This Slow Cooker Beef Fajita Soup is everything you love about steak fajitas, just in comforting soup form! Loaded with tender short ribs, all your favorite fajita flavors and ingredients, plus made with the ease of the slow cooker, this soup is guaranteed to please!
Heeeeey there friends! What’s good?!
How was your Galentine’s/Valentine’s Day?
You get or give anything fancy?!
My Valentine’s Day was delightful, thank you for asking. 😉
I woke up to the sweetest note from Boy and my favorite flowers (sunflowers in case any of you are taking notes). I stayed in my jammies all day long (totally typical) and got a bunch of work done. And then, I had my favorite dinner (popcorn, don’t judge) while relaxing, sipping a cocktail, and binge watching some shows with Boy and Dolce (our fur baby) on the couch.
In my world all those things make me extremely happy. I’m easy to please and I don’t require a lot. So all in all, it was a most marvelous day.
Anyways, we are going to get right into today’s recipe, because I’m over here counting the minutes to the weekend and I’m assuming you are doing the same. Therefore wind-baggy nonsense needs to take a back seat.
Sane people who LIVE for the weekend rejoice!
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Slow Cooker Beef Fajita Soup
AKA terrifically tasty short rib soup that tastes EXACTLY like your favorite steak fajitas!
And it’s soup-erbly easy thanks to the slow cooker! Wahoo!
Here’s what’s going on in this soup-
Large chunks of melt-in-your-mouth, SUPER tender short ribs.
Loads of veggies and ALL the fajita fixin’s – onion, bell pepper, corn and black beans.
All those fabulous flavors and ingredients are swimming in a silky, rich, fajita flavored broth jazzed up with a touch of tortilla flavor from a bit of masa harina.
Top it all off with your favorite fajita garnishes, like pepper jack cheese, cilantro, avocado and sour cream and you have FIESTA of FLAVORS begging to be all UP in your face.
This soup is hearty, yet light and jam packed with everything you love about fajitas.
DOOOOO this friends!
I mean, what rational person doesn’t want to face plant into some fajitas that you can slurp down with a spoon?
⬆️️ Rhetorical question.
Go grab some sombreros and have yourself a soup party. OLE!
How to Make Fajita Soup:
If you have an Instant Pot you can do ALL the browning and sautéing RIGHT in the IP! Yippie! Just follow the instructions, browning the ribs and then sautéing the veggies, but leave the vegetables in the IP (obviously).
Okay, let’s DO this!
First, you are going to season the ribs VERY GENEROUSLY with salt and pepper. Don’t be stingy with the seasoning. LOAD it up! Then brown the ribs, IN BATCHES, until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove those meaty bad boys to a plate if using an Instant Pot, or if you are using a dutch oven, transfer them right to the Slow Cooker.
Next, sauté the peppers and onions, again seasoning them liberally! Add in the garlic and let that cook until fragrant, which should only take between 30 seconds and 1 minute. Don’t burn the garlic, it tastes ICK.
If you are using a dutch oven and transferring everything to a slow cooker, add ¾ of a cup of broth to the pot to deglaze and scrape up all those delicious brown bits. Transfer the peppers, onions and all the delicious brothy bits to the slow cooker.
Next, add everything BUT the masa harina to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 5 ½ hours or until the beef is tender.
At this point, the soup tastes delicious as is, but it’s missing the tortilla component of fajitas, and this is where the masa harina (ground corn flour) magic happens. Mix a bit of stock with a few tablespoons of masa harina and add it to the slow cooker. Give the soup a good stir, then cover and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Ladle the fajita soup into bowls, garnish it up and slurp it down!
What goes with fajita soup?
This easy beef fajita soup is loaded with short ribs and vegetables, and can definitely stand on its own as a complete meal.
However, here are a few easy to make sides that pair well with this soup:
- Quesadillas
- Mexican slaw
- Guacamole or salsa
- Chips
- Simple side salad
Tips & Tricks for the best Crockpot Beef Fajita Soup:
- Make sure you trim the excess fat from your short ribs and cut them into large, bite sized pieces, roughly ½- ¾’’ in size.
- You can use any kind of canned, diced tomatoes. I’m a big fan of the fire roasted, diced tomatoes, so that is what I used and recommend.
- If you have access to fresh corn, I would absolutely use that instead of frozen corn. Just cut the kernels from the cob and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- I used a mix of red and yellow bell peppers, but you can use whatever color peppers you like. You can even add in a diced jalapeno when sauteing the peppers if you like a lot of spice!
- I always recommend making your own seasonings, so I have included the recipe to DIY fajita seasoning in the notes section of the recipe below. However, you can absolutely use store bought seasoning if you would like!
- Make sure you season the ribs and vegetables generously with salt and pepper. Seasoning liberally, and properly, makes the difference between a good soup and a GREAT one.
- In case you skipped the “how to make it” section above, you can absolutely use the Instant Pot for this recipe. Saute the ribs and remove them to a plate, then saute the veggies, deglaze the pot, add back in the ribs and continue with the recipe as instructed.
Give your fajitas the soup-erb treatment with this Slow Cooker Beef Fajita Soup. Loaded with all the traditional fajita flavors and ingredients, this soup is guaranteed to please!
Until next week friends, cheers – to steak fajitas in slurp-tastic soup form.
XOXO
Cheyanne
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Slow Cooker Beef Fajita Soup recipe 👇
Slow Cooker Beef Fajita Soup
Ingredients
- 3 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil , divided
- 2 Pounds Boneless Beef Short Ribs – trimmed of excess fat cut into bite sized pieces (roughly ½ - ¾’’ cubes)
- 5 Cups Low Sodium Beef Stock , divided
- 1 (14.5 oz) Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes , with juices
- 2 Cups Yellow Onion – peeled & diced(about 2 small onions)
- 2 Cups Bell Peppers – diced(about 2 peppers)*
- 4 cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 Cup Frozen Corn , defrosted
- 1 (15.5 oz) Can Black Beans – drained and rinsed
- 2 1/2 TBS Fajita Seasoning *
- 2 TBS Masa Harina
- Salt and Pepper , to taste
- Optional Garnishes: Shredded Pepper Jack, Cilantro, Avocado, Jalapenos, Sour Cream, Lime Juice, Tortilla Strips
Instructions
- Brown the ribs: Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the ribs and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to the slow cooker and repeat with another tablespoon of oil and remaining ribs, transferring those to the slow cooker when browned as well.
- Sauté the onions and peppers: Reduce heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the onions and peppers. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in ¾ cup of stock to deglaze, scraping the brown bits up off the bottom of the pot. Transfer to the slow cooker with the ribs.
- Add in 4 cups of stock, tomatoes, corn, black beans and fajita seasoning. Cover and cook on low for 5 ½ hours or until beef is tender.
- In a small bowl mix together remaining ¼ cup of stock with masa harina. Mix well and add it to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and continue to cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with optional garnishes and enjoy!
Notes
2. You can use any kind of canned, diced tomatoes. I’m a big fan of the fire roasted, diced tomatoes, so that is what I used and recommend.
3. If you have access to fresh corn, I would absolutely use that instead of frozen corn. Just cut the kernels from the cob and proceed with the recipe as directed.
4. I used a mix of red and yellow bell peppers, but you can use whatever color peppers you like. You can even add in a diced jalapeno when sauteing the peppers if you like a lot of spice!
5. Make sure you season the ribs and vegetables generously with salt and pepper. Seasoning liberally, and properly, makes the difference between a good soup and a GREAT one.
6. You can absolutely use the Instant Pot for this recipe. Saute the ribs and remove them to a plate, then saute the veggies, deglaze the pot, add back in the ribs and continue with the recipe as instructed.
7. I always recommend making your own seasonings, so I have included the recipe to DIY fajita seasoning in the notes section of the recipe below. However, you can absolutely use store bought seasoning if you would like!
Fajita Seasoning:
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Don’t worry, I would NEVER judge V-day Dinner. In fact, I love popcorn and well, if I didn’t have to feed my kiddos I would settle into pickles and cheese (an old favorite of mine) for dinner. So no judging here. In fact nothing but love for that fabulous soup. I promise not to ‘ick’ the garlic. HA!
Ha! We were both sick as dogs this past Valentine’s Day so there you have it. This would seriously had done the trick if I was able to get off the couch. 🙂 Love the photos and the crunchy tortilla strips had me.
Your Valentine’s Day sounds as perfect as this fajita soup!!! Oh my goodness, I could snuggle up to a bowl of this anytime!
Looks delicious
I was totally cracking up at your Valentine’s Day rundown. I love sunflowers too – my favorite flower trifecta: sunflowers, daisies, peonies. Can’t decide what I like best. 🙂
I’ve been digging slow cooker recipes lately and this looks so good! Genius method. Super excited to send this to my fajita-loving father-in-law too – he’s always up for great slow cooker recipes.
I got my usual amount of spoiling by the Southern husband (chocolate and orchids) and glad to hear that you did too – you deserve it! Meantime, how exciting am I that you made fajitas into a SOUP! Genius, genius, genius once again. Big hugs to you!
This looks like my kind of soup – honestly its like one big hug in a bowl. I think this is such great comfort food ahhh now I have cravings!!
Sounds like the perfect Valentines Day to me! Anytime you get to stay in your PJ’s all day has to be good. I’m pretty low key too so nothing exciting on Valentines day for me but that’s exactly what I like. This slow cooker soup looks amazing! I’m a big fan of anything you can just throw together and let cook all day. Have a great weekend 🙂
Your valentines day sounds great – totally relaxed and loving – a perfect day, Cheyanne. And I don’t have a slow cooker – I need to go buy myself one since I love making soup.
A note and sunflowers—what else can be the best way to get started the Valentine’s day. Happy to know that you had a delightful Valentine’s day, Chey. I have never had fajita soup, but love everything you have added here. So much yes to this comfy and delicious slurp-tastic fajita soup.
It sounds like you had a wonderful Valentine day. With both our kids sick and my husband working all day, our passed by pretty unnoticed… I have to get myself a slow-cooker I love this kind of soups/ stews.
Now that we live together, I am sure my husband will expect me to make him dinner all the time, and this… THIS would turn his taste buds on… In a heart beat!
Oh I love a great bowl of soup! It’s especially delicious on these freezing winter days! This fajita soup looks like an absolute must have!
All I want for Valentine’s Day is some short rib! Actually, I did get them because we had braised short ribs at home for our vday dinner. I would’ve made this soup instead if I had the recipe. Going to the butcher on Saturday so might just make it this weekend! I know you don’t have a Trader Joe’s around but they have a masa harina salsa that’s awesome and it would be so fantastic in your soup! I might have to send you a jar 😉
that sounds like an absolutely perfect valentine’s day! and i would never judge about popcorn for dinner, had the very same one last night! great minds! 😉 this soup has it all going on and i’ll take mine with a cold beer and extra jalapeño pretty please!!
Wow! This soup is something special!! This would be the type of soup I’d ladle into a mixing bowl and devour every last bite all by myself . Take care!
My slow cooker is single and ready to mingle. It’s one of those sad single servings crockpots that makes just enough for little ole me. I have never had Fajita Soup, especially Short Rib Fajita Soup. Any soup that’s garnished with Jalapenos and avocado has a special place in my heart. It looks super duper good Cheyanne.
So happy ypu and Boy enjoyed your Valentine’s Day Chey! We did too! This recipe is a total winner! We love short ribs, so this will need to happen at our house soon. What’s not to love about anything fajita?!
We’ve hit 100 inches of snow today and all I can think about is soup! You’ve nailed my craving with this one!! Thanks for sharing, Chey! Looks great! Pinned, of course! Cheers! <3
Your Valentine’s Day sounded perfect! I have the biggest weakness for short ribs, and I love that you made them into a fajita soup! This looks incredible and I really need to get around to trying it! Hope you have a great rest of the week!
Where did you get all those fantastic ideas? Those short ribs look so GOOD and I am not even a fan of red meat, but now I just dig in!!
It’s all good when I’m finally at NSN! Aww… Boy has won all the points with his sweet note and the sunflowers. How am I not surprised that those are your favorites? 🙂 They’re so big, bright and beautiful–just like you! <3 Whaaaa popcorn is your fave dinner? Remind me to make your favorite dinner some time… I'll be working on it all day. Lolol. So happy that my bestie had a most fantastic V-Day. <3 Meanwhile this soup looks amazing! You are totally the Queen of All Things Fajita. Did ya know that? This soup looks like it'd check off all the boxes on these frigid winter days. Pinned, of course. xoxoxo
Your Valentine’s Day sounds perfect! So does this soup 🙂 As we are still in the depths of Winter here, there’s plenty of hearty soup weather still. I’ll be trying this one, soon!
Sounds like you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, Cheyanne! We actually had a snow day so we didn’t go through the door (aside from hubby going out a bit to snow plow). It was fur baby’s b day too, as you know so it was definitely an extra special day! Fur baby gave me a lovely card and so did hubby with my fave flowers (mine are gerber daisies). It was super relaxing!
Now, this soup! Sounds fantastic. Would have loved to have a big bowl of this this week with all the snow we’ve been having and, of course, the toppings! One of my favourite parts. I would definitely eat more than one bowl of this deliciousness! Pinned, of course. Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! xo
Your Valentine’s Day sounds like ti was perfect! Any day that I can stay in my pjs is my perfect day, too. And, of course, with a cocktail. Mine was good, we had our heart-shaped pizza, which always makes me happy! 🙂 I really wish I had some of this soup, though. I absolutely LOVE the sound of this, Cheyanne! I really couldn’t live without my slow cooker, and I love making soups in it. This fajita version is totally calling my name. I love the flavor and the veggies in here. Definitely trying this out soon! Pinned, of course! Hope you have a fantastic weekend, friend!
We had a great Valentine’s Day too – also pretty low-key, which is perfect for me. The kiddos had parties at school and hubs and I got to go to a play that night, which was a fun treat. 🙂 Loving these steak fajitas in soup form – and my husband would go crazy for this! Especially that you use short ribs!! This looks so unbelievably flavorful and so easy too – win win! And there are tons of topping opportunities, which you know makes me happy 😉 I’m pretty easy to please too, haha! Pinned! Have a fabulous weekend my friend – it’s *almost* here! XO
What a lovely Valentine’s Day – I am sure the sunflowers have brightened up your day instantly! I struggled with a bit of a cold and decided not to make the three-course meal I was planning for my husband who gave me gorgeous white orchids for Valentine’s. This means I am still owing my better half a three-course meal – maybe he will be lucky on the weekend 🙂 Steak fajitas in soup form is a genius invention especially since I love soups this time of the year. Have a great weekend!