This Taco Chili is incredibly flavorful and so easy to make! Just brown the beef, stir in a few cans, let it simmer, and pile on the toppings.
Make it on the stovetop, in the Instant Pot, or in the slow cooker.
Author’s Notes
Mom’s Taco Chili “Secret”
My mom made taco chili all the time growing up, basically ground beef with taco seasonings, lots of beans, and corn. We all LOVED when she made it, which is saying a lot when you’re trying to get nine people to agree on dinner, haha!
Her version always used two seasoning packets: taco seasoning and ranch seasoning. She claimed the ranch seasoning was her “secret” to the best taco chili ever, and honestly, I think she was right.
Over the years, I’ve made her recipe with just a few tweaks. I prefer using my own blend of taco seasonings since I don’t always love the flavor of taco seasoning packets. I also use fire-roasted tomatoes for a little smoky flavor and add diced green chiles for some extra heat.
And yes, I know the ranch seasoning sounds a little strange, but trust me on this one. It really does make the best taco chili ever!
How To Make Taco Chili
- Cook: Heat olive oil in a pot. Cook chopped onions, then add minced garlic.
- Cook Beef: Add ground beef, cooking until brown, and drain any extra fat.
- Mix in Seasonings: Add seasonings. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Combine: Add ranch seasoning, chili beans, corn, diced tomatoes, green chiles, and black beans. Mix well.
- Simmer: Heat until bubbling gently and cook without a lid for 30 minutes.
- Serve: Serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Taco Chili Toppings
This Taco Chili is even better loaded up with creamy toppings like diced avocado and sour cream. Oh, and chips for dipping are a must! These days I usually reach for tortilla chips, but growing up, we always had Fritos with it!
Pick your favorites:
- Sharp Cheddar cheese freshly grated
- Chopped cherry tomatoes, salsa, or pico de gallo
- Freshly chopped cilantro or thinly sliced green onions if you aren’t a cilantro fan
- Fresh lime wedges
- Avocado or guacamole
- Taco sauce or hot sauce
- Creamy cilantro sauce
- Sour cream (fat-free or low-fat work great!)
- Pickled red onions: Try this quick pickled red onion recipe
- Jalapeño peppers (fresh or canned)
- Crispy tortilla strips or tortilla chips
- Cornbread muffins
Featured Comment
“Super delicious chili. Whole family loved it. Super easy to make. Thanks for the recipe. Yum!!!!”
– Michelle
Chelsea’s Notes
Shortcuts That Make This Even Easier
- Chopped onions: Buy pre-chopped fresh or frozen, or chop with a food processor.
- Garlic: Dorot® cubes or jarred minced garlic make it easy.
- Ranch seasoning mix: This is an easy shortcut that saves you from measuring out a bunch of extra spices. I highly recommend Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning. I find it has the best, most consistent flavor and saltiness.
Storage
Leftovers?
Warming Up: Store taco chili (without toppings) in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Warm up in a pot over low heat or in the microwave (cover to prevent mess).
Freezing: Chili (without toppings) freezes nicely for up to 3 months. Here are ways to thaw frozen soup.
More Chili Recipes:
Soups And Stews
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Dinner
Crockpot Chili
Soups And Stews
Butternut Squash Chili
Taco Chili
Video
Equipment
- Large pot or Instant Pot or Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 medium onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cloves
- 1 pound ground beef lean (93/7)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder see note 1
- 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder onion powder, paprika and oregano
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for some heat
- 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix not the entire package
- 2 (16-ounce) cans chili beans undrained, see note 2
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can southwestern corn undrained, see note 3
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (4-ounce) can mild diced green chiles undrained
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- Toppings as desired see note 4
Instructions
- Stovetop: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender and turning golden, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add ground beef. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until browned. If there is any grease, drain off here (see note 5 for a shortcut!).Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and all seasonings: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, and cumin. Add red pepper flakes if using. Add 3 tablespoons (not the entire package) of dry ranch seasoning mix. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, 1–2 minutes.Add all the other ingredients except for toppings. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, stirring every now and again, for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened and flavors have melded. Taste and season if needed with salt and pepper. While simmering, prepare the toppings! Serve chili with your preferred toppings and enjoy immediately.
- Instant Pot: Heat Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Once hot, add oil and onion and sauté until tender and turning golden, about 5–7 minutes. Increase heat to high and add ground beef. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until browned. If there is any grease, drain off here (see note 5 for a shortcut!).Add garlic and all seasonings. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the Instant Pot to deglaze and ensure nothing has stuck to the bottom (or you’ll get a burn notice).Once you’re sure nothing is stuck, add all the other ingredients except toppings. Give everything a good stir, then place the lid on and seal the pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure. Give it another good stir and taste for needed salt/pepper. While it’s cooking, prepare toppings! Serve chili with your preferred toppings and enjoy immediately.
- Slow Cooker: If your slow cooker has a sauté function, do this first part in the base of the slow cooker. If not, use a separate pot to brown the onion and meat, then transfer to the slow cooker.Add oil to a large pot (or the slow cooker sauté base) over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender and turning golden, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and add ground beef. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until browned. If there is any grease, drain off here (see note 5 for a shortcut!).Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and all seasonings. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Transfer all this mixture to the base of the slow cooker, then add all the other ingredients except toppings. Stir, then cover with the lid. Cook on high for 2–3 hours or on low for 3–6 hours. After cooking, give it a good stir and taste for needed salt/pepper. While it’s cooking, prepare toppings! Serve chili with your preferred toppings and enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super
Thanks so much, Lynde! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is one of our very favorites! So flavorful, the whole family loves it!
Yay! So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Katie!
I realize I meant ranch dressing.
what should I do if I added the entire packet of Italian soup to the taco chili recipe? Help!!!
It might just end up a bit salty! If it does, I’d recommend adding some water to help!
Thanks Chelsea, I did add some water and that did the trick. I had some for a late lunch and it was delicious!
Oh yay!! Glad to hear it!
This recipe has become my staple Taco Chili, especially in the cooler Fall and Winter time! Always warms up our family! Very tasty and love all the spices it gives your taste pallet. Always am getting accolades and receipe requests from others who taste it so I want to let you know this Taco Chili has been a huge hit in our family!
Thank you for sharing it!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment Tom!
I loved this chili. Really kicked my current recipe up a notch or three. If I were to leave out the meat. Do you know of this would work as a vegan recipe?
So thrilled to hear this! I haven’t tried it without the meat but I would imagine you could just omit the meat and have a thinner chili! 🙂
Yummy 😋 Will make again! Chelsea always comes through with her recipes!
I am so happy you enjoyed! Thanks Claudia! 🙂
This recipe is great. I made it for my family, they loved it. I gave the recipe card to my daughter-in-law, it was lost. Please send me the recipe. Thank you for your help.
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks! 🙂
Love the flavor! I added hot Rotel and a bit of cayenne for spice. I think I will drain some things a bit next time, though. It’s a bit runny for me. But it tastes amazing! Can’t wait to try more variations!
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you for the comment!
This was fabulous. My family loved it. Question though, how much is considered one serving for the 355 calories? I measured out one cup as I’m trying to watch the calories, but would like to use the leftovers for meal prep. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s definitely a keeper!