Canning Taco Soup

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Taco Soup is a deliciously complex soup that’s incredibly satisfying right off the pantry shelf.  Serve it as is, or spice it up with sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips at serving.

Are you tired of always ordering takeout or cooking the same old meals every weeknight? Here’s a solution: canning taco soup! This recipe is not only delicious, but also very convenient for those busy days when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. 

Plus, it’s a great way to use up your pantry and freezer leftovers. 

In this post, we’ll show you how to can taco soup and give you some serving ideas that will make this meal even more enjoyable.

Ingredients for Taco Soup

This recipe for canning taco soup is adapted from Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond by Angi Schneider, which happens to be my very favorite pressure canning book.  Angi’s recipes are always spot on, and the spicing for this one is exceptional.

The ingredients for canning taco soup are quite simple.  To make a canner batch of 14 pints or 7 quarts, you’ll need the following:

•  2 lbs (907 grams) ground beef, lightly browned
•  1 lb (454 grams or 2 1/2 cups) dried red, black, or pinto beans, presoaked
•  10 cups (2.4 liters) water
•  4 lbs (1.8 kg) peeled and chopped tomatoes
•  4 cups (640 grams) diced onion
• 4 cups (616 grams) corn
• 10 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp (32 grams) non-iodized salt
• 2 tbsp (16 grams) chili powder
• 1 tbsp (6 grams) ground black pepper

For Serving (optional):

• Shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
• Sour cream
• Diced chives

Note that the beans in this recipe need to be soaked via the quick-soak or overnight method. Either method is fine, but make sure you do it before beginning this recipe.

You will need roughly 4 ½ lbs (2 kg) of whole tomato and 1 ½ lbs (680 grams) of onions to achieve the quantities listed above. You’ll also need six to seven ears of corn, but frozen corn will work fine too. 

Canning Taco Soup

Begin by preparing the pressure canner, along with your lids and jars. Fill the canner with a few inches (approximately 8 cm) of water, based on the instructions from your specific canner manufacturer. Place the canner on the stovetop over low heat, placing the jars inside to stay warm. Since this is a hot-pack recipe, you’ll need to keep the water at 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 Celsius) while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Start by browning your ground beef, and then set it aside.

Drain the water from the soaking beans. Pour the beans into a large stockpot, then cover with fresh water. Bring them to a boil, then remove from the heat and drain the water.

Pour the beans back into the pot, adding 10 cups (2.4 liters) of water. Then, add the tomatoes, garlic, spices, corn, onions, and browned beef. Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Let it boil for another five minutes.

At this point, the beans and vegetables won’t be fully cooked – that’s okay! They will continue cooking in the jars.  The idea here is just that everything is heated through when it goes into the jars for hot pack, rather than it’s actually cooked at this point.

Take the stockpot off the heat, then ladle soup into the prepared jars. Try to put the solids in first, then the liquid, to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Leave 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace.

Remove the bubbles with a bubble removal tool and check to make sure you have adequate headspace. You can top the jars off with boiling water if you’re short on liquid. Then, wipe the rims using a clean, damp cloth to remove food residue or particles. Place the lids and bands on the jars, then load them into the pressure canner.

Put the lid on the pressure canner and allow it to vent steam for 10 minutes. Then, process the jars at 10 lbs of pressure for 75 minutes for pints or 90 minutes for quarts. Adjust for altitude as needed, and remember to adjust your timing if the pressure drops below 10 lbs.

When the processing time has finished, you can allow the canner to depressurize naturally. Remove the jars and let them cool on the counter for 12 hours. Check the seals, label, and store the jars for one year.

Altitude Adjustments for Canning Taco Soup

Altitude adjustments for meat canning recipes, including this taco soup recipe, are as follows:

For dial gauge pressure canners:

• 0 to 2,000 feet in elevation – 11 lbs pressure
• 2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation – 12 lbs pressure
• 4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation – 13 lbs pressure
• 6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation – 14 lbs pressure

For weighted gauge pressure canners:

• 0 to 1,000 feet in elevation – 10 lbs pressure
• Above 1,000 feet – 15 lbs pressure

Serving Taco Soup

When you’re ready to serve, simply empty a  jar of soup into a stockpot. Heat it up for about 10 minutes, or until it’s bubbling, then garnish with sour cream, chives, and cheese. We recommend serving it with some cornbread, tortillas, or tortilla chips. 

Another great idea? Serve it over rice or with a side of cornbread. You can also use it as a filling for tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.

Yield: Makes 7 Quarts (or 14 Pints)

Canning Taco Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Taco soup is an easy ground beef canning recipe that comes together quickly, and saves a lot of time on busy weeknights.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (907 grams) ground beef, lightly browned
• 1 lb (454 grams or 2 1/2 cups) dried red, black, or pinto beans, pre-soaked
• 10 cups (2.4 liters) broth, stock or water
• 4 lbs (1.8 kg) peeled and chopped tomatoes
• 4 cups (640 grams) diced onion
• 4 cups (616 grams) corn
• 10 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp (32 grams) non-iodized salt
• 2 tbsp (16 grams) chili powder
• 1 tbsp (6 grams) ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the pressure canner, along with your lids and jars. Fill the canner with a few inches (approximately 8 cm) of water, based on the instructions from your specific canner manufacturer. Place the canner on the stovetop over low heat, placing the jars inside to stay warm. 
2. Start by browning your ground beef, and then set it aside.
3. Drain the water from the soaking beans. Pour the beans into a large stockpot, then cover with fresh water. Bring them to a boil, then remove from the heat and drain the water.
4. Pour the beans back into the pot, adding 10 cups (2.4 liters) of water. 
5. Add the tomatoes, garlic, spices, corn, onions, and browned ground beef. 
6. Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Let it boil for another five minutes.
7. Take the stockpot off the heat, then ladle soup into the prepared jars. Leave 1 inch (2.5 cm) of headspace.
8. Remove the bubbles with a bubble removal tool and check to make sure you have adequate headspace. You can top the jars off with boiling water if you're short on liquid.
9. Then, wipe the rims using a clean, damp cloth to remove food residue or particles. Place the lids and bands on the jars, then load them into the pressure canner.
10. Put the lid on the pressure canner and allow it to vent steam for 10 minutes.
11. Process the jars at 10 lbs of pressure (69 kPa) for 75 minutes for pints or 90 minutes for quarts. Adjust for altitude as needed, and remember to adjust your timing if the pressure drops below 10 lbs.
12. Allow the canner to depressurize naturally. Remove the jars and let them cool on the counter for 12 hours. 
13. Check the seals, label, and store the jars for one year.

Notes

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chives or cilantro.

Altitude Adjustments for Canning Taco Soup

Altitude adjustments for meat canning recipes, including this taco soup recipe, are as follows:

For dial gauge pressure canners:

• 0 to 2,000 feet in elevation – 11 lbs pressure
• 2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation – 12 lbs pressure
• 4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation – 13 lbs pressure
• 6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation – 14 lbs pressure

For weighted gauge pressure canners:

• 0 to 1,000 feet in elevation – 10 lbs pressure
• Above 1,000 feet – 15 lbs pressure

Meat Canning Recipes

Working with other types of meat?  Check out these other meat canning recipes!

• 20+ Chicken Canning Recipes
• Canning Leftover Turkey
• Canning Chicken Chili Verde
• Canning White Bean Chicken Chili
• Canning Chicken Soup