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Beef Enchilada Soup

Time: 45 minutes
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You are going to love my Beef Enchilada Soup. It’s made with homemade enchilada sauce, ground beef, sweet corn, and 2 types of beans. The perfect option for cozy soup weather!

Bowl of Beef Enchilada Soup topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chip strips, and fresh cilantro. There's a spoon in it ready for eating.

Hands-down, this my favorite soup to make! It’s flavorful, filling, and that little bit of spice is just so comforting on cold days.

You’ll love how easy it is to make any night of the week (and it’s not an all day on the stove soup). Actually, this recipe takes about 45 minutes to make but tastes like it’s been simmering all afternoon. It’s loaded with pinto and black beans, ground beef, a little corn, and a homemade enchilada sauce. It’s seriously one delicious bowl of soup!

For more ground beef recipes try my ground beef sliders, chili cheese nachos, or these family-favorite sloppy joes.

Pot of Beef Enchilada Soup topped with cilantro. The ladle is in it for serving and there is tortilla chip strips, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and more fresh cilantro.

Ingredients for Beef Enchilada Soup

Here’s what you need to make this soup recipe and a few notes. Keep reading!

  • Ground Beef: Always use a lean 93/7 ground beef. The least amount of fat, the better.
  • Yellow Onion: Chopped into very small pieces.
  • Fresh Garlic: Finely minced or grated.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Chicken Stock: Note that you want to buy stock and not broth. Stock is the more flavorful which is what we need for this soup.
  • Tomato Sauce: Make sure it’s a can of tomato sauce and not marinara sauce or pizza sauce. It shouldn’t contain spices, sugar, and other types of flavorings.
  • Seasoning Blend: This is a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
  • Fire Roasted Tomatoes: I recommend using the ones that come with green chilis. This adds a little spice without being overwhelming. If you do not want spice, just buy a can of regular fire roasted tomatoes.
  • Black Beans: Canned, and rinsed with cool water.
  • Pinto Beans: Also canned and rinsed with cool water.
  • Corn: I recommend using frozen corn, but canned or fresh cut off the cob works great too.
Close up of soup to see beans, corn, ground beef, fire roasted tomatoes and all the toppings.

How to Make Beef Enchilada Soup

Here’s a quick summary of this recipe so you know what to expect. The recipe card further down will have all details and instructions. And before we get started, you will also need a large pot or Dutch oven and another medium-sized pot.

1. Make the homemade enchilada sauce. Cook the olive oil and all-purpose flour into paste before adding some of the chicken stock. Once it thickens up you will add the remaining stock, tomato sauce, and the homemade seasoning blend. Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce by half.

2. Put together and simmer the soup. Brown ground beef with the onion and garlic. Add chicken stock, fire roasted tomatoes with chilis, and homemade enchilada sauce, bring it to a boil. Throw in the pinto beans, black beans, and frozen corn, allow the soup to simmer a few minutes.

3. Serve the Beef Enchilada Soup. I recommend topping yours with sour cream, tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and fresh cilantro, like we did!

Pot of soup with toppings on the side. There is tortilla chip strips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. There is also a ladle with 2 bowls and 2 spoons.

Storing & Freezing Information

Your leftover Beef Enchilada Soup should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days. And if you don’t think you can eat it within that time frame, freeze it.

Frozen soup lasts up to 3 months if stored in wide-mouth glass jars or freezer-safe containers and bags. When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen or leftover soup, reheat it in the microwave or on the stove top until it comes to a gentle simmer. One thing to note, the beans may break down when you reheat it, but that will be the only difference.

Two bowls of Beef Enchilada Soup topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chip strips, and fresh cilantro. There's the big pot in the back for scooping out seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Can I use store-bought enchilada sauce instead?

Technically, yes. But I do recommend taking the extra 15 minutes to make it homemade. It makes a better soup that’s free of preservatives, artificial flavors, seed oils, etc. If you do buy the enchilada sauce you will need 2 cans.

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Enjoy Entirely, Elizabeth
Bowl of Beef Enchilada Soup topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chip strips, and fresh cilantro.

Beef Enchilada Soup

Elizabeth Swoish
This Beef Enchilada Soup is flavorful, filling, and so comforting on cold days. It's a homemade enchilada broth filled with ground beef, beans, and corn.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Servings 6
Calories 488 kcal

EQUIPMENT

INGREDIENTS
  

  • 1 pound ground beef - lean 93/7
  • 1 medium yellow onion - finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic - finely minced or grated
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 10 oz can fire roasted tomatoes - with green chilies
  • 1 15.5 oz can pinto beans - rinsed with cool water
  • 1 15.5 oz can black beans - rinsed with cool water
  • 1 ½ cups sweet corn - frozen
  • optional toppings - sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chip strips

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 10 oz can tomato sauce - Hunt's

Homemade Spice Blend

  • 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
 

For the Homemade Enchilada Sauce

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Set aside the homemade spice blend.
  • Heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and stir constantly until it becomes thick. Continue stirring and allow it to cook for 1 minute. Add ½ cup chicken stock and immediately stir again until it becomes a smooth paste.
  • Stir in the remaining chicken stock, tomato sauce, and homemade spice blend. Increase heat to medium-high and allow the sauce to thicken. Once it has reduced by half, remove it from the heat and set aside.

For the Beef Enchilada Soup

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and finely diced onion over medium-high heat. Once crumbled and fully cooked, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
    ELIZABETH'S NOTE: If the ground beef mixture has a lot of excess grease, strain it away before moving on.
  • Pour in the chicken stock, fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies (with juice), and homemade enchilada sauce. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Add the rinsed black beans, rinsed pinto beans, and frozen corn. Cover the pot and allow the soup to cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Remove soup from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste preferences. Serve as is or with optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and tortilla chip strips.

RECIPE NOTES

 

STORING INFORMATION

  • Refrigerated, in an airtight container, for 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until it comes to a gentle simmer.
 

FREEZING INFORMATION

  • Frozen, in a wide-mouth glass jar or freezer-safe container, for 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until it comes to a gentle simmer.
 

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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By Elizabeth Swoish on January 18th, 2025
Elizabeth Swoish holding a camera up to her eye taking a photo.

About Elizabeth Swoish

Elizabeth Swoish is the founder and CEO of Entirely Elizabeth. She is a self-taught foodie and mocktail enthusiast with a business degree in data analysis. Read Elizabeth's food journey or connect on your favorite social media channels.

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