Instant Pot Taco Soup

Topped with crispy tortilla chips, it’s like having a taco in a bowl!

By
Coco Morante
Coco Morante
Coco Morante
Coco began developing recipes for Simply Recipes in 2016 and is the author of five cookbooks. She is an industry expert on Instant Pot cooking.
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Updated January 18, 2024
Coco Morante
Easy Taco Soup in Pressure Cooker

Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

Taco soup is lighter than chili, but still hearty enough to serve as a meal in itself. It’s spicy, brothy, and full of ground beef, beans, and corn.

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 Pressure Cooker

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.)

How to Make Taco Soup in Instant Pot How to Make Taco Soup in Instant Pot

Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

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!

Taco Soup with Ground Beef

Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

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 This 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.

Easy Taco Soup in Pressure Cooker finish the soup

Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

More Instant Pot Soups

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Servings 6 servings

For Stove-top Pressure Cookers: Do Step 1 as written in a pressure cooker on the stove-top over medium heat. Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, bring up to high pressure, then turn down the heat and let the soup cook for 17 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally completely, or allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes before performing a quick pressure release. Serve the soup with toppings and lime wedges.

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 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

  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans

  • 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 onion (red or white)

  • 6 lime wedges

Method

  1. Sauté the ground beef and onion:

    Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker on its “Sauté” setting. Add the ground beef, onions, and salt, and sauté for about three minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon or spatula. It’s fine if the meat does not fully cook through.

    Easy Taco Soup in Pressure Cooker add the beef
    Coco Morante
    How to Make Taco Soup in Instant Pot cook the beef and onions
    Coco Morante
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pressure cook the soup:

    Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes and their liquid, black beans, kidney beans, green chiles, corn, spices, and salt.

    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.

    Easy Taco Soup in Pressure Cooker add the stock, beans, tomatoes
    Coco Morante
    How to Make Taco Soup in Instant Pot combine ingredients
    Coco Morante
    Taco Soup with Ground Beef set the pressure cooker
    Coco Morante
  3. Release the pressure:

    When the cooking program ends, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes. At this point, you can either perform a quick pressure release by moving the pressure vent to its “Venting” position, or let the pressure release naturally the rest of the way.

    You can also leave the soup on the pressure cooker’s “Keep Warm” setting for up to 10 hours.

    Taco Soup with Black Beans Release the pressure
    Coco Morante
  4. Serve with toppings:

    Ladle the soup into bowls and serve it topped with the chips, sour cream, cilantro, and diced onions, with wedges of lime on the side.

    Leftovers will keep refrigerated for about 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

    Easy Taco Soup in Pressure Cooker finish the soup
    Coco Morante
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
408 Calories
12g Fat
41g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 408
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 968mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 12g 42%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 59mg 296%
Calcium 118mg 9%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 1181mg 25%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.