Do you want to take your chili to the next level? Have you just been craving some turkey chili from Panera Bread but just don’t want to leave the house? If so, you’ll love this recipe! The best part is that you probably already have most of the ingredients somewhere in your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Panera Bread Turkey Chili (Copycat Recipe)
The secret to really good Panera Bread Turkey Chili is the blend of spicy, savory, and meaty flavors, some of which you might only notice in their ability to enhance other flavors. Since we use ground turkey meat instead of ground beef, it’s also healthier than you’d expect.
Table of Contents
Equipment for Panera Bread Turkey Chili
You likely have the equipment you’ll need in your kitchen already! Here’s what you’ll need to get out to make this Panera Bread Turkey Chili:
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot
- Sturdy Spoon
- Can Opener
- Sharp Knife for Chopping
- Chopping Board
Why a Sharp Knife Makes Chili Prep Easier
Have you ever noticed that a brand-new kitchen knife excels at chopping and dicing things, and then it seems to “lose effectiveness” over time? That’s because it gets dull! This can actually make kitchen knives unsafe over time as you press harder and harder to get the same chopping action, and sometimes risk cutting your own fingers.
The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts recommends choosing the right knife for the job to keep them from dulling too fast from misuse. For instance, this professional-quality knife is a good one for chopping vegetables. Take a closer look, and you can also see what different types of knives look like and what they’re used for.
This culinary school also recommends having your knives sharpened with a whetstone on a regular basis. If this sounds intimidating, it can be done professionally!
Panera Bread Turkey Chili Ingredients
The good part is that you don’t need anything too exotic for this chili! If you do need to pop over to the grocery for a thing or two, be sure to save or print the recipe card below for easy reference. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground Turkey
- Olive Oil
- Medium Onion
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Edamame
- Beef Broth
- Tomato Paste
- Canned Kidney Beans
- Garbanzo Beans
- Carrot
- Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Cumin
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Fresh or Frozen Corn
- Cayenne Pepper (optional but recommended if you like your chili extra spicy)
Nothing too intimidating, right? That’s what we like!
Ingredient Notes & Helpful Tips
Why these ingredients for Panera Bread Turkey Chili? Let’s take a closer look!
Ground Turkey
1 pound ground turkey, thawed
Ground turkey provides a lot of the “meaty” part of the blend of flavors that chili needs.
As you might expect, there’s some tradeoff between ground turkey and ground beef. According to the University of Illinois, ground turkey is considered slightly more heart-healthy than beef due to a slightly lower content of saturated fat per serving. Here’s a quick rundown of how a 4-ounce serving of 93% lean ground turkey compares to 4 ounces of 93% lean ground beef:
Ground Turkey: 170 calories per serving, 9.4 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat
Ground Beef: 172 calories per serving, 7.9 grams of fat, 3.3 grams of saturated fat
Olive Oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
In this recipe, olive oil is used to brown the ground turkey.
Medium Onion
1 medium white or yellow onion
The onion adds a savory flavor, aroma, and texture to many recipes like this chili.
Jalapeño Pepper
1 Jalapeño Pepper, diced and seeds removed
This adds a lot of spice to the chili. I remove the seeds to avoid making it too spicy. If you’re feeling more adventurous than I am, you might leave some of the seeds in to see how spicy it gets!
Edamame
1 cup fresh or frozen edamame
Edamame are immature soybeans that are still in the pod. It might be a little odd to see them in chili since they’re more common in stir-fry. However, they add a nice texture to the chili that goes well with the beans and corn.
Beef Broth
4 cups beef broth
I like to go for the low-sodium beef broth here. It adds a lot of rich, savory flavor to the chili.
Tomato Paste
12 ounces tomato paste
Tomato paste adds the tomato flavor you expect in chili. I like to go with tomato paste for the texture.
Kidney Beans
15 ounces of kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
Kidney beans are popular in chili for their ability to maintain their firmness, shape, and flavor when cooked.
