This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy Instant Pot Taco Soup, made with ground beef, chicken, or turkey, and loaded with Mexican taco flavors like chipotle, and can be ready in 30 minutes, and topped with your favorite taco toppings!
Today, I’m sharing Instant Pot Taco Soup, one of my family’s favorite Instant Pot Soup Recipes, and one of many Mexican recipes on my site, which tastes like a taco but in soup form, which actually makes it even more comforting. Soothing, slightly spicy, savory beef broth with ground beef, Taco flavor
Why Make Taco Soup In An Instant Pot
You can certainly make a delicious taco soup in a dutch oven or pot on top of the stove. So, why make it in an Instant Pot instead of on top of the stove? Some of the benefits of pressure cooking it in an Instant Pot are:
- It cooks in minutes but tastes like it has simmered for hours.
- After browning the ground beef and sautéing the onions, (which you would have to do as well if you cooked it on the stove), you can set it and forget it.
- The pressure cooker seems to magically infuse a tremendous amount of flavor into the soup, which makes it tastes amazing.
Why Make This Instant Pot Taco Soup Recipe
With so many recipes out there, how is this recipe special and unique? There are many reasons.
- This Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe is easy to make yet it is loaded with Mexican flavors, with taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought), and chipotle pepper(s) in adobo sauce.
- Ready in only 25 minutes.
- Budget-friendly. With a few inexpensive ingredients, you can have a super flavorful soup.
- Tips so you can control the spicy heat level to your preference.
- Detailed, yet easy to follow instructions, in plain language. If you are familiar with Instant Pot cooking, you can easily read the bold text in the instructions to quickly know what to do. If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, there are detailed step by step instructions so you know which buttons to push to get the best results.
- Step by step photos so you can see each step in the process.
- Tips and tricks to help you ensure the recipe is successful.
- Answers to many frequently asked questions.
What Do I Need To Make Instant Pot Taco Soup?
Below is a summary of the equipment and ingredients you will need, and any acceptable substitutions, if possible, to make this recipe. This can help you determine, if this is a recipe, you would like to add it to your meal plan.
Equipment
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo-60
Ingredients
- Oil – just need a small amount to brown the ground beef and sauté the onions and garlic.
- Ground beef or ground turkey
- Chopped Onion
- Minced Garlic
- Taco Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- Beef Broth or water
- Canned Black Beans (can substitute pinto beans or red beans)
- Canned Pinto Beans (can substitute black beans or red beans)
- Minced Garlic
- Corn (canned or frozen)
- Diced Tomatoes and Chilies – If you can’t find the two combined, like RO*TEL, then use one can of diced tomatoes and one small can of green chilies (see amounts below in the recipe card.)
- Chipotles in adobo sauce – The chipotles and adobo sauce a smoky heat and depth of flavor. Add 1 to 2 chipotles if you like spicy foods. If you like only a milk spice level, then try adding only some of the sauce to get the smoky flavor with mild heat. If you can’t take any level of spicy, then I would recommend to leave it out.
For a more detailed ingredients list, including the specific amounts of ingredients, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post, before the comments, for the printable recipe card.
Before heading to the grocery store, I recommend using the ingredient list at the bottom of the blog post, in the printable recipe card. It will require you to scroll a little further down, just above the comments.
How Do I Make Taco Soup In An Instant Pot?
Brown Ground Beef, Onions, and Garlic.
- Add oil to the Instant Pot, when hot, add the ground beef and cook for a few minutes until brown. Drain off the excess fat, but leave about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Add the chopped onions and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute.
- Add the taco seasoning and stir until it is combined evenly throughout the beef mixture.
Deglaze Pan
- Add about 1/2 cup of the beef broth or water and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon or spatula. This step helps prevent getting the “Burn” message on the Instant Pot.
Add Remaining Ingredients
- Pour in the remaining beef broth, rinsed beans, corn, diced tomatoes and chilies, and chipotles in adobo sauce. DO NOT STIR. (See recipe card below for specific amounts.)
How Long To Pressure Cook Instant Pot Taco Soup?
- Close and lock the lid and move the pressure release valve to the SEALING position.
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes. (See the recipe card below for the steps on how to do that.)
- Do a Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes and then a quick release. (See the recipe card below for the steps on how to to do that.)
- Open the lid and serve.
Tips For Perfect Instant Pot Taco Soup Every Time
- Be sure to add enough liquid, either water or beef broth. Pressure Cooking requires liquid to cook. Otherwise, you may receive a Burn message, which means the food has burned on the bottom of the pot.
