Delicious and the best Taco Stew Recipe - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

This taco stew is the recipe most requested by anyone who knows my mom and now you can try it too! It’s like taco soup but thicker like a chili.

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Taco stew is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that the whole family loves. We love to top it with our favorite taco toppings and everyone can totally customize their own bowl.

So I call this a stew because I add potatoes, carrots and peas to it. That totally qualifies as stew, right?! It’s a little more hearty and chunky than our Instant Pot taco soup or even our taco ground beef chili.

Ok, back to the toppings…there’s something about the Fritos and the soup. I’m serious. I never, and I mean never, think to buy Fritos, but they are a total necessity for topping off the taco stew. I think it’s that crunchy corn taste that works so well with everything.

Ingredients for Taco Stew

I love that this recipe is mostly a pantry meal. It is so nice when you’re on a tight budget or just don’t have time to get to the store. It also cannot be easier! Here is what you will need:

  • Yukon Gold Potatoes: yukons have the best flavor and keep the best texture when added to a soup or stew – you could also use red potatoes as a substitute
  • Carrots: peeled and cut into bite size pieces
  • Onion: just a yellow onion works great
  • Hamburger: 80/20 or 85/15 works great – if you want to go a little healthier, try ground turkey or chicken
  • Frozen Peas: just toss them in frozen, and they’ll be heated through in no time
  • Diced Tomatoes: you can use any brand you want
  • Tomato Sauce: any brand works great
  • Taco Seasoning: you can use a store bought packet or make your own
  • Corn: just open a can of corn and toss it in, no need to drain
  • Chili Beans: pinto beans or black beans also will work great, undrained
  • Kidney Beans: no need to drain these either

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe at the end of the post.

Which Potatoes are Best for Stew?

My mom always uses Russet potatoes for stew but I think that’s just because we bought them cheap for baked potatoes etc. Russet potatoes are not a good potato for soups and stews as they end up a bit mealy in texture.

Choose red or golden yukon potatoes when making a soup or stew as they have a different amount of starch so your potatoes will be soft and creamy and not crumble in the soup.

What Type of Beef is Best for Stew?

You can use any cut of beef for a beef stew, round, chuck roast, chuck shoulder, etc. (like in our classic beef stew recipe) but in this taco stew recipe we stick with ground beef to give that taco flare.

Can Taco Stew Be Made in the Slow Cooker?

Yes! This is a great slow cooker meal! You will want to brown the hamburger with the onions beforehand on the stove top. Then you can toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker along with the hamburger (that has been drained) and cook it on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

Storing, Reheating, and Freezing Taco Stew

To store stew, place it in an airtight container and allow it to cool almost completely then place it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Save all the toppings to add right before serving.

To reheat a single serving of taco stew, I just zap it in the microwave. If I’m going to reheat more than that, I do it on the stovetop over medium heat until it is warmed through.

Yes!! Stew freezes really well! Just cool the stew completely and place in freezer bags or snag yourself our favorite Food Saver. Stew can be frozen for up to 2 months if you’ve pressed out all of the air and sealed it properly.

It’s freezing cold outside right now and we are in the thick of soup season. I actually hate the cold weather, but I can’t get enough soups, stews and chilis! This taco stew is next on my soup menu!

Watch Taco Stew Recipe Video

More Easy Soup RECIPES:

  • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Meatball Soup
  • Butternut Squash Soup
  • Irish Beef Stew
  • Instant Pot Taco Soup
  • Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
  • Chicken Pot Pie Soup
  • Brown Butter Cauliflower Soup
  • Instant Pot Turkey Chili
  • Cheesy Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • All our SOUP RECIPES!

Taco Stew

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3.70 from 72 votes

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Description

This taco stew is the recipe most requested by anyone who knows my mom and now you can try it too! I beg you try this and you won’t regret it!

Ingredients

  • 8 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and diced or 8 red potatoes
  • 3-4 Carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 Onion , chopped
  • 1 pound Hamburger
  • 1 package Frozen Peas, small package
  • 1 can Tomatoes, 16 oz
  • 1 can Tomato Sauce, 8 oz
  • 1 package Taco Seasoning, or roughly 1/4 cup
  • 1 can Corn, undrained
  • 1 can Chili Beans, undrained
  • 1 can Green Beans, undrained
  • 1 can Kidney Beans, undrained

Instructions

  • In a large pot add a drizzle of olive oil and place over medium heat.

  • Cook the onions until tender, about 3 minutes.