Why canned kidney beans? That’s one question we get a lot! Canned kidney beans have been processed in a way that makes them safe for consumption. However, it can be tempting to buy dry kidney beans to control sodium content. The problem is that kidney beans that haven’t been canned, like the ones shown above, are usually raw.
According to the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences, uncooked kidney beans contain a plant lectin called Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) at concentrations that are quite toxic for humans.
If you buy kidney beans that aren’t canned, you will have to soak them in a pot full of water for at least five hours, and then discard the water. Then refill the pot with water and boil the beans for at least half an hour. This should get rid of most of the toxic PHA.
Garbanzo Beans
15 ounces canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Garbanzo beans add a creamy texture and a firm, meaty bite to chili. Like kidney beans, they can also hold their firmness and shape well when cooked.
Carrot
1 small carrot, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
It’s kind of hard to have good chili without the slight crunch of carrot slices! Carrots also provide a nice counterpoint to the beans.
Corn
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
Corn adds a nice variety of texture and flavor when added to the carrots, beans, and meat. I don’t like to use canned corn because the texture of canned corn kind of comes off wrong in chili. The good part is that corn usually doesn’t have to go through the same process of soaking and boiling as beans to be safe to eat.
Oregano
1 teaspoon oregano
Here’s where we start getting into the seasoning we’ll need for chili. Oregano helps balance out the spiciness with its earthy, pungent, and slightly bitter flavor.
Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Garlic powder is a common way to enhance the savory flavor in recipes like chili. If you’re out of garlic powder but do have fresh garlic cloves, you can use one minced garlic clove. (Maybe two if you really like garlic.)
Cumin
1 tablespoon cumin
Cumin adds an earthy, smoky flavor to the chili that perfectly complements the spiciness of the jalapeño.
Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Black pepper adds a more subtle amount of spiciness to the chili.
Salt
Salt to taste
The salt helps to balance the other flavors in this chili. You don’t have to add much, especially if you’re on a low-sodium diet.
Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
This is for people who like to customize their chili for additional spiciness.
Printable Panera Bread Turkey Chili Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup edamame (fresh or frozen)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small carrot, chopped (about ¾ cup)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Optional:
- Additional jalapeno for extra heat
- Extra ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon extra cumin for added flavor
Instructions
Preparing the Turkey:
- In the bottom of your Dutch oven or pot, sauté ground turkey until browned and no longer pink.
Mixing the Ingredients:
- In a pot or Instant Pot, combine cooked turkey, onion, jalapeno, edamame, beef broth, tomato paste, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, carrot, corn, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper (optional), black pepper, and salt.
- Stir well to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
Simmer Together Until Done
- Bring chili to a boil.
- Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until it reaches the desired thickness.
- Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- Test for flavor and doneness. Add more seasoning and simmer a little longer if desired.
- Serve hot with your favorite sides and chili toppings.
Nutrition Information for Panera Bread Turkey Chili
This nutrition information is an approximation based on the recipe as shown. It was calculated using VeryWell Fit’s nutrition calculator. If you would like to explore the nutrition information for individual ingredients, please visit the USDA’s FoodData Central database.
Step-By-Step Method for Making Panera Bread Turkey Chili
Got all the ingredients? Awesome! Let’s get started on our chili!
Just a sanity tip: I like to get started on my chili before I get hungry! That way, I’m less tempted to try to speed things up because I want to eat!
Step One: Sauté Turkey with Onion
Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of your Dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat. Add the turkey and onion and sauté until the turkey is browned and the onion is turning translucent.
Step Two: Add Remaining Ingredients
This makes making chili super easy! Once your remaining ingredients are properly chopped or minced, add them to the pot with the turkey and onion. Don’t forget to add the seasonings too!
Step Three: Simmer for 45 Minutes to 1 Hour
Bring the chili to a boil on high heat. Then turn the heat down and allow it to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until it reaches your desired thickness.
Step Four: Test for Doneness and Adjust Seasoning to Your Preference
Put a little chili into a small bowl and allow it to cool just enough for you to taste it. The carrots should be crisp-tender, and the flavors should be nicely blended if it’s done. You can add a little more seasoning if you like, and then let it simmer a little more.
