Change up taco night with Taco Chili! Each bite tastes like a hot and hearty taco in chili form. Serve with lots of toppings then dig in!
My oldest’s very favorite food right now is tacos. If you ask him what he wants for dinner, 100% of the time he’ll tell you tacos.
That being said, everyone’s getting a little sick of tacos so I thought I’d switch things up with Taco Chili!
I know – living on the edge – but the second thing my oldest will tell you he wants for dinner after tacos, is soup or chili, so this meal is a win-win at my house.
Each spoonful of Taco Chili tastes like a big bite of a taco, but since it’s thick and hearty it’s perfect for this time of year when you need a dish that will warm you up on chilly (har) nights.
Taco Chili Ingredients
Browned ground beef is simmered with pantry staples including my homemade taco seasoning (or a taco seasoning packet,) diced tomatoes and chilis, tomato sauce, chicken broth, pinto beans, and black olives.
A lot of Taco Soup or Chili recipes call for cans of black beans and corn – which is totally fine – but I wanted this chili to contain the ingredients we actually eat in or with our tacos. That includes refried beans if we’re at a restaurant (aka pinto beans) and black olives.
That said, feel free to include YOUR favorite taco toppers into your pot of Taco Chili!
Top each bowl with more classic taco toppings like sliced green onions and sharp cheddar cheese, plus a crush of tortilla chips to mimic the crunch of a taco shell. Diced avocado, sour cream, and fresh pico de gallo are also divine.
Don’t forget the cornbread!
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Pin ItCrock Pot Instructions
Taco Chili is also crock pot friendly – whee! Add all the ingredients into your crock pot then slow cook anywhere from 4-6 hours on low.
Whether you make Taco Chili on the stovetop or crock pot, leftovers get better and better so they work super well for easy lunches the rest of the week!
Serve with Gluten Free Cornbread
How to Make this Recipe
- For the Crock Pot: brown ground beef with chopped onion then add it to a 6 quart crock pot with chicken broth, canned pinto beans, tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes and green chilis, sliced black olives, and taco seasoning then cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- For the Stove Top: brown the beef and onions in a soup pot then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
Both methods are super simple – just depends on when you want to eat!
Last step is to scoop the chili into bowls then top with your favorite taco fixins’. Like I said, I love lots of sharp shredded cheddar cheese and green onions, plus crushed tortilla chips for crunch and a side of homemade cornbread.
Couldn’t be more delicious – enjoy!
More Hearty Chili Recipes
- Easy Turkey Chili
- Kickin’ Green Chili
- Signature Chili
- Crock Pot Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- No Bean Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed, Bush's recommended
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 3.8 oz can sliced black olives, drained
- 1 recipe homemade taco seasoning, see notes
- Toppings: shredded cheese, green onions, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, cooked rice
Directions
For the Stovetop:
- Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat then add ground beef and onion and saute until cooked through, breaking beef up as it cooks. Drain if necessary then return to the pot.
- Add remaining ingredients, except toppings, then turn heat up to high to bring to a simmer. Place a lid on top then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste then add more taco seasoning if desired, and then serve with toppings.
For the Crock Pot:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add ground beef and onion and saute until cooked through, breaking beef up as it cooks.
- Drain if necessary then add mixture to a 6 quart crock pot with the remaining ingredients, except toppings, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 4-6 hours then serve with toppings.
Notes
- You can also use 2 Tablespoons of my Large Batch Homemade Taco Seasoning, or a store-bought taco seasoning packet.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I like make this instead of regular chili. Usually add some chopped avocado on top too.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this. This is my four year old sons favorite dinner!
Kristin – wow so many great recipes on FB today! I think I copied them all down! I want to let you know how much I appreciate your recipes that are gluten free (1/2 our household has celiac, 1/2 not) and I even work to convert your regular recipes to GF because they’re so flavorful and tasty.
I also appreciate the down to earth instructions you type up. It takes the guess work out of everything.
So, keep doing what you’re doing! I love it and I share it with friends!
This looks so good!! I’d love to have you share it on our Taco Tuesday link up!
http://www.lazygastronome.com/taco-tuesday-2/
Yummy!!! I can’t wait to make this chili recipe, especially in the crockpot. Thank you Kristin.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Hubby and I loved it. I added some diced jalapeños, corn and cilantro that I had on hand. Will make again for sure :) Thank you for another fabulous recipe!
Yummy – sounds wonderful! Thanks for the feedback, Laura!
The Taco Chili was a big hit this year when kids and grandkids came home to Nebraska for Christmas. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome!! So glad to hear it, Stephanie!
This soup is delicious! I made it exactly as directed and I love it. Adding it to our rotation for sure!
Delicious, quick and my family loved it, Thanks !!
Made this last night and it is SO good! I used ground turkey breast instead and threw in a can of garbanzos too. I also added celery for some veggies. We will definitely have this one again!
This is fabulous! I have tried MANY versions of the famous taco soup…but taco chili wins! Very very good! LOVE!
Wohoo!! So glad you found a new favorite! Thanks so much for leaving feedback!
Also, I bet this would be awesome with Fritos Scoops! (Are those GF though? I don’t know.)
They ARE! Fortunately and unfortunately. Love me some Fritos. :)
Made this last night after a weekend away with no idea what to do for groceries this week. It’s really delicious and affordable! For about 25 bucks in NYC I have lunch for the whole week :) I replaced the olives with sliced jalapeno, but other than that followed the recipe exactly and it made my kitchen smell awesome!
I was just thinking to myself that I don’t know how I feel about olives in soup. Olives on pizza? Absolutely. Nachos? Dang straight. But soup? I’ll think about it… I’m going with jalapenos though! :D
So glad you loved it, Shannon! I actually bought a jalapeno to include in this chili but decided against it at the last minute. Next time for sure!