Hearty Crockpot Cowboy Soup

Hearty Crockpot Cowboy Soup is a simple and flavorful meal that will stick to your bones. With lots of lean ground beef, beans, potatoes and veggies, this slow cooker soup is filling and delicious.

this recipe

Simple crockpot meals are quickly becoming a fall staple in our house. With both kids in after-school sports, there is nothing I like better than coming home after practice to dinner already made. And, as every parent knows, when kids walk in the door after sports practice, they walk in HUNGRY. It’s almost shocking the sheer amount of food my boys can eat after school some days.

This crockpot cowboy soup is just the ticket! With lots of lean ground beef, seasoned pinto beans and tender cubed potatoes, this hearty soup will satisfy even the biggest appetites. Perfectly seasoned with chili powder, cumin and green chiles, this soup has a delicious tex-mex flavor. Simply brown the ground beef and then throw everything in the crockpot for a delicious homemade soup your whole family will love. 

For more easy crock pot recipes, try my green chile chicken or pepperoncini pork roast. For all the recipes you need for soup season, check out my collection of cozy soups. 

You Will Love This

• This delicious tex mex soup is the perfect meal for a cold winter day. 
• This easy crock pot meal is perfect for meal prep – make a big batch and freeze the rest!
• All you have to do is brown the ground beef and throw everything in the crock pot for this simple homemade meal. It will make dinner feel manageable on even the busiest days!

Ingredients

To make crockpot cowboy soup you need the following simple ingredients (full ingredients list with exact measurements is included in the recipe card below):

Ingredients Notes

• Ground beef: I used lean ground beef in this recipe (93/7). For a lighter option, you could use ground turkey or ground chicken in this soup.
• Beans: Make sure to buy chili beans for this recipe. I used a combination of chili pinto beans and chili kidney beans. Chili beans come in a spiced sauce that adds a lot of flavor to the soup. Don’t drain the chili beans! If you can’t find chili beans, you could substitute ranch style beans. 
• Mixed vegetables: I used a frozen vegetables mix in this recipe that included sweet corn, carrots, peas and green beans. Feel free to use whatever frozen vegetable mix you have on hand or prefer. 
• Canned Tomatoes: I used once can of rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chilies), and one can of plain diced tomatoes. This was perfect for my family. For a spicier soup, you could use two cans of rotel.
• Potatoes: I used peeled and cubed russet potatoes. You could substitute Yukon gold potatoes or even sweet potatoes for a different flavor!
• Beef broth: Feel free to substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth if that’s what you have on hand. 

Instructions

Step One: Prepare the ingredients. Dice the onion. Peel and cube the potato into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic

Step Two: Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the ground beef. Use a wooden spatula to break the ground beef into small pieces. Cook the ground beef for 4-5 minutes, until browned. Drain the fat if needed, and then stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of chili powder and 1 teaspoon cumin. 

Step Three: Add the ground beef, minced garlic, cubed potatoes and frozen vegetables to the crock pot. Pour two cans of chili beans (undrained) on top, along with one can of rotel (undrained) and one can of plain diced tomatoes (drained). 

Step Four: Pour the beef broth into the crock pot and give the soup a stir. Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Step Five: The soup is ready when it is heated through, and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. When the soup is ready, taste it and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. If you want your soup spicier, you can add additional chili powder at this point as well. 

Step Six: Garnish the soup with your favorite toppings – sour cream, jalapeno peppers, cheddar cheese and tortilla strips are our favorites – and enjoy!

Stove-Top Instructions

Hearty cowboy soup can also be made on the stovetop! Simply follow these instructions and this easy recipe can be ready in under 30 minutes:

Step One: Heat olive oil in a large pot (like a dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the ground beef. Use a wooden spatula to break the ground beef into small pieces. Cook the ground beef for 4-5 minutes, until browned. Drain the fat if needed, and then stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of chili powder and 1 teaspoon cumin. 

Step Two: Add all the remaining ingredients to the pot, and bring the soup to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender enough to pierce with a fork. Taste the soup, and add additional seasoning to taste. 

Storage

This soup is great for meal prep, and stores well! Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze the soup in a freezer container. Be sure to leave enough room in the container for the frozen soup to expand!