Step Five: Serve Hot With Favorite Sides and Optional Toppings
I like to have a slice of cornbread with chili. When I feel like it, I might also top the chili with shredded mild cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Saltine crackers are also good if you like crackers with your chili. (It’s good enough to stand on its own, too!)
Alternative Cooking Methods
Maybe you’d like an alternative that doesn’t require you to turn your stove on (or at least, not for very long) or haul out your Dutch oven, and that’s okay! Here are a couple of alternatives that might work.
How to Make Panera Turkey Chili in the Instant Pot
The cool thing about the Instant Pot is that most models have a sauté setting! That means you can sauté the turkey and onion right in the Instant Pot before you add the rest of the ingredients.
Because you’re cooking it under pressure in the Instant Pot, the cook time is a lot less. It can be fully cooked in as little as 15 minutes once you get all the ingredients in and get it started. Just be sure you vent the pressure before you try to take the lid off to check it.
How to Make It in a Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)
This is the method I normally use when I’m going to be busy most of the day, and I know I’m going to be too tired to do much cooking. It’s actually kind of nice for supper to already be ready when I get home.
To make chili in the Crock Pot, just sauté the turkey and onion in a pot as normal, and then transfer the turkey and onion to the crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients, give it a solid stir, and then put the lid on. Cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours.
Substitutions for Panera Bread Turkey Chili
Ground beef can be used in place of the ground turkey. It’ll just taste a bit beefier. You can also use ground chicken if you want. It’s also possible to use an unground meat like sirloin steak or deboned turkey breast.
Chicken broth or vegetable broth can replace the beef broth. Just keep in mind that the exact broth you use can affect the final flavor of the chili.
I have had some luck using black beans in this chili if I didn’t have kidney beans.
FAQ About Panera Bread Turkey Chili Copycat Recipe
While this chili is easy to make, I do sometimes get questions about it! Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions with answers. If you have a question that’s not listed here, feel free to ask in the comments.
How can I store this chili? Can I freeze it?
This turkey chili can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Sometimes I’ll turn this into meal prep turkey chili by storing it in individual portion-sized meal prep containers.
It can also be frozen in airtight containers for 2-3 months. It’s easier to thaw out in the fridge if you keep it in meal prep containers. Just thaw it out in the fridge overnight.
Is this turkey chili gluten-free?
It can depend on the exact ingredients you use. For gluten-free turkey chili, simply check the labels on the ingredients to make sure they’re certified gluten-free. This is especially true for the broth and spices.
What makes Panera’s turkey chili different from traditional chili?
Panera Bread’s turkey chili is lower in saturated fat and is less greasy because it uses ground turkey instead of ground beef. I like this recipe for its focus on the right level of flavor for how healthy it is, and a spice level you can customize to your liking when you make it at home.
Can I customize this turkey chili?
I’ll be honest, there have been times when I slipped in a little extra carrot or a diced stalk of celery because I wanted more veggies in it! You can also add extra ground turkey, more beans, more corn, or a little extra cayenne powder if you want.
How do I thicken it?
This chili can be thickened by letting it simmer for an extra 10-15 minutes. You could also try adding a little extra tomato paste or mashing some of the beans to make it thicker.
My Favorite Sides for Panera Bread Turkey Chili
This chili is good by itself, but when I’m in the mood for some comfort food, I like to make some favorite sides for turkey chili too!
- Vegan Cornbread
- Vegan Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Chicken Cobb Salad
- Panera-Style Cranberry Orange Muffins (Moist, Bright & Bakery-Perfect)
Whether you keep it cozy with cornbread or fresh with a vibrant salad, these sides turn a simple bowl of turkey chili into a warm, satisfying meal that feels straight from your favorite café.
Did You Like This Panera Bread Turkey Chili?
It wasn’t as intimidating as it looked, was it? In fact, chili is my favorite comfort food to make on a cold winter day. It’s partly because it’s so easy to put together!
Did you like it? Do you have a favorite variation? Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please let us know in the comments!
