Slow Cooker Taco Soup is made with rotisserie chicken, lots of vegetables and Mexican seasonings. It's got great flavor and is so easy! This recipe includes simple variations and suggestions for making it dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian.
Slow Cooker Taco Soup is a delicious, simple recipe packed with chicken and Mexican-inspired vegetables and seasonings. It's almost a dump and go slow cooker recipe that requires minimal preparation and uses a rotisserie chicken for simplicity (and extra flavor!).
It's one of our favorite slow cooker soup recipes and tops our list of easy crockpot Mexican-inspired dishes alongside chile Colorado. If you think this taco soup recipe sounds good, you should give crockpot chicken parmesan soup a try next!
This taco soup recipe is hearty enough to serve as a full meal but makes a lovely side dish on Mexican night too. It's mild, but can easily be made spicy based on my suggestions below. And while this recipe is for a brothy soup, we're adding a little bit of cheese at the end, because well, everything tastes better with cheese. And for an extra kick, add a bit of homemade chicken taco seasoning or beef taco seasoning.
Before you get started making it, make sure to read through the post to see how to make it dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian if you follow a special diet.
Ingredients
Proteins: rotisserie chicken and black beans (or use your favorite beans or these homemade Mexican black beans for more flavor). You can use this delicious slow cooker rotisserie style chicken rather than a store bought one.
Vegetables: red onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, sweet corn and colorful bell peppers.
Seasonings: salt, pepper, taco seasoning, chili powder, thyme, oregano and fresh cilantro. We're also using a bay leaf and you favorite red salsa to give it some extra flavor.
Cheeses: sharp cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese taste the best in chicken taco soup.
Garnishes: fresh jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado and fresh cilantro all taste great as toppings.
Instructions
Slow cooker taco soup is incredibly simple to make in 4 steps.
STEP 1: Add diced onion, minced garlic, diced bell peppers, the diced tomato can, salsa, sweet corn and black beans to the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken or beef broth and stir in the bay leaf and all seasonings. Feel free to add in a little bit of my chicken taco seasoning for even more flavor.
STEP 2: Set to cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. *Don't be afraid to taste as you go and season as necessary, if you're not pressed for time!
STEP 3: When finished, add the shredded rotisserie chicken, fresh cilantro and cheddar cheese. Stir well and let the soup sit for 20 minutes in the warm pot. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and seasonings as desired.
STEP 4: Serve topped with jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, and extra shredded cheese. Sour cream, avocado, a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro also taste great.
My favorite way to enjoy crockpot chicken taco soup is to top it with tortilla chips and a layer of cheddar cheese and jalapenos. Then I broil it for a couple minutes like french onion soup. It makes a delicious, extra cheesy soup!
Variations
Dairy-free: leave out the cheddar cheese or use dairy-free cheddar cheese.
Gluten-free: make sure to use corn tortilla chips and check that your taco seasoning is gluten-free. Otherwise, this recipe is naturally gluten-free!
Change protein: use leftover ground beef or turkey from tacos or brown 1 pound of meat and add that to the crockpot at the beginning.
Make it vegetarian: use vegetable broth and tofu or add extra vegetables and beans. Red kidney beans are a great addition!
Make it vegan: use vegetable broth, extra veggies and beans and vegan cheddar cheese or nutritional yeast flakes.
Make it spicy: add sliced fresh or jarred jalapenos to the soup at the beginning of the cook time. It can also be drizzled with chile de arbol salsa when serving for extra heat.
Cooking Tips
- Slow cooker taco soup is fantastic when topped with crispy tortilla chips, cheese and jalapenos then broiled for a few minutes french onion style. The cheddar cheese melts into the soup and onto the tortilla chips, which become extra crispy and warm. Plus the jalapenos become slightly roasted and even tastier!
- If you are not pressed for time, there is nothing wrong with tasting the soup every so often so you can adjust the seasonings as it cooks. Since all ingredients are cooked and safe to consume from the beginning, doing this will help to get your taco soup tasting just how you'd like it.
- Make it as mild as you'd like or as spicy as you'd like. As written, this recipe is very mild and only gets a little spice from the chili powder. To make it spicy, add jalapenos to the broth, with their seeds!
Recipe FAQs
If you'd like a creamy taco soup, add extra shredded cheese or cream cheese at the very end. You can also replace some of the broth with heavy cream or evaporated milk.
Taco soup is great as a hearty full dinner or as a side dish with quesadillas, taquitos, enchiladas, and Mexican-inspired dinner salads.
Chicken taco soup keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week in a covered container.
Yes! Slow cooker taco soup is very freezer friendly. Store in freezer safe bags or containers for up to 6 months for optimal quality. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red or orange bell pepper diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz
- 1 can sweet corn 15 oz
- 1 can black beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup salsa
- 6 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- jalapeno slices for serving
- tortilla chips for serving
- cheddar cheese for serving
Instructions
- Add diced onion, minced garlic, diced peppers, diced tomatoes, salsa, sweet corn and black beans to the slow cooker. Add broth, bay leaf and seasonings. Stir well.
- Set to cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- When finished, add the shredded rotisserie chicken, fresh cilantro and cheddar cheese. Stir well and let soup sit for 20 minutes in the warm pot. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and seasonings as desired.
- Serve topped with jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, and extra shredded cheese. Sour cream, avocado, a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro also taste great.
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