Make this creamy low-carb soup next Taco Tuesday! The Instant Pot cuts the cooking time for this easy taco soup recipe. After the cooker reaches the desired pressure, it's done in 15 minutes! Load it up with your favorite toppings, and you have a delicious meal on your hands.
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No more plain tacos for dinner... make this simple soup recipe instead!
Now that the weather is getting warmer, I don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen cooking. So that's why I need to revisit using my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.
If you don't have one of these handy machines, you should definitely look into getting one! Not only does it pressure cook, but it can be used to sauté, steam, slow cook, and even make yogurt. It's amazing!
I decided to my Instant Pot to make a batch of this keto-friendly taco soup. It has so much flavor!
Note: The inspiration for the recipe is from Linda at Genaw.com.
💛 Why you'll love it
Since I didn't have a lot of time to babysit the stove or wait around for the slow cooker to finish, the Instant Pot seemed like the way to go. And, it certainly saved tons of time!
I love to cook, but with my busy schedule, I don't have enough time to really play in the kitchen. That's what is so great about this Instant Pot taco soup.
Topped with some classic taco toppings like sour cream, avocado slices, and sliced olives, this soup is sure to make your whole family super happy!
📋 Ingredients
Here is what I used in this homemade taco soup recipe. I'll also share some variations and ingredient swaps you can make.
Meat
I used ground beef (80/20 or lean ground beef) for this keto soup. You can also substitute some ground turkey instead.
For other options, you can also swap it out with ground chicken or even chorizo if you want it a little spicier.
Spices
Here's a quick rundown of the spices I used in this soup.
- Onion Flakes - These are optional. You could also use fresh-chopped onions or onion powder for a little more flavor.
- Garlic Cloves - If you don't have fresh minced garlic, sprinkle some garlic powder in the chili instead.
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
I also recommend seasoning this taco soup with my homemade taco seasoning!
Diced Tomatoes With Chilis
My favorite brand is RoTel diced tomatoes. If you leave these out, it will decrease the carb count, but it gives it a lot of flavors, so I'd leave them in.
You can also add in a can of diced tomatoes and some canned green chiles or jalapeños.
Beef Broth
Add beef broth to the soup to really bulk up the beefy flavor. You can also use beef stock instead.
Dairy
To make this soup extra creamy, add in some cream cheese and heavy cream.
Farmer's cheese is a good substitute if you don't have cream cheese.
Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
Toppings
You can top this tasty low-carb taco soup any way you like! Some toppings I like to add to my bowl include:
- Shredded Cheese
- Black Olives
- Jalapeno
- Diced Avocado
- Sour Cream
- Hot Sauce
- Green Chiles
Each topping can add a bit more carbs, so be careful if you are on a strict carb diet. The tomatoes also have natural sugar, so I try not to go overboard with them either.
💭 Quick tips
- It's recommended not to pressure cook dairy. Therefore, it's best to add in the cream cheese and cream after pressure cooking.
- Add the dairy at the very last step. The soup will be hot enough that the cream cheese and dairy will melt right away!
- You can change up the homemade taco seasoning blend as you like for this soup. I used a spice mix that's similar to what I used in my mexican beef with zucchini recipe.
🔪 Instructions
This is such an easy taco soup recipe to make, especially when you use the Instant Pot!
Brown the meat
Use the “sauté” setting on the Instant Pot and add ground beef to cook. Then, drain the excess grease and return the ground beef to the Instant Pot.
Pressure cook
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the dairy) to the pressure cooker with the ground beef.
I cooked the soup for 10 minutes on the "Soup" setting then allowed the pressure to release for 5 minutes.
However, I later discovered that it's better to cook the soup for only five minutes and then let it sit for ten minutes after releasing pressure before removing the lid.
Either way, it's only a total of only 15 minutes of cooking after reaching pressure for this Instant Pot taco soup.
Add dairy
After the Instant Pot depressurizes, add the cream cheese and heavy cream. It will melt perfectly!
Then, add your favorite taco toppings and enjoy.
🍽 Serving suggestions
This soup is the perfect thing to serve on taco night! Add some Mexican cauliflower rice on the side for a complete meal.
It will also taste great with some keto zucchini nachos or keto-friendly fresh salsa on the side too!
🙋 FAQs
Before we get to the printable recipe card, here are some questions people often ask about how to make it.
You should always store your leftover soups in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This soup will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
Yes! The soup can be frozen for at least 4 months. Just pour it into a freezer bag or other airtight freezer-safe container after cooled. When you are ready to eat the soup, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, heat it on the stove for the best results.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can easily make this on your stove. Just brown the meat, drain it, and return it to your large pot. Then, add the rest of the ingredients. Heat at medium-low heat, stirring frequently. When it reaches a simmer, it is ready to serve!
📚 Related recipes
If you enjoyed this low-carb taco soup and you are looking for more tasty keto soups that are easy to throw together, then I have some for you! Check out a few of these favorites:
- Keto Chili is bursting with flavor and can be made on the stove, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot!
- Low Carb Cream Of Chicken Soup With Bacon is a rich, creamy, one-pot soup that’s hearty enough to be served as a main course.
- Sinigang Soup is a classic Filipino sour soup. This version features shrimp and vegetables in a base of tamarind broth. It’s simply delicious!
- Keto Chicken Chili is a thick, tasty dish that is totally dairy free.
- Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup made with sausage is a comforting dish that’s super flavorful, yet so easy to make!
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Soup is another easy dish to make in your electricp pressure cooker.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Low Carb Taco Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon onion flakes optional
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 20 ounces diced tomatoes with chilis (Rotel)
- 32 ounces beef broth
- salt & pepper to taste
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
Optional Toppings:
- sour cream
- sliced black olives
- sliced jalapeño peppers
- cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in Instant Pot on "sauté" setting. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Stir in onion flakes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, diced tomatoes with chili, beef broth, and salt & pepper. NOTE: It's not recommended to pressure cook dairy so you may want to add in the cream cheese and heavy cream after pressure cooking. (I discovered this after so the video does not reflect this change.)
- Cover Instant Pot and cook on "soup" setting for 5 minutes. (Original recipe pressure cooked for 10 minutes and let sit at no pressure release for 5 minutes. However, it's better to pressure cook soup for a shorter period and then let it sit in the pot for a longer time period after releasing pressure before opening the lid. The video does not reflect this change.)
- When time is up, allow pot to sit with valve closed to depressurize naturally for ten minutes before opening vent valve and removing lid. Add in cream cheese and heavy cream.
- Serve hot with optional toppings.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First Published: May 26, 2017... Last Updated: January 6, 2022 with updated images and additional recipe information.
RB
Everyone absolutely loves this soup, even picky eaters. Thank you Lisa for posting this easy delicious soup.
Susan
Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing an exact amount of a serving size of 2 cups for your recipe Instant Pot Low Carb Taco Soup! It is very much appreciated, because it is very difficult to divide a pot full of soup into 8 servings, and I'm sure most people just estimate how much 1/8 would be! Thank you again.
Judy Evans
How do I remove items from my "add" list. I have multiple copies of the same recipe.
Lisa MarcAurele
Can you email us from the contact form at the bottom of the about page so I can get more info?
Tina
Can you make this if you don't have a instant Pot?
Lisa MarcAurele
If you prefer, you can simmer it on the stove top instead.
Terry
Could you explain step 4 please? It may just be me but I am confused because it says open, but also says to not open it until depressurized. Im not trying to be difficult.
Lisa MarcAurele
It's not written correctly so I'll fix that. You can't open the lid until it's depressurized and you want to let it do a natural pressure release with the valve closed.