Instant Pot Taco Soup

I was first introduced to this recipe for taco soup by a lovely friend who brought it over after I’d had my first kiddo. She delivered it, still warm, in a giant Tupperware container. It was accompanied by a pan of fresh cornbread, pico di gallo from our local grocery deli and a few perfectly ripe avocados.

It was heaven in a paper bag to this new mom, and every since,  this taco soup is my go-to for Sunday football watching, fast meals for us, for bringing to new moms or for those in need of a meal during a tough time – it’s wonderful comfort food.

And it makes a LOT, so you have the option of freezing half for another meal if you want. (This is one of the few meals where “leftovers” isn’t a dirty word to my son.)

I confess – this is very much a “dump” soup, and to quote my friend Irene “it’s not haute cuisine, but it sure is good!” I’m normally not one for using packaged mixes – I prefer to mix up my own taco seasoning because I can adjust the heat (The Pioneer Woman’s recipe is my go-to), but sometimes you just need an easy meal, and for those occasions I feel no guilt grabbing a low-sodium package of taco seasoning. It comes together fast and you can keep it warm in the IP with no worries.

Tip: I originally prepared this in a large slow cooker and let it simmer away all day. You can also prepare it on the stovetop. (Keep an eye on the liquid level if you choose to prepare it this way – I like to make it in a dutch oven so the bottom doesn’t brown if I get distracted and forget to stir.)

Let’s make some Taco Soup!

Y’all know how to brown ground beef and onions and open cans, so I’m going to skip all the step-by-step on this recipe.

Brown 1-1/2 pounds of lean ground beef and one chopped onion. You can do this directly in your instant pot, but I prefer a large skillet because it’s faster and easier to drain.

Drain the mixture, and add to your instant pot.  (You can also make this leaner by using ground turkey.)

That’s the hard part! All you have left to do is add the remaining contents to the IP – but before you do that, a quick note:

Don’t drain any cans except for the hominy.

That’s right – just open them up and add them in.

Except for the can of hominy – you want to drain it first, then add it.

[A note about the hominy – if you haven’t tried hominy before, and are tempted to add canned or frozen yellow corn – don’t. This is honestly my favorite ingredient in the soup. Just try it.]

Then add the packages of Ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning and stir well.

Add enough water to make you think “soup” or “chili” and not “stew”. You don’t want it too thick – but I find that the liquid volume depends on the tomatoes.

Give it one more stir and close the lid. Set your instant pot for the “SOUP” setting – mine ran 20 minutes.

Allow it to natural release as that pot will be VERY full. Open the lid carefully.
Give it a final stir, and serve it up.

Top it off your taco soup with some freshly diced avocado and a spoonful or two of pico de gallo. The crunch of the raw onions and jalapeño add a nice texture. You can even give it a squeeze of lime or a sprinkle of shredded cheese if that’s your thing.

Just add a warm, buttery square of cornbread (or some wedges of cheese quesadilla) and a fresh green salad to round out the meal.

We love this recipe for taco soup. What would you serve with it?
Give me a shout out in the comments, and let me know if you try it yourself!

Looking for other recipes for your Instant Pot? Check out these favorites!

How To Cook a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

Delicious Chicken Stock in your Instant Pot

Instant Pot Tortellini Turkey Tetrazzini