When you serve it with toppings of crushed tortilla chips, chopped onions, sour cream, and fresh cilantro, you get the flavors of a crispy taco in every bite.
Easy Taco Soup in the Instant Pot
I prefer to use my 6-quart Instant Pot pressure cooker to make this soup (and just about everything else!). It will cook the soup fast, and also keep it warm for up to 10 hours if I need to make dinner earlier in the day. It really is the best of both worlds. (Looking for a slow cooker version? Try our Slow Cooker Taco Soup.)
New to the Instant Pot? Check out our post How To Use an Instant Pot: A First-Timer’s Guide.
How to Make Taco Soup
To make the soup, you’ll start by cooking the onions and beef together for a few minutes. You don’t have to thoroughly brown the beef; you just want to break it up a bit before the rest of the ingredients go into the pot. It’s ok if there are still traces of pink in there. Oh, and it’s easiest to use a nice lean variety of ground beef (93% or higher). So, there’s no need to drain off excess fat. After that, all you’ve got to do is add the rest of the ingredients and pressure cook the soup! While it’s cooking, you can prepare your toppings, so they’re ready to go when it’s time to eat. All told, it takes less than an hour to make!
This Soup Makes Great Leftovers!
This soup really is a meal in itself. It’s a quick dinner for cool or chilly evenings, and the leftovers make a great packed lunch, too.
How to Freeze Taco Soup
If you have more leftovers than you can eat in a few days, freeze the rest! Pack portions into freezer containers or bags, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating, or transfer the frozen soup to a saucepan and warm over low heat until thawed and reheated. Sometimes I like to ladle the soup into a mini-loaf or muffin pan, freeze it, and then transfer the frozen food into gallon bags and store in the freezer.
More Best Pressure Cooker Meals!
Pressure Cooker Cajun Spiced Stuffed Peppers Pressure Cooker Moroccan Chicken Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole Pressure Cooker Guinness Beef Stew Pressure Cooker Chicken Adobo and Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound lean ground beef (93% or higher) 1 medium red or yellow onion, diced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cups low sodium chicken broth 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles 1 1/4 cup (6 ounces) corn kernels, fresh or frozen 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings for serving:
1 1/2 cups tortilla chips, lightly crushed 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup diced onion (red or white) 6 lime wedges
Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and make sure it is set to its “Sealing” position. Select the “Soup,” “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” setting, and set the time to 20 minutes at high pressure. The pot will take about 15 minutes to come up to pressure, and then the cooking time will begin. You can also leave the soup on the pressure cooker’s “Keep Warm” setting for up to 10 hours. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for about 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.
