Creamy Keto Taco Soup
Posted: 01/12/22
Updated: 12/22/22
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This ultra delicious keto taco soup is as easy as it is rich and flavorful! Super low in carbs but high in flavor, this Mexican soup is simple but filling and makes perfect leftovers. One of our very favorite keto recipes for sure!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This keto taco soup is so incredibly delicious I guarantee even the non-keto people in your life will love it. Flavorful seasonings; tender ground beef or sausage; creamy, cheesy broth… This soup is everything you love about tacos in a keto, low carb, highly comforting form.
- High in protein and fat, and super low in carbs, this a perfect, stress-free, quick and easy keto meal, whether you’re new to this way of eating or you waved goodbye to carbs and sugars a long time ago. It’s super satisfying and it won’t leave you feeling empty and wishing for more.
- Meal preppers, rejoice! This is a great make-ahead option. Seriously! It keeps well as long as you let it cool completely and then refrigerate it in an airtight container up to 5 days. It tastes just as good the next day, and reheating is a breeze. Just pop a serving in the microwave or reheat it over the stovetop, stirring occasionally.
- If freezer meals are your thing, you can totally make a big batch of keto taco soup and freeze it for months at a time. Again, let it cool completely before sealing it in airtight containers or freezer-safe plastic bags. If you’re using bags, lay them flat on a shelf until the soup is frozen solid, and then you can stand or stack them as needed to maximize space.
Other Keto Soups to Try
Key Ingredients
Taco Seasoning – If you’ve got a store-bought seasoning you love, it’ll totally work here, BUT I will say this is a great way to use my recipe for a homemade keto taco seasoning! I prefer to make my own because it’s 1) cheaper, 2) super easy, 3) definitely free from any sneaker sugars or carbs or thickeners. If you’ve never read the ingredients list on a store-bought packet of taco seasoning, highly encourage you to sneak a peek next time you’re shopping.
Rotel – Essentially a can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, Rotel comes perfectly seasoned so you can just dump it right into the taco soup. I generally opt for the traditional version, but you can find Rotel in hot, fire-roasted, and cilantro lime varieties, any of which would be delicious in this soup! You can also get the classic in a no-salt-added variation which is really nice if you’re watching your salt intake.
Chef’s Tips
- For a little low-carb crunch, cut low-carb tortillas into tortilla chip shapes or tortilla strips and bake them until crispy. For a keto version, try baking or air frying cut up Egglife Wraps. It can take a little practice to get either version just right, but it’s a great way to mix up the textures a little!
- If you’d like an extra boost of nutrients (plus a decent helping of collagen) then use bone broth instead of one (or both) cup(s) of beef broth! I’ve got a great recipe for homemade Instant Pot bone broth that would work perfectly here.
- Though it’s faster on the stovetop, keto taco soup can also be cooked in the Crockpot! Follow step 1 as written on the recipe card. Transfer everything from the skillet to the Crockpot, and add everything else in. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3, and whisk it really well to make sure everything is melted and well-distributed.
- Feel free to tweak the consistency to your liking. If the soup is too thick, you can add more broth in 1 tablespoon increments. If it’s too thin, just let it simmer until the liquid reduces a little.
More Keto Recipes You’ll Love
- Keto Big Mac Burger Salad
- Keto Stuffed Peppers
- Whole30 Chicken Burrito Bowls (Keto, Paleo)
- Perfect Keto Charcuterie Board
- Keto Orange Chicken
Keto Taco Soup
This ultra delicious keto taco soup is as easy as it is rich and flavorful! Super low in carbs but high in flavor, this Mexican soup is simple but filling and makes perfect leftovers. One of our very favorite keto recipes for sure!
servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork, beef, or sausage
- 1 small onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons keto-friendly taco seasoning store-bought or make your own
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel undrained, see Notes
- 2 cups beef broth or 1 can beef broth
- ½ cup freshly shredded cheese plus more as desired to garnish, optional
Optional Garnishes
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or neutral oil of choice, to fry tortilla strips
- low-carb tortillas cut into thin strips
- 1-2 tablespoons cilantro
- diced jalapeños
- diced tomatoes
- avocado slices
- lime wedges
Equipment
- 1 Heavy-bottomed pot
Instructions
- In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add ground meat and onions and cook until meat is browned. Once meat is browned, add garlic and sauté until garlic is fragrant, approximately 30 to 60 seconds.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over meat, then add cream cheese and stir well to combine.
- Add Rotel, beef broth, cilantro, and ½ cup cheese. Stir well and bring mixture to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and let soup simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Portion soup into serving bowls and garnish with cilantro, additional cheese, jalapeños, avocado, sour cream, etc. as desired.
Notes
- Cream Cheese: To keep the cream cheese from curdling, it needs to be softened (roughly room temperature) to start. If it’s too cold, it won’t melt completely and it’ll be clumpy in the soup. Additionally, you can cut it into smaller cubes first to help it melt even faster. Also, use a full-fat cream cheese with the fewest carbs possible. Philadelphia original is the best one I’ve found.
- Rotel: Any variety of Rotel will work in this soup, so feel free to mix it up for different flavors! If you’d rather, you can dice your own tomatoes and green chili peppers instead of using the canned version. You’ll lose a little seasoning if you do, though, so adjust as needed.
- Beef Broth: For extra nutrients (and collagen – YUM) you can use bone broth instead!
- Consistency: If the soup is too thick, add more broth in 1 tablespoon increments. If it’s too thin, just let it simmer until the liquid reduces a little.
- Make it Lower Fat: Use a 90/10 ground beef or ground turkey, and reduced fat cream cheese and shredded cheese. Note, though, that reduced fat cheeses often have added sugars or other ingredients to try to make up for the lack of fat, so check the labels closely!
- Nutritional information reflects approximate macros if using 85/15 ground beef, full fat Philadelphia cream cheese, classic Rotel, and freshly shredded Mexican cheese. Make sure to log your specific ingredients in a food tracker to get the most accurate macro breakdown for your specific keto taco soup. You can also break this down into 6 smaller servings rather than 4 larger servings to lower the carb count even more.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1serving, Calories: 526kcal, Protein: 31g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 150mg, Sodium: 948mg, Potassium: 576mg, Total Carbs: 8g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Net Carbs: 7g, Vitamin A: 293IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 185mg, Iron: 4mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
This was so good! The only modification I made was the meat. I had leftover Mexican style shredded chicken, so I just used that in place of the beef. Even my anti-soup husband loved it! With all the toppings, of course!
Ooh, what a great use of leftovers! That sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing, Danielle! 😊
Good recipe. I enjoyed the taste. Question … your info shows 1 serving …is that for the entire recipe …one person to eat one pound of hamburger mixture?
So happy you enjoyed the soup so much, Carmen! This recipe yields 4 servings – that’s shown at the top of the recipe card, right next to the ingredients list. The nutrition info reflects the approximate numbers for 1 serving out of 4 total servings.
Made this yesterday for meal prep and had the first bowl tonight for dinner. It was great! We didn’t make the recipe exactly as written since we didn’t have everything on hand. Ours was 2 pounds of ground beef, 2 cups of chicken broth, 4 cloves garlic, a packet of taco seasoning, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, and no onion or cauliflower rice. Still great! Looking forward to trying it with beef broth, onion, and maybe a little lime juice next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!