  • Add the carrots and potatoes and add just enough water to cover them.

  • Cook until tender.

  • In a separate pan, over medium heat cook the hamburger, drain the grease and add to the water and tender veggies.

  • Add all of the remaining ingredients and cook until heated through.

  • Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and fritos!

Notes

To make in the slow cooker, do the first and second step and then dump everything in the slow cooker. We actually love to cook extra ground beef one night and save it for the taco stew to take less time. 🙂

reheat stew in a pot on the stovetop, or in the microwave

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 96gProtein: 17gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1452mgPotassium: 1638mgFiber: 14gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 5245IUVitamin C: 66mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 7mg

Author: Sweet Basil

Course: 100 + BEST Easy Beef Recipes for Dinner

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FAQs

What is the secret to good stew? ›

"Soups and stews really need to simmer for long periods to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taking that a step further, most soups and stews are better if you prepare them the day before serving. Allowing them to cool and then reheating them really helps bring out the flavors and textures."

What makes stew taste better? ›

Tips To Give Your Beef Stew A Flavour Punch
  1. Five Tips To Make Your Beef Stew The Best.
  2. Add A Little Heat.
  3. Good Quality Stock Goes A Long Way.
  4. Add Vegetables For More Flavour.
  5. Soup Mixes Are An Ideal Seasoning And Thickening Aid.
  6. Serve Your Beef Stew In A New Way.

How to make the perfect beef stew and the common mistakes to avoid? ›

The Five Most Common Beef Stew Mistakes
  1. Choosing a meat that's too lean. Stew is not meant for all cuts of meat. ...
  2. Putting too much flour on the stew meat before sautéeing them. ...
  3. Not using wine. ...
  4. Putting the meat and vegetables together in one pan. ...
  5. Not cooking it enough.
Jun 28, 2020

How do you make beef stew taste richer? ›

There are flavors in tomatoes that are alcohol-soluble, so adding red wine along with tomato paste also helps to enhance beef stew." Laurence has a few other tricks I've borrowed to create the best beef stew, including adding Worcestershire, which gets a serious umami punch from anchovies.

How do you add extra flavor to stew? ›

If so here are some tips for making your stews tasty and have your family begging you for more!
  1. Choose your ingredients wisely. ...
  2. Start off with a good flavour base. ...
  3. Add vegetables. ...
  4. Add flavourings to taste. ...
  5. Add Herbs and/or Spices. ...
  6. Spices: (Optional) ...
  7. Add stock or wine/beer. ...
  8. Add thickeners.

Why put vinegar in stews? ›

Vinegar can add depth of flavour to soups, sauces, and stews. Especially great for tomato-based recipes, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar towards the end of the cooking process to amplify the flavours of your other ingredients.

What is the secret to tender stew meat? ›

Rush the cooking process and the beef will be tough and chewy. Follow this tip: For really tender meat, cook the stew low and slow, for approximately two hours.

How do you make stew meat more flavorful? ›

Sear the meat well.

Searing meat takes a long time, and it's tempting to skip it. Don't. Searing the meat until it develops a dark brown crust and a sticky “fond” starts to glaze over the bottom of the pan are both key to creating the kind of rich, caramelized flavors that make stews irresistibly good.

Does cooking stew longer make it better? ›

Don't Stew the Stew Too Long Either

It might seem that cooking your beef stew on low for 8 hours will make it even better, but that is not true at all. Your beef will be tough if you don't cook it enough and it will be tough if you cook it too much.

What not to put in beef stew? ›

So skip the roux, and don't bother dusting the meat with flour or cornstarch before browning, either, as some recipes will suggest. That will just interfere with getting a good sear on the meat, and gum up the stew with unneeded starch.

Why put tomato paste in beef stew? ›

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

Why put celery in stew? ›

Onions: The stew's foundation flavor is savory thanks to the onions. They give the food more flavor and depth. Celery: Celery gives the stew a little herbaceous flavor and a little crunch. It goes really nicely with the steak and the other veggies.

What gives beef stew a good flavor? ›

Getting a more beefy beef stew
  1. Mushrooms (Crimini, sh*take, Lions Mane, etc.), browned beforehand.
  2. Dried mushrooms.
  3. Caramelized onions.
  4. Roasted garlic.
  5. Deglaze your pan (since you don't use wine, deglaze with broth)
Oct 23, 2023

What makes the best stew meat? ›

Go for the chuck

The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.

References

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