, sauté the ground beef and chopped veggies until beef is no longer pink.
2. Turn the ‘sauté’ setting off and add the spices, tomato sauce, broth or water, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Stir to combine.
3. Lock the cover into place and turn the valve to ‘sealing.’ Set the Instant Pot for 8 minutes on high pressure. With the older version use the ‘manual’ button, with the newer version use the ‘pressure cook’ button. 
4. While the soup is pressure cooking, prepare the toppings. Go all out or keep it simple!
5. After the 8 minutes is up, allow for 5-7 minutes of natural release before flipping the valve to ‘venting.’
6. Once the pressure is fully released and the lid unlocks, remove the lid and stir in the sour cream and lime juice until evenly combined. This adds a delicious creaminess to the soup!
7. Instant Pot Taco Soup is ready to serve. Don’t forget the toppings!

Endless topping possibilities.

While this soup has amazing flavor and incredibly tasty on its own, why not have some fun with toppings?! Here are a few ideas…

• Avocado, sliced or diced
• Cilantro, chopped
• Green onion, thinly sliced
• Radishes, thinly sliced
• Crushed corn chips
• Cheese, shredded or cotija
• Sour cream
• Jalapeño slices
• Lime wedges

Looking for guidance with meal planning? Check out Real Plans, a highly customizable online meal planning service that includes over 300 of our very own recipes.

Add this Instant Pot Taco Soup to your upcoming weeknight dinner menu or weekend meal prep!

If you love this recipe, you’ll also want to try our Instant Pot Veggie-Loaded Turkey Chili.

Recipe

★★★★★ 4.8 from 15 reviews

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Veggie-loaded, wholesome, hearty and full of flavor, this Instant Pot Taco Soup is a quick and tasty weeknight meal with endless topping possibilities.

Prep: 20 minCook: 8 minutes (+ natural release)Total: 28 minutes

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Servings: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
• 2 tsp. olive oil or avocado oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 (15-ounce) can  tomato sauce + 1 can of water or broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles or fire roasted-tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn, frozen
• 3 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)
• 2/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt + more for topping
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: Diced avocado, chopped cilantro, green onion, shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt and/or lime wedges for serving

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Instructions

Instant Pot:

1. Select ‘Saute’ on the Instant Pot and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add ground beef, garlic, onions, bell pepper, zucchini, and carrots and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until meat is cooked and no longer pink.
2. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, tomato sauce, water or broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Stir to combine. Lock lid into place and flip valve to sealing position.
3. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow for 5-7 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
4. Remove lid. Stir in sour cream and lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with toppings of choice.

Stovetop Directions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add ground meat, garlic, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots and sauté for 7-9 minutes or until meat is cooked and no longer pink.
2. Add seasonings, tomato sauce, tomatoes, beans, corn, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
3. Next, stir in sour cream and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with toppings of choice.

Slow Cooker Directions:

1. Follow directions for the Stovetop version through Step 1.
2. Add ground beef and vegetable mixture to a slow cooker.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except sour cream and lime juice) and stir to combine.
4. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
5. Stir in sour cream and lime juice just before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve with toppings of choice.

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Nutrition Information

• Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (~1½ cups)
• Calories: 400
• Fat: 17 g
• Sodium: 850 mg
• Carbohydrate: 35 g
• (Fiber: 10 g
• Sugar: 11 g)
• Protein: 25 g

Dietary

Egg-FreeGluten-freeGrain-FreeNut-free

© The Real Food Dietitians

Recipe By: Stacie Hassing

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