Taco chili is a fun twist on two family favorites! This hearty recipe is loaded with seasoned beef, beans, and all the taco flavors you crave, served up in a bowl and topped with sour cream, cheddar, and crumbled tortilla chips.
Look. It was only a matter of time before I turned a taco into something that you could eat with a spoon, you guys.
I’m taco obsessed. My fried tacos are a favorite. My taco pasta is divine. My carnitas tacos are life. I even turned tacos into sliders. I’m a taco fan.
I’m also a chili fan. Especially this time of year. This chilly weather practically demands chili. And football games? Dude, you better be serving chili to your hungry football fans. It’s the law.
Anyway, it was high time that I married tacos and chili together.
This is a really easy recipe, but it does start with a package of dried beans. I know, I know. Some of y’all are a little intimidated by dried beans, but I promise it’s easy and they are SO much better than the canned stuff.
I don’t even soak my beans before using them. Crazy, right? But they turn out perfectly tender and they’re just plain easy to make.
This takes about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, but most of that is hands off time, so don’t be intimidated. Promise me you’ll go boil up some beans, k?
How to make taco chili:
Rinse and sort through your dried beans to remove any debris.
Add the beans to a large pot. I like to use a dutch oven for this. Add in ten cups of water to the pot.
Bring your beans and water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Let this cook for 90 minutes stirring every half hour.
Helpful Tip!
Cooking Dried Beans
- Soaking is optional – you can soak the beans before using or skip this step. I don’t notice much difference at all.
- Don’t salt your beans until they’re partially cooked. The beans won’t get as tender if you add salt to the cooking water.
When the beans are tender, brown the beef until it is cooked through and drain the fat.
Add one packet of taco seasoning to the meat and stir to coat. Add the meat to the pot of beans along with the other packet of taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, onion, garlic, and salt.
We like to purchase the 15 bean package that has a little ham seasoning packet inside. We add the seasoning packet to the pot at this point, but if you buy beans without the seasoning, I’ve got you covered! Add a teaspoon of cumin and a teaspoon of chili powder. Stir this all together well.
Cover and cook on low heat for another 45 minutes.
Serve with your favorite taco dressings! Avocado, sour cream, black olives, cheese, tortilla chips, frito chips, whatever you want!
More chili recipes:
Taco Chili
Ingredients
- 1 package Hurst’s 15 Bean Soup
- 10 cups water
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 packets taco seasoning
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse and sort through the dried beans, removing any debris. Add beans to a large stock pot over high heat and pour in the water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover the pot.
- Let cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes.
- When beans are tender, brown the beef until cooked through and drain the fat. Add one packet of taco seasoning to the meat and stir to coat.
- Add the meat to the pot of beans, along with the second packet of taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, onion, garlic, and salt. Add the packet of Ham Flavoring from the bag of beans to the pot. Stir well.
- Cover and continue cooking on low for 45 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite taco toppings, such as grated cheddar, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Mary says
I normally do not get enchilada sauce. Is there a substitute for this?
Karly says
You could sub in tomato sauce and add additional spices as needed.
rosemarie garone says
is the sodium really 5,698?
Karly says
Oh, I really doubt it. The nutrition cards pull in data automatically and often get a little wonky. As I stated above the card, it’s just there as a guide and I’m not certain if it’s accurate. You’re best bet is it add it to one of the free online calculators yourself and you’ll get much more accurate results.
Pamela Hill says
Question: Do you still use the flavor packet that comes with the soup bean mix?
Karly says
Yep, it gets added during step 5. 🙂