How to Can Taco Soup Safely for Long-Term Storage

Taco Soup is a richly flavored, comforting soup you can make from pantry staples. Serve it plain or top it with sour cream, salsa, cheese and tortilla chips for extra punch.

Taco soup is a hearty, pantry-friendly soup canning recipe that’s approachable for beginning pressure canners. Ground beef provides budget-friendly protein, while beans, corn, tomatoes and a simple spice blend make it a complete, satisfying meal.

This soup is great straight from the jar, but I also like combining two different home-canned soups at serving to create a new flavor profile quickly. Taco soup pairs especially well with a tomato-based southwest soup or a roasted poblano corn chowder to make a richer bowl. Left as-is, it’s delicious topped with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a few tortilla chips. A spoonful of homemade salsa or some pickled onions adds brightness if you like.

Why you’ll love this soup canning recipe

Taco soup carries the warm, developed flavors of chili but keeps the familiar “taco night” character. It’s ideal for busy weeknights: open a jar, heat, and you have a filling dinner in minutes without extra shopping. The combination of meat and beans makes it substantial, tomatoes and spices provide depth, and corn adds a touch of sweetness. At serving you can customize it with toppings to suit taste and mood.

A Quick Look at the Recipe

Recipe Name: Taco Soup
Recipe Type: Soup canning recipe
Canning Method: Pressure canning
Prep/Cook Time: About 30 minutes active time, plus bean soaking time
Canning Time: 60 minutes for pints, 75 minutes for quarts
Yield: 7 quart jars or 14 pint jars
Jar Sizes: Pint or quart
Headspace: 1 inch
Ingredients Overview: Ground beef, soaked dry beans, tomatoes, onions, corn, broth and spices
Notes: This follows brothy soup canning guidance — jars should be packed half with solids and topped with broth for safe processing.

Ingredients for Taco Soup

To make a full canner batch (about 14 pints or 7 quarts) you’ll need:

2 lbs ground beef, lightly browned
1 lb (about 2 1/2 cups) dried beans (red, black or pinto), presoaked
12 cups water or broth
4 lbs tomatoes, peeled and chopped (about 4 1/2 lbs whole tomatoes to yield this)
4 cups onion, diced (about 1 1/2 lbs)
4 cups corn, fresh or frozen (about 6–7 ears if using fresh)
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp canning or kosher salt
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground black pepper

Optional toppings: shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, diced chives.

Note: Beans must be presoaked using either an overnight soak or the quick-soak method before you begin (instructions below).

Pre-soaking the Beans

Soak beans to rehydrate them so they will cook evenly and safely during pressure processing. Use one of these methods:

Overnight soak: Cover beans with several inches of water and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
Quick soak: Bring beans and water to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let soak 1 hour. Drain and rinse before using.

Recipe Tip

This recipe follows brothy soup canning guidance. When packing jars, only fill them halfway with solids, then add broth to reach 1 inch headspace. Beans and corn expand during processing, so jars often look about two-thirds full after canning. When reheated the broth will reduce a bit more, yielding a hearty soup.

Canning Taco Soup

Prepare your pressure canner, jars and lids. Add a few inches of water to the canner per the manufacturer’s instructions and set it on low heat with jars inside to keep them warm. Keep the canner water around 180°F (82°C) while preparing the hot-packed soup.

Brown the ground beef and set aside.

Drain the presoaked beans, place them in a large pot, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, then drain. This brief boil-and-drain is required whether you used the overnight or quick-soak method to ensure the beans are fully rehydrated before canning.

Return the beans to the pot and add 12 cups water or broth, tomatoes, garlic, spices, corn, onions and the browned beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil for five minutes. The beans and vegetables will not be fully tender yet—that’s fine, they will finish cooking in the jars.

Remove the stockpot from heat. Use a slotted spoon to pack solids into prepared jars, dividing evenly and keeping solids to no more than half the jar. Ladle hot broth over the solids, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust liquid if needed, and wipe jar rims clean. Place lids and bands on jars and load them into the pressure canner.

Vent the canner for 10 minutes, then process jars at the times below (adjust pressure for altitude): 60 minutes for pints, 75 minutes for quarts. When processing is complete, let the canner depressurize naturally. Remove jars and let cool on the counter 12 hours, then check seals, label and store.

Altitude Adjustments

Adjust processing pressure for altitude as follows:

Dial gauge canners:

0–2,000 ft: 11 lb
2,001–4,000 ft: 12 lb
4,001–6,000 ft: 13 lb
6,001–8,000 ft: 14 lb

Weighted gauge canners:

0–1,000 ft: 10 lb
Above 1,000 ft: 15 lb

Serving Taco Soup

To serve, empty a jar into a stockpot and heat about 10 minutes or until bubbling. Garnish with sour cream, cheese and chives, and serve with cornbread, tortillas or tortilla chips. Taco soup also works well over rice or as a filling for tacos, burritos or quesadillas.

If you try this Taco Soup canning recipe, leave a star rating and share how it turned out in the comments.

Canning Taco Soup

An easy ground beef canning recipe that saves time on busy nights.

Prep: 2 hrs (including soaking time)

Cook: 1 hr 15 mins

Total: 3 hrs 15 mins

Equipment

Pressure canner

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef, lightly browned
1 lb dry beans (about 2 1/2 cups dried), presoaked
12 cups broth, stock or water
4 lbs tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups diced onion
4 cups corn
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp canning or kosher salt
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Pre-soak your beans overnight or use the quick soak: boil beans 2 minutes, remove from heat and soak 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
Prepare the pressure canner and warm jars per the manufacturer’s directions.
Brown the ground beef and set aside.
Place drained beans in a pot with fresh water, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain.
Return beans to the pot and add 12 cups water or broth. Add tomatoes, garlic, spices, corn, onions and browned beef. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Pack solids into jars, filling no more than half full. Ladle broth to 1 inch headspace. Remove bubbles and wipe rims clean.
Apply lids and bands, load jars into the canner, vent steam for 10 minutes, then process: 60 minutes for pints, 75 minutes for quarts. Adjust pressure for altitude.
Let canner depressurize naturally, remove jars and cool 12 hours. Check seals, label and store.

Notes

This recipe follows brothy soup canning guidelines: pack jars half with solids and top with broth. Beans and corn expand during processing, so jars may appear two-thirds full after canning. Store jars up to one year.

Altitude Adjustments

Dial gauge canners: 0–2,000 ft = 11 lb; 2,001–4,000 ft = 12 lb; 4,001–6,000 ft = 13 lb; 6,001–8,000 ft = 14 lb. Weighted gauge canners: 0–1,000 ft = 10 lb; above 1,000 ft = 15 lb.