Slow Cooker Taco Soup Recipe | Totally the Bomb (2024)

FAQs

Will taco meat dry out in crockpot? ›

Taco meat can dry out if you don't add extra water to the slow cooker. I suggest adding water before turning on the heat. This will keep the meat nice and moist, and serves the double purpose of helping the seasoning melt into the meat!

Add Cornstarch or Flour

If you want to thicken up your taco soup quickly, cornstarch or flour could be your best friends. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch or flour with equal parts water in a small bowl until smooth.

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the soup is warmed through. To freeze taco soup, cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.

Yes, you can totally cook raw beef in a slow cooker. Many slow-cooker chili recipes have a step for browning the beef before it goes into the Crock-Pot. While this step isn't necessary, caramelizing the meat creates richer, bolder flavors.

What can I use as a beef broth substitute in soups and stews? In soups and stews, you can use a combination of water and soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to mimic the savory flavor of beef broth.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

Food should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. Shallow containers or small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. Cover foods to retain moisture and prevent them from picking up odors from other foods.

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

How to Store Taco Soup. Store leftover taco soup in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container. It will keep for three to five days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

How to keep ground beef from drying out in a crockpot? ›

Leaner blends require more moisture, so make sure to add enough liquid. Water is fine, but beef stock can add extra flavor. Plus, it contains collagen which will keep everything tender. If you're using a fattier blend, it will do better on the Low setting for a longer period of time.

Add more liquid.

Depending on the type of ground beef I use, sometimes I'll add a little extra water, chicken broth, or even tomato sauce to prevent it from drying out.

The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture. To avoid this problem, choose less-tender cuts of meat.

Using a crockpot is a great way to keep the taco meat warm for a party. Twenty minutes before adding in the cooked taco meat turn the slow cooker on to warm up. This slow cooker tip keeps the meat at temperature. After cooking the taco meat on the stove, then place it into a slow cooker.