Quick and Easy Taco Chili
This taco chili recipe is what would happen if you took your favorite loaded beef tacos and morphed the tacos into chili. It’s easy, naturally gluten-free, ready in 30 minutes, hearty, and has layers of Mexican-inspired flavors. The whole family is going to love this easy taco soup. Especially all of the taco fans. There are so many flavors and textures in every bite from the hearty beans to the juicy sweet corn, we couldn’t stop eating this. I finished the taco chili with a handful of fresh cilantro and lime juice. The herbaceous cilantro along with the tangy pop of the lime juice are both great compliments to the savory chili.
What’s in Taco Chili?
To make this easy taco soup, you’ll need:
Ground beef Onions Garlic Taco seasoning Cumin Chili powder Tomatoes Black and red kidney beans Green chiles Corn Chicken broth Bay leaves Fresh cilantro
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Taco Chili
My Favorite Taco Chili Toppings
To be honest, there are so many great flavors going on that we didn’t even need to top the taco chili with anything. But if you like to pile on the chili toppings, you can’t go wrong with the following:
Sour cream Cheese Hot sauce Sliced avocado Crushed tortilla chips Cilantro Diced tomatoes Jalapeño
Can I Use Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken?
Yes you can. Although your taco chili won’t have quite the same depth of flavor that mine does since ground beef has more fat (flavor) than ground chicken or ground turkey. You will likely need to add a bit of oil the Dutch oven before browning the meat to prevent the turkey from drying out.
Tips for Making Taco Chili
I don’t find the chili spicy at all but I do have a very high tolerance for heat and spice. It has rich depth of flavor without being spicy, in my opinion. If you or your family are sensitive to spices I recommend halving the amount of chili powder, using regular rather than fire-roasted green chiles or possibly omitting them, and skipping the optional cayenne pepper. Chili and soups typically benefit from a generous amount of salt, but if you use typical canned or shelf-stable products, including the taco seasoning, canned beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, etc. all of a sudden you could be layering salt upon salt and wind up with chili that’s just too salty. That’s why I prefer to use no or low-salt products and add my own salt, to taste. Salt levels in canned goods vary widely, as do personal preferences for salt, so salt to your liking. You can always add more later but you can’t take it out which is why I start low and go from there.
More Homemade Chili Recipes:
15 Best Fast and Easy Soup Recipes – Warm up with these easy soup recipes! Most are ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for busy weeknights! Hearty, comforting, and so good! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Easy 30-Minute Smoky Beef and Black Bean Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This EASY, hearty chili with lovely SMOKY heat is ready in 30 minutes! PERFECT for busy weeknights!!
Slow Cooker Beef Chili – Easy, hearty, comfort food! As the chili simmers in your slow cooker it develops so much flavor! A foolproof chili recipe that you’ll want to add into your regular rotation!
Easy 30-Minute Turkey Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This easy, hearty, healthy chili is ready in 30 minutes and it’s full of flavor! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Easy 30-Minute Chicken Enchilada Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This easy, hearty, healthier chili full of Mexican-inspired flavors is ready in 30 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Easy 30-Minute Homemade White Chicken Chili – Hearty, healthy, loaded with tender chicken, and packed with bold flavor!! Fast and easy comfort food that everyone loves! It’ll be on rotation all winter!
30-Minute Cinnamon and Black Bean Loaded Chili – If you’re looking for a unique spin on classic chili, this EASY and DELICIOUS beef chili recipe is the one!! Hearty comfort food that’s on the healthier side and perfect for chilly weather!!
