Instant Pot Taco Soup

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 10/15/19
taco soup in a bowl with tortilla strips

The Spruce / Diana Rattray
  • Total: 40 mins
  • Prep: 13 mins
  • Cook: 27 mins
  • Pressure Build/Release: 20 mins
  • Yield: Serves 8

This Instant Pot taco soup is an excellent all-in-one dish to make for a family meal, potluck, or game day get-together. Aside from the great flavors, one of the best things about this soup is the time it takes to prepare and cook it. You will have full-flavored, hearty taco soup in just one hour.

This version contains ground beef and two kinds of beans—pintos and black beans. Feel free to use whatever you happen to have in your pantry. Navy beans, garbanzo beans, great northern beans, and kidney beans are all good alternatives.

Serve taco soup with corn chips or fried tortilla strips (see below) and shredded cheese, along with optional garnishes of sour cream, chopped cilantro, avocado wedges, or guacamole.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • Kosher salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup onion (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1 (1-ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)
  • 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 3 cups beef stock (preferably unsalted)
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) can mild, diced green chilies
  • Optional: 1 cup frozen corn kernels (or canned and drained)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
  • Optional: corn chips (or fried corn tortilla strips, for garnish)
  • Optional garnishes: sour cream, fresh cilantro, avocado or guacamole

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for instant pot taco soup
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  2. Select the sauté button and add the vegetable oil to the Instant Pot inner pot. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the ground beef and sprinkle with kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Drain the excess fat, if desired.

    browned ground beef in the instant pot
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  3. Add the chopped onion to the ground beef and continue to cook for 2 minutes.

    ground beef and onions in the instant pot
    1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  4. Add the garlic, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix and cook for 2 minutes longer.

    ground beef and seasonings in the instant pot
    1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  5. Add the black beans, pinto beans, beef stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chilies. Stir, scraping any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cancel the sauté function.

    instant pot taco soup with beans and tomatoes
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  6. Lock the lid in place and turn the steam release knob to the sealing position. Select the pressure cook or manual button (high pressure) and set the timer for 20 minutes.

    instant pot lid sealing position
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  7. When the time is up, carefully move the steam release knob to the venting position for a quick release. Add corn, if using, and stir. Taste and add salt as needed.

    instant pot in the venting postition
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  8. Transfer the soup to a serving bowl.

    instant pot taco soup in a serving bowl
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  9. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with corn chips or tortilla strips, shredded cheese, sour cream, and other garnishes, as desired.

    taco soup in a bowl with shredded cheese
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Tip

  • To Make Fried Tortilla Strips: Heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil to 350 F. Cut 6 corn tortillas in half and then cut them crosswise into thin strips. Add about half of the strips to the hot oil. Stir with a metal slotted spoon for about 3 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain and repeat with the remaining corn tortilla strips. Sprinkle lightly with salt and use to top your taco soup.

Recipe Variation

  • For a lower-fat soup, replace the ground beef with ground turkey and use reduced-calorie sour cream and cheese.