Taco Soup Crockpot Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Will taco meat dry out in crockpot? ›

Taco meat can dry out if you don't add extra water to the slow cooker. I suggest adding water before turning on the heat. This will keep the meat nice and moist, and serves the double purpose of helping the seasoning melt into the meat!

Slow cookers can transform a few simple ingredients into the most delicious soups by simmering them for hours. This low and slow cooking allows the flavors to mingle, creating rich, flavorful soups perfect for chilly days, nights, or any day you want to enjoy a bowl full of goodness.

If you're looking to upgrade your taco soup into a rich, creamy meal, you could turn to tried-and-true thickeners like cream cheese, heavy cream, flour, or corn starch.

Beans are not only a great addition to taco soup for their taste but also for their thickening properties. Mash a portion of the beans with a fork or potato masher and then add them back to the soup. The mashed beans will act as a natural thickening agent, making your taco soup heartier and more substantial.

Absolutely, which is why you should always adjust times and amounts as needed. Smaller amounts of slow cooker hamburger only need a few hours before they are done.

You can keep fully-cooked taco meat (I expect this is seasoned and ready to serve) in a crock pot for a short time. Some say 4 hours, but you'll probably be opening the cover and having servings taken out more than once.

Editor's Tip: Can you overcook soup in a slow cooker? It's a common question—and the short answer is yes. Ingredients like veggies, pasta and rice can get very mushy if left in the slow cooker too long. Many meats will toughen, too.

Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.

Recipes with meat like chili and pork shoulder are best when cooked for six hours minimum or up to ten hours. Vegetarian recipes are best cooked for around four hours, but can do a minimum of two hours or maximum of six hours (after which the vegetables start to get unpleasantly mushy).

Addition of Cornstarch or Flour: Create a slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch or flour with water. Stir this mixture into the soup and let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.

What is taco soup made of? ›

Scoop a dollop of sour cream into your bowl of soup and stir it into the broth. The fat in the sour cream will help mask the spices and make your soup creamier. If the soup still tastes too spicy, drop in more sour cream until it's palatable. Sour cream works well for chili, chowder, and taco soup.

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half.

Add a starchy vegetable like squash, pumpkin, sweet potato or white potato to your soup and let it simmer. The most straightforward way to thicken soup is to puree these vegetables using an immersion blender. But you do not have to do anything to them. Simply add and the starch will cook down to thicken your soup.

To keep a pot roast from drying out, your slow cooker needs liquid to create a moist environment, and that can include meat or vegetable stock, wine or water. This doesn't mean the meat should be submerged; a cup or two of liquid will be enough, since the cooker is covered and liquids stay trapped inside.

Anyone else got tips for awesome taco meat? Here's a little trick. For 1 pound of ground beef, add 1.5 cups of water and a 1/2 cup of quick oatmeal. Keeps it moist and "fluid".

However, cooking it for too long can cause the meat to become dry and tough. The ideal cooking time for meat in a slow cooker depends on the cut of meat, its thickness, and the temperature setting of the slow cooker.

The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm. After this, it needs to be cooled and transferred into the refrigerator.