This beef enchilada soup is loaded with hearty flavors from the enchilada sauce, beef, and spices. Enjoy it with crispy tortilla chips, sour cream, and your favorite hot Mexican salsa!
Beef enchilada soup is a Mexican-American recipe made of ground beef, beans, onion, and corn simmered in a hearty enchilada sauce. Is usually served with tortilla chips and sour cream as toppings.
This easy dinner recipe is the ultimate comfort food, filled with many delicious flavors, and perfect for busy weeknights!
I used my recipe for the homemade enchilada sauce to make this soup because it only takes 10 minutes to make the easy Tex-Mex version. However, the recipe can also be made with your favorite brand of store-bought enchilada sauce.
So go ahead and use whatever is best for you. Whether you choose spicy or mild enchilada sauce, it’s going to have all of the flavors you know and love.
Ingredients
- Beef: I used lean ground beef, but feel free to use any type of ground beef you prefer.
- Enchilada sauce: Homemade enchilada sauce is what I recommend but for a shortcut use store-bought.
- Corn: 1 – 8oz can is enough. Sweet corn gives texture to the soup and helps to balance the spicy flavor.
- Beans: Use homemade cooked beans or canned beans if you prefer.
- Onion: A medium white onion, chopped.
- Seasonings: You will need garlic powder, cumin powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. If you have taco seasoning mix you can use that as a substitute.
- Beef stock: I used low-sodium beef stock.
- Oil: Use your preferred cooking oil.
- Toppings: I recommend tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa. Keep this recipe simple!
Scroll down for the full ingredients list with measurements and the printable recipe card.
How To Make Beef Enchilada Soup
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent (about 4 minutes).
Turn heat to medium-high. Add ground beef and cook for about 10 minutes while stirring constantly until the meat is nicely browned.
Transfer the beef mixture to a pot. Add the enchilada sauce, corn, beans, and all the spices (garlic powder, cumin powder, pepper, salt, and oregano).
Pour in the beef stock, mix, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Adjust with salt, and check out if the beef enchilada soup has the consistency you want.
Pro Tip: For a thicker soup allow it to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Garnish soup as desired, serve, and enjoy!
Notes & Variations
- To prevent the onion from burning, make sure you cook it over medium-low heat.
- Turn this recipe vegan by leaving out the beef and using seitan ground beef instead. Replace the beef stock with vegetable stock.
- You can consider adding and doubling up on black beans as the main source of protein as well.
- If you love spicy food there are ways you can spice this dish up. Consider adding jalapenos, green chilies, or chili powder. These additions will definitely spice up your average weeknight meal!
How To Serve
You can serve this beef enchilada soup with tortilla chips, sour cream, and Mexican chili oil on top.
Other toppings that go well are chopped cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, cheddar cheese, and chopped jalapeno peppers. Or, if you want an authentic Mexican touch, I recommend serving with warm homemade flour tortillas or bolillo rolls.
How To Store
Beef enchilada soup stores well for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Before storing, allow to cool down completely then place leftovers in containers with a tight lid.
You can also make these super fun enchilada cups with the leftovers or freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
For reheating, thaw the soup and place it in a saucepan. Heat in the stove over medium-high heat or in the microwave in 1-minute intervals stirring in between.
FAQ
Is enchilada soup from Mexico?
No, in traditional or modern Mexican cuisine there’s no such thing as “sopa de enchilada” (enchilada soup). However, the recipe is very popular in Tex-Mex and New Mexico cuisine, so you might find this soup in some Mexican restaurants along with sopa de frijoles (beans soup).
What is enchilada soup made of?
Usually, enchilada soup is made of meat, enchilada sauce, and spices. Other ingredients, such as beans, corn, and vegetables, can be added to bulk up the soup. The type of meat can also vary, being ground beef one of the most popular used, but chicken and pork are also sometimes used.
More Soup Recipes
What do you think about this beef enchilada soup recipe? What is the perfect side dish you’d pair with it? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you think! Also, if you make this recipe, tag me over on Instagram so I can see how it turned out!
Beef Enchilada Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce
- 1 -8 oz can sweet corn (drained)
- 1 – 14 oz can beans (drained)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 4 cups beef stock (low sodium)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- pepper and salt (to taste)
Toppings
- tortilla chips
- sour cream
- salsa
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent (about 4 minutes).
- Add the meat, then mix well and cook, while stirring from time to time, until meat is browned (about 10 minutes).
- Add the enchilada sauce, corn, beans, and all the spices (garlic powder, cumin powder, pepper, salt, and oregano).
- Pour in the beef stock, mix, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the soup has the desired consistency.
- Adjust with salt and serve topped with tortilla chips, cream, and salsa.
Notes
- For a thicker soup allow the liquid to evaporate, on the other hand, if you want a more brothy soup, add more beef stock.
- This soup stores well for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Before storing, allow to cool down completely then place leftovers in containers with a tight lid.
I didn’t really care for this soup and felt it was missing something. I added a can of chili beans undrained and enough velveeta cheese to thicken it up. I served it with cornbread muffins and it was a hit.
Love enchilada soup! this recipe looks so tasty and easy to make and I love how you give options for ingredients in many of your recipes. Thank you.