This Instant Pot Taco Soup is a low-carb and Keto version of taco soup that the whole family is going to absolutely love! This taco soup recipe can also be made on the stove if you prefer; see below for more Taco Soup options.

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Instant Pot Taco Soup in two bowls with sour cream and cheese, close-up version

When the weather is really cold, soup made in the Instant Pot always seems like great idea for a quick dinner, and for this week’s Friday Favorites pick I’m reminding you about this delicious (and low-carb) Instant Pot Taco Soup. This has been a huge hit on the website, and I’ve made it quite a few times myself. And there are stovetop directions as well for anyone who doesn’t have an Instant Pot!

I adapted this recipe from the popular Easy Taco Soup recipe on the blog, and if you haven’t joined The Church of Instant Pot yet you can easily make this taco soup on the stove; just use these ingredients but consult that recipe for the timing for stovetop cooking.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What are Poblano Chili Peppers?

Poblano chiles are large mild chili peppers that have a delightful flavor. They are sometimes called Pasilla Peppers in U.S. grocery stores. You can make the soup with canned green chiles if you can’t find Poblanos, but they do add so much flavor to the Taco Soup!

What gives Instant Pot Taco Soup the bright red color?

I love the way the Instant Pot intensifies flavors and keeps the colors vivid in the food, and it’s the spicy Ground Ancho Chile Pepper (affiliate link) that gives this Instant Pot Taco Soup that beautiful dark red color. If you don’t have Ancho chile, your soup might be a little lighter in color with regular Chili Powder, but it will still be delicious.

What gives Instant Pot Taco Soup the amazing Mexican flavors?

I’m a firm believer that every soup recipe can be made to taste! But in this soup recipe I’ve added lots of Mexican flavors with Poblano chiles, cumin, ground Ancho chile, and chili powder. And personally I would never skip a few dashes of Green Tabasco Sauce added at the end. I used a generous amount of both ground Ancho chile and regular chili powder (a blend) for a good amount of spicy flavor, but if you’re not that much into spicy foods, just cut that down a bit.

How did I make Instant Pot Taco Soup low in carbs?

I used a chopped Poblano chile pepper and a chopped red bell pepper to replace the beans so this tasty taco soup would be low in carbs.

Do you prefer beans in your Instant Pot Taco Soup?

If you can’t imagine Taco Soup without a few beans, check out my Easy Taco Soup recipe that’s made on the stove. That recipe is still quite low in net carbs, and equally delicious!

What size Instant Pot did I use?

I use a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for all my Instant Pot Recipes. Check out my growing collection of Instant Pot Recipes

Want more Taco Soup Recipes?

On my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site there’s a great collection of Taco Soup Recipes Your Family Will Love to make in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot (or Stovetop) Low-Carb Taco Soup process shots collage

How to Make Instant Pot Taco Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Turn Instant Pot (affiliate link) to SAUTE, heat oil and brown ground beef, breaking apart with a turner and seasoning the meat to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
  2. While ground beef is cooking chop onions, red bell pepper, and Poblano pepper.
  3. When meat is browned add minced garlic, ground cumin, Ground Ancho Chile Pepper (affiliate link) and Chili Powder (affiliate link).
  4. Stir spices into the meat and cook 1-2 minutes.
  5. Then add onion, chopped red pepper, and chopped Poblano and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  6. Add beef broth and petite diced tomatoes, and stir.
  7. Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and set to MANUAL, HIGH pressure and 10 minutes cooking time.
  8. When the ten minutes is up, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then use quick release.
  9. Check the soup at this point and if you want it a bit thicker, use the SAUTE setting to cook off some of the liquid.
  10. Stir in Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) and fresh-squeezed lime juice to taste.
  11. Serve hot, with extra pieces of lime, chopped avocado, grated cheese, sour cream, and Green Tabasco Sauce to add at the table as desired.

Instant Pot Taco Soup in two bowls with sour cream and cheese

More Low-Carb Soup in the Instant Pot:

Weekend Food Prep:

This Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Instant Pot Taco Soup
Yield: 8 servings

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

This tasty Instant Pot Taco Soup can be made in the Instant Pot or make it on the stove if you prefer. And this tasty soup is low-carb, Keto, and gluten-free!

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 T olive oil
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 small onion, chopped small
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
  • 1 Poblano pepper, chopped small (see notes)
  • 1 T minced garlic (garlic from a jar is fine for this)
  • 2 T ground cumin
  • 1 Tย Ground Ancho Chile Pepperย (or use more chili powder if you donโ€™t have Ancho)
  • 1 T Chili Powder (see notes)
  • 3 14 oz. cans beef broth (see notes)
  • 2 14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 T Green Tabasco Sauce or other hot sauce, to add at the end (more or less to taste
  • 2 T fresh-squeezed or fresh-frozen lime juice, to add at the end (more or less to taste)

Instructions

  1. Turn Instant Pot to SAUTE, heat the olive oil for 1-2 minutes, then add the ground beef and cook until the beef is fully browned, breaking apart with the turner as it cooks and seasoning to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
  2. While the beef cooks, chop the onion, red bell pepper, and Poblano pepper into small pieces.
  3. When the meat is fully browned, add the minced garlic, ground cumin (affiliate link), Ground Ancho Chile Pepper (affiliate link), and Chili Powder (affiliate link).
  4. Stir spices into the meat and cook 1-2 minutes; then add the chopped onion, red bell pepper, and Poblano pepper and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  5. Add the beef broth (or homemade beef stock) and petite diced tomatoes with juice and stir.
  6. Lock the lid on the Instant Pot, set to MANUAL with HIGH pressure and 10 minutes cooking time.
  7. When ten minutes is up, let the pressure release naturally for about 20 minutes, then use the quick release method to release the rest of the pressure.
  8. Check the soup to see if you think there is too much liquid and if so, use the SAUTE setting to cook for a few minutes and evaporate some of the liquid.
  9. Stir in Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) and fresh-squeezed or fresh-frozen lime juice to taste. (I like a lot of both in mine!)
  10. Serve hot, with diced avocado, grated Mexican Blend Cheese, Sour cream, cut limes, and Green Tabasco Sauce to add at the table if desired.

Notes

I made this soup in my 6 quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) but look at the end of the recipe if youโ€™d prefer to just make the soup in a pan on the stove.

Poblano peppers are often called Pasilla peppers in U.S. grocery stores.

The amount of Ancho and chili powder I used, with the addition of Green Tabasco Sauce makes a slightly spicy soup. If youโ€™re not that big on spicy food you might want to use less of those ingredients. Use 5 1/4 cups homemade beef stock if you have some.

Recipe adapted fromย Easy Taco Soup. If you want Instant Pot Taco Soup but donโ€™t care if itโ€™s low in carbs, you can eliminate the diced red bell pepper and add beans like the inspiring recipe.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 370Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 8gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 101mgSodium 965mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 34g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Square image of Instant Pot Taco Soup shown in two serving bowls with sour cream, cheese, limes, and avocado in background.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Eliminating the beans and using chopped red bell pepper and Poblano pepper makes this Instant Pot Taco Soup into a low-carb and low-glycemic soup recipe, and it can also easily be suitable for the original South Beach Diet with lean ground beef (and low-fat dairy products if you’re adding those.)

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes or Instant Pot Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโ€™s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagramon TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโ€™m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Instant Pot Taco Soup was posted in 2017, and I’ve made it many times since then. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.

Pinterest image of Instant Pot Taco Soup

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