- Deglaze the pan. It is important to not skip deglazing the pan for 2 reasons. First, after browning the meat, onions, and garlic, be sure to scrape all the food off the bottom of the pot so it does not stick. It will blend in with the broth to add more flavor. Secondly, it will prevent food from burning on the bottom of the pot and avoid the Burn message.
- Be sure to add the ingredients in the order specified. If the liquid is not at the bottom of the pot then, it could burn.
- Homemade Taco Seasoning. I highly recommend making the taco seasoning from scratch. It takes only 5 minutes and adds so much flavor. It tastes way better than store-bought and it won’t have any artificial preservatives or additives.
Taco Toppings To Use For Instant Pot Taco Soup
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheese
- Chopped Cilantro
- Corn Tortilla Strips
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Guacamole or chopped avocado
- Pico De Gallo or chopped tomatoes
What To Serve With Instant Pot Taco Soup
- Mexican Rice AKA Spanish Rice
- Mexican Cornbread or Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread
- Mexican Cabbage Slaw
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Which Model Instant Pot Was Used In This Recipe? A 6-quart Instant Pot Duo60.
- Can I double this recipe? Doubling the recipe may not fit into the 6-quart Instant Pot. You could try it in an 8-quart Instant Pot.
- Can I make this recipe in a Crockpot? Yes. Brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic in a skillet first, and then transfer everything to a slow cooker and add all other ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Can I make this recipe on the stove? Yes, use a dutch oven to brown the ground beef, and saute the onions and garlic. Then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a bowl and then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Can I make this Instant Pot Taco Soup ahead of time? Yes. You can make it a day ahead, cover and refrigerate it until the next day and reheat it.
- How Do I reheat the soup using an Instant Pot? Place the inner liner pot with the soup in the Instant Pot. Close and lock the lock, move the pressure release valve to SEALING. Press the Pressure Cook button and High Pressure and set it 0 minutes. The time it takes to come to pressure and release the pressure will heat the soup.
- Can I Freeze Instant Pot Taco Soup? Yes. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken And Dumplings
- Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Meatloaf (Philly Cheesesteak Style)
More Mexican Recipes
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Tex Mex Beef / Steak Fajitas
- Picadillo Con Papas
- Enchiladas Rojas De Queso
- Mexican Beef And Rice Casserole
Recipe
Ingredients
Brown Ground Beef and Onions
- 1-1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves garlic)
- 3 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (or 1 packet store bought taco seasoning)
DeGlaze
- 1/2 cup water or beef broth (See below for additional liquid)
Taco Soup
- 4 cups beef broth (recommend low sodium version)
- 1 (16 oz can) black beans, drained
- 1 (16 oz can) pinto beans, drained
- 1 cup corn
- 1 (14.5-ounce can) 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (See note below)
- 1 (4-ounce can) green chilies
- 1 - 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (include about a tablespoon of adobo sauce)
Instructions
- Brown Ground Beef. Press the SAUTE button and More. Wait until the display says "Hot" and then add oil to the Instant Pot, and then add the ground beef and cook for a few minutes until brown. Drain off the excess fat, but leave about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute.
- Add Seasoning. Add the taco seasoning and stir until it is combined evenly throughout the beef mixture.
- Pressure Cook High Pressure 5 Minutes. Press the PRESSURE COOK (OR MANUAL BUTTON depending on model), select HIGH PRESSURE, and use the + or - signs to adjust the cooking time to 5 minutes. Close and lock the lid and move the pressure release valve to the SEALING position.
- Nature Release For 10 Minutes. After it has finished pressure cooking for 5 minutes, do a Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes and then a quick release. This means after it finished pressure cooking for 5 minutes, DO NOTHING for 10 minutes MORE minutes. Do NOT touch the Instant Pot for 10 minutes. Do NOT change any settings. Then after 10 minutes, carefully move the pressure release valve to the VENTING position, to quickly release the pressure. Open the lid and serve with your favorite toppings.
Video
Tried this recipe?Please Rate this Recipe!
Hi, I’m Michele Feuerborn, a home cook with 25+ years experience, and former AllRecipes Allstar, creating bold & easy Southern, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Instant Pot recipes. Featured in publications like Parade and BuzzFeed. Read More…
Nancy says
Great soup — easy to make – almost too easy. : ) Loved all of the ingredients — I used fire-roasted corn and chipotle chili powder vs. the chipotle peppers in adobo. The powder adds a little less heat which we prefer. Great flavor and great results. : )