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    Home » Recipes » Soups and Stews

    Panera Turkey Chili Recipe (Copycat)

    By: Kim Peterson · Posted: Oct 20, 2021 · Updated: May 23, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Copycat Panera Bread Turkey Chili Recipe served with lime wedges, tortilla chips and lots of cheese!

    This hearty and delicious Copycat Panera Turkey Chili recipe is inspiration to create an amazing crowd-pleaser right from the comfort of your own home! It’s super easy, budget-friendly using pantry ingredients you can make in a Dutch oven, slow cooker or instant pot. Perfect for game days, weeknights and meal prep!

    Gluten-free chili with garnishes served on wooden charger.
    Jump to:
    • Is Panera Bread Turkey Chili healthy?
    • What's in the Turkey Chili at Panera?
    • Cooking Steps
    • Chili Toppings
    • Side Dishes to Serve with Chili
    • FAQs
    • More Favorite Chili Recipes!
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • Related Posts

    Is Panera Bread Turkey Chili healthy?

    Yes, there’s nothing like comfort food that’s high protein, low fat, full of fiber and loaded with flavor. And it’s naturally gluten and dairy free. The combination of heart-healthy turkey with a trio of beans, vegetables and spices makes for an awesome one pot meal.

    What's in the Turkey Chili at Panera?

    Here’s a list of the key ingredients and substitutions to make your own version depending on allergies, dietary preferences, and what’s already in your fridge or pantry.

    Turkey chili ingredients arranged in small bowls on wooden surface and labeled.
    • Turkey – I used a blend of white and dark ground turkey, but you can use chopped turkey breast or thighs as well.
    • Beans – Feel free to use all kinds of beans. Kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans and shelled edamame. Substitute lima beans for the edamame for soy allergies.
    • Vegetables – Sweet onion, bell pepper, poblanos, corn and a few cloves of garlic are pretty standard fare in most chilis. You can also add chopped carrots and celery depending what you have on hand.
    • Tomatoes – I like the combination of crushed tomatoes with the concentrated flavor of tomato paste that also thickens the chili. Pureed tomatoes can be substituted too.
    • Broth – I used chicken broth because it’s readily available, but turkey broth will also obviously work as would vegetable or beef broth. And I love to deglaze the bottom of the pot before simmering with a little dry white wine or amber ale.
    • Spices & Herbs – Break out the chili spices with chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. You can also stir in green chiles or chipotle peppers in adobo.
      • Oregano and Italian seasoning are additional options. Add fresh cilantro and squeeze of lime juice at the end to brighten the entire dish.
    • Sweetener – If you’d like to accentuate the sweet n’ spicy profile, add a little brown sugar, molasses, honey or maple syrup to the chili.

    Cooking Steps

    Once you have your ingredients lined up and prepped, it’s time to get things fired up! I tend to make this recipe on the stove but included Crockpot and Instant Pot instructions as well.

    1. Start with the veggies: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat. Onions and peppers are cooked until softened. Then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
    Onions and peppers sauteed and garlic added on top in a large red Dutch oven with a wooden spoon leaning on the side.

    2. Add turkey: Brown ground turkey, breaking up larger pieces with a wooden spoon. Then stir in the spices and deglaze the pot with wine to scrape up brownings on the bottom.

    Ground turkey browned in the vegetable mixture