Slow Cooker Cowboy Soup
Slow Cooker Cowboy Soup is a hearty meal with comforting Tex-Mex flavors--ground beef with lots of veggies, beans, bold spices, and a rich broth of beef stock and fire roasted tomatoes. This soup is the definition of comfort food.
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What You'll Love About Slow Cooker Cowboy Soup:
- Easy, set it and forget meal
- Comforting
- Delicious flavor and texture
- Hearty and filling
- Makes great leftovers
- Family and crowd pleasing recipe
Slow cooker meals are the absolute best, and I've said it before and I'll say it again, I will always find a reason to use my slow cooker. This cowboy soup recipe makes a fantastic meal for your family, a crowd, or sharing with someone in need. It hits the spot in everyway!
When I think of recipes that make me feel content and cozy I think of soups and stews where every spoon full is hearty with vegetables and tender meat. This Slow Cooker Cowboy Soup is the essence of feel-good comfort food.
This soup is practically a dump-and-cook meal with the exception of browning the ground beef, onions, and garlic. Everything else is added to the slow cooker and the magic happens while you accomplish other important things in your day. It has a mildly spiced Tex-Mex flavor that will instantly warm up your bones.
There is nothing better after a long work day than coming home to the scent of a complete dinner already made!
If you're looking for more ground beef recipes, try my Beefy Slow Cooker Chili or this fantastic Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole.
Simple Ingredients:
- Beef- Ground beef is the foundation for a classic cowboy soup. I choose lean ground beef so the broth doesn't get overly greasy.
- Veggies-A blend of veggies to give the soup savory flavor and texture--onions, garlic, carrots, corn, and potatoes.
- Seasonings- These simple pantry spices give the soup a mildly spiced Tex-Mex flavor--chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Beans- 3 different types of beans for multiple layers of texture--pinto chili beans, kidney beans, and green beans.
- Beef stock- This adds richness and gives it additional beefy flavor.
- Canned tomatoes- Fire roasted tomatoes give the soup smokiness and tangy tomato flavor.
Can I make This Cowboy Soup on the Stovetop or Instant Pot?
Yes! Make this cowboy soup on the stovetop in a large pot. Brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic, then add in the remaining ingredients. Bring it to a simmer and cook until veggies are tender! As for an instant pot, I actually don't have one, but if you're a seasoned instant pot user, I'm sure you could!
Substitutions:
- Meat- You can use just about any ground meat you enjoy. I would not recommend ground chicken, but ground turkey, sausage, or pork would work great.
- Broth- The beef broth really gives this soup depth of flavor but you could also use chicken broth.
- Veggies- For a short-cut use frozen veggies, or add others like, zucchini, cauliflower or mushrooms. Keep in mind some veggies need less time to cook so adjust the cooking times accordingly.
- Potatoes- Any potato works for this recipe, even sweet potatoes would be a fun addition. I do recommend peeling the potatoes as the skin will fall off during the slow cooking time and might not be a pleasant texture.
- Seasonings- Swap out the Tex-Mex flavors with other dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning.
Elevate Your Cowboy Soup Experience with Yummy Toppings
Cowboy soup is wonderful as is, but if you're feeling a little extra, elevate with toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chopped red onion. You could also garnish with diced jalapenos for a little kick, or fresh cilantro is also yummy.
How To Make Slow Cooker Cowboy Soup:
See full instructions in recipe card below
Step One. Brown and cook ground beef, onions, and garlic in a large pot, or if your slow cooker has a stovetop safe insert, use that. Transfer the meat mixture to your slow cooker and add potatoes, carrots, corn, beans, seasonings, and fire roasted tomatoes.
Step Two. Pour in beef stock and stir ingredients to combine. Place the lid on and cook low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
Tips:
- 💡Use a good beef broth- Make sure to use a quality beef broth or stock for the best flavor. I love to use Better than bouillon beef. It has a rich umami taste and makes the best soup base.
- 💡A large slow cooker works best- This soup has a lot of ingredients so make sure your slow cooker is large enough. My favorite is this 6 Qt non-stick. You can place the insert on the stovetop to sear or pre-cook meat and veggies.
- 💡Customize with ingredients you have on hand- Even if you don't have all of the ingredients suggested, use what you do have. The idea is a hearty soup with lots of texture and spices. Check out some of the suggestions in my substitution section above.
Common Questions:
Yes! This is a wonderful soup to freeze. Just place cooled soup in a freezer safe container and seal tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Definitely! Keep in mind by eliminating the ground beef and beef stock it will change the flavor but still be delicious. You can add a spoonful of cooked rice after the soup has cooked, and use vegetable stock for a complete vegetarian meal!
If you want a little something extra to go on the side, try making my Cheddar Corn Bread recipe, or maybe you enjoy Buttermilk Biscuits. My English Muffin Garlic Bread is also pretty darn tasty and so easy!
Other Soups You Might Enjoy:
- Italian Turkey Sausage Soup with Beans and Kale
- Easy Stovetop Beef Stew
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken Chowder
- Slow Cooker Ultimate Baked Beans
Slow Cooker Cowboy Soup
Equipment
- 1 6 Qt Slow Cooker
- 1 large skillet-unless your slow cooker has a stovetop safe insert
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 (15) ounce can chili pinto beans, undrained
- 1 (15) ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5) ounce can green beans, drained
- 1 (15) ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes with their juice
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups quality beef stock
Instructions
- In a large skillet or stovetop safe slow cooker insert, crumble and cook ground beef with onions. Add garlic and cook 30-seconds. Remove any excess grease.1 pound lean ground beef1 small onion2-3 garlic cloves
- Transfer cook beef and onions (if using a skillet) to a 6 Qt slow cooker and add carrots, corn, potatoes, all the beans, seasonings, fire roasted tomatoes, and beef stock.1 cup carrots1 cup corn2 cups potatoes 1 can chili pinto beans, undrained1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed1 can green beans, drainedseasonings- 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper4 cups beef broth
- Stir all the ingredients to combine and place the slow cooker lid on. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Soup is done when potatoes and carrots are tender.
Notes
- Use a good beef broth- Make sure to use a quality beef broth or stock for the best flavor. I love to use Better than bouillon beef. It has a rich umami flavor and makes the best soup base.
- A large slow cooker works best- This soup has a lot of ingredients so make sure your slow cooker is large enough. My favorite is this 6 Qt non-stick. You can place the insert on the stove to sear or pre-cook meat and veggies saving yourself an extra dish to wash!
- Customize with ingredients you have on hand- Even if you don't have all of the ingredients suggested, use what you do have. The idea is a hearty soup with lots of texture and spices. Check out some of my substitutions below.
- Meat-Â You can use just about any ground meat you enjoy. I would not recommend ground chicken, but ground turkey, sausage, or pork would work great.
- Broth-Â The beef broth really gives this soup depth of flavor but you could also use chicken broth.
- Veggies-Â For a short-cut use frozen veggies, or add others like, zucchini, cauliflower or mushrooms. Keep in mind some veggies need less time to cook so adjust the cooking times accordingly.
- Potatoes- Any potato works for this recipe, even sweet potatoes would be a fun addition. I do recommend peeling the potatoes as the skin will fall off during the slow cooking time and might not be a pleasant texture.
- Seasonings-Â Swap out the Tex-Mex flavors with other dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning. You can even use a packet of taco seasoning for convenience.Â
Nutrition
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we love this simple easy and low cost recipe. my husband will eat it on repeat until the whole pot is gone.
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!