Keto Taco Soup
Published April 12, 2020 • Updated March 13, 2026
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I make this creamy low carb taco soup almost every week in my slow cooker. Dump everything in, walk away, and come home to a thick, spicy, filling bowl.
You have a tough choice tonight. Between my cheeseburger soup, beef stew, or this soup right here, I don’t envy you. But if I’m picking? I’m making this one. It’s the recipe I come back to more than any other on the site.
Taco Soup Recipe
I’ve been making keto taco soup since 2019, and I always have a bag of it stashed in the freezer. Ground beef, diced tomatoes with green chilies, cauliflower rice, and a handful of spices go in the pot. No fancy technique. No long ingredient list. Thirty minutes before serving, cream cheese cubes go in and melt into this silky, creamy broth that makes the whole thing feel indulgent.
The cream cheese is the part I get the most questions about. I use a full 8 ounces, cubed, and it goes in right at the end. I’ve had readers ask if they can skip it or use less. I tried scaling it back once and regretted it. The broth without it is fine, but with it, it’s a completely different soup. One tip: let the cream cheese sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before adding it. Room temp cubes melt smooth. Cold ones go lumpy.
Most traditional versions load up on beans and corn, which pushes past 30g of carbs per serving. I swapped in cauliflower rice and dropped the beans entirely. This version comes in at 7.5g net carbs. You won’t miss them once you taste that broth.
I also tested swapping half the ground beef for chorizo after a reader mentioned it in the comments. The chorizo fat dissolves into the broth and leaves this smoky, spicy undercurrent that regular beef doesn’t have. I’m adding it to my permanent rotation.
What I love about this recipe is the flexibility. You can make it in the crock pot, the Instant Pot, or right on the stovetop. I’ve done all three. The crock pot is my default because I dump everything in the morning and forget about it. The Instant Pot gets dinner on the table in under 30 minutes when I’m behind schedule. And the stovetop works when I want it simmering while I’m already in the kitchen.
If you like the dump-and-go approach, this is a freezer meal you’ll want in rotation. I usually prep two bags at a time (one for tonight, one for the freezer) and it takes maybe 15 extra minutes. For more keto comfort food, try my taco pie or beef and tomato soup.
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Ingredients
1 1/2 pound ground beef -
1 green bell pepper, diced
-
1/2 cup diced onion
-
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
-
10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/2 teaspoon onion powder
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1/2 teaspoon oregano
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2 teaspoons minced garlic
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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1 bag frozen cauliflower rice
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8 oz cream cheese, cubed
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Add ingredients and slow cook
Add all ingredients, except cream cheese, to the liner of a slow cooker. Cover and cook at low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 5 to 6 hours.
- Ground beef
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Chicken broth or stock
- Diced tomato
- Salt
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Minced garlic
- Black pepper
- Cauliflower rice
Add cream cheese
Thirty minutes before serving, add cubed cream cheese. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Cream cheese
Freezer instructions
Add all ingredients (except cream cheese) to a large ziploc bag, remove all the air and seal it close. Mix or shake to combine. Freeze flat. To cook, thaw in the refrigerator the night before. Then cook according to instructions above.
Instant Pot instructions
Add ground beef to the liner of an Instant Pot. Press sauté and cook until almost browned. Add bell pepper and onion and continue cooking until slightly softened. Add remaining ingredients, including cream cheese. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure manually. Move valve to vent to release pressure manually.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook this straight from frozen, or does it need to thaw first?
I've tested both. In the crock pot, frozen works if you add an extra 1-2 hours on low. For the Instant Pot and stovetop, I thaw overnight in the fridge first. A frozen block in the pressure cooker throws off the timing and you end up with unevenly cooked beef. My standard routine is to move a bag from the freezer to the fridge the night before.
Why did my cream cheese go lumpy, and how do I fix it?
I've had this happen when the cream cheese goes in cold. My fix: let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before adding, and cut the cubes small (about 1 inch). Stir steadily as they melt. If it still clumps, a few minutes with an immersion blender smooths it right out. I do this every time now and haven't had lumps since.
Do I need to brown the ground beef before adding it to the slow cooker?
No. I've made it both ways and genuinely cannot tell a difference in the finished soup. The beef breaks apart completely after 8 hours on low. For the Instant Pot version, I do brown it first using the saute function because the pressure cook time is too short to break down raw beef properly.
Can I use chicken, turkey, or chorizo instead of ground beef?
I've tried all three. Turkey is a straight swap, no changes needed. For chicken, I cook it separately first (browned in a skillet or baked) then shred or cube it before adding. My favorite swap is half ground beef, half chorizo. The chorizo fat dissolves into the broth and adds a smoky, spicy layer that I actually prefer to all-beef now.
How many carbs are in this compared to regular versions?
Most traditional recipes come in above 30g net carbs per serving because of the beans and corn. My low carb version uses cauliflower rice instead and skips the beans, bringing it down to 7.5g net carbs per serving. I've been making it this way for years and honestly don't miss the beans at all.
Why aren't there beans in this recipe?
Beans are one of the highest-carb ingredients in traditional versions. Even half a cup of black beans adds 12-15g net carbs. I replaced them with cauliflower rice, which gives the soup body and soaks up the broth the same way. I tested kidney beans, black beans, and no beans side by side, and the cauliflower rice version won every time on both taste and macros.
How many cups are in a bag of frozen cauliflower rice?
I use about 8 cups, which is roughly one standard bag from the freezer section. This is one ingredient where exact measurements don't matter much. I've added a full bag and a half when I wanted a thicker, heartier result, and it worked great. Adjust based on how brothy or thick you want the finished bowl.
My mom used to make taco soup every winter and it was one of the first things I missed when I went keto. Made this Sunday and the way the cream cheese melts into everything, thick and silky, took me right back to her kitchen. Would add more heat next time but I'm already thinking about making it again this week.
The cream cheese is the thing. For more heat next time, toss a fresh jalapeño in with the dump , the cream cheese softens it so you can go pretty bold.
My sister texted me from her house the same night asking for the link, which I'm taking as the highest compliment because she never cooks. The cream cheese at the end surprised me, I wasn't sure about it but it made everything so much creamier than I expected.
Non-cook sister texting for the link the same night. That's the review. The cream cheese surprises everyone the first time, then they go back for it.
Fourth time making this. Started prepping it the night before on purpose now. The cream cheese thickens everything differently after a few hours in the fridge. I don't know why it works but it freaking does.
Fat sets when it cools and re-emulsifies on reheat. That's the why. I do it the same way now.
Made this probably six or seven times now and last batch I swapped the chicken broth for beef broth. Richer, deeper flavor, especially once the cream cheese goes in and everything comes together. The base was already solid but that one swap made it feel more like something I'd order at a restaurant. Goes in every Sunday rotation now.
Ground beef in beef broth makes more sense than chicken anyway. Once the cream cheese goes in you can taste it in the base. Trying that Sunday.
Made this last weekend and it hit the spot, but cube the cream cheese small or you'll end up fishing out little white chunks like I did. Stirring for a few minutes didn't fully fix it.
Good catch. Room temp cream cheese helps too - I pull it out 20-30 minutes before it goes in and the small cubes melt way cleaner.
I've made this probably eight or nine times now and finally figured out what I was doing wrong for the first few batches. Was adding the cream cheese too early, around the two-hour mark, and it would dissolve into the broth instead of staying thick and silky. Waiting until thirty minutes before serving makes all the difference. The texture now is what keeps me coming back every other week. Four stars because I think a little chipotle in adobo would push it somewhere even better, but as written it already has a permanent spot in my rotation.
This has been in my regular rotation since winter and I keep expecting to feel like soup season is over. Still hasn't happened. The cream cheese going in that last thirty minutes makes it so thick and creamy, it barely even registers as soup anymore, more like a stew. Made a batch Sunday and it's somehow better by day three.
Day three is the sweet spot. The cauliflower rice keeps absorbing the broth so by then it's basically a different dish.
Tried this with ground turkey instead of beef because that's what I had, and I was genuinely nervous it would taste flat. It didn't. The cream cheese and the cumin pull everything together no matter what protein you use. Still giving it 4 stars because I think beef probably has more depth, but the turkey version is good enough that I'll keep making it on weeks when I'm trying to keep things a little lighter.
Turkey is exactly what I use on lighter weeks. Beef fat goes into the broth and you can taste it, so the 4 stars makes sense. But the turkey version is nowhere near flat.
The 5pm scramble is so real, which is exactly why I flagged this the second I saw the freezer-friendly note. Planning to do a double batch this weekend. But I've never actually cooked a freezer meal in a slow cooker before, so now I'm lost in logistics. Do you thaw it overnight in the fridge first, or can it go straight from frozen? And what about the cream cheese? Still thirty minutes before serving, or does that timing shift when everything's starting cold? Genuinely don't know if there's a right answer here or if I'm just overthinking it.
Yep, straight from frozen works in the crock pot, just add an extra hour or two on low. Cream cheese same as always, 30 min before the end. Give it a couple stirs while it melts.
I almost skipped the cream cheese because it seemed like too much, but it makes the broth this silky thing that I didn't know I needed. Going back in the rotation.
The broth without it is fine. With it, it's a different soup. I tried scaling it back once and regretted it.
I did half ground beef, half chorizo because that's what was in the freezer and I figured it was worth a shot. The chorizo just disappears into the broth but leaves this smoky, spicy undercurrent that beef alone doesn't have. I was a little nervous it would throw off the whole taco flavor but it made the soup so much richer. Made it during the snowstorm last week and we ate it over two days straight. The cream cheese step at the end is the part I couldn't get over, watching those cubes go from solid to smooth right before serving. Not changing a thing next time except maybe making more of it.
Chorizo fat in the broth does something beef can't. That undercurrent you're describing is why I'm adding this to my next batch.
Made this last night and the cream cheese went lumpy on me, is that a stirring thing or do I just need to cut the pieces smaller?
Both. Room temp cream cheese melts way smoother. I sit mine out 20-30 minutes before it goes in, and keep the cubes pretty small.
This keto taco soup is so creamy and delicious! I love the addition of the avocado and cilantro, it gives it a great flavor. This soup is perfect for a cold winter day.
Avocado on this is such a good call. I do a little lime squeeze on mine too - keeps it bright and cuts through the cream cheese.
We made this recipe tonight for dinner. Flipping Awesome!!! As per the usual, I always make a few tweaks but nothing major, just a little more spice (chipotle powder and a small can of green chiles). Oh I did add a bit more broth just cause we wanted to have enough for a second meal. Great job Ms Annie, you've knocked another out of the park!
Chipotle powder is such a good add to this one. The smokiness cuts through the cream cheese in a way regular chili powder doesn't.
How many ounces or cups in a bag of frozen cauliflower rice?
I used 8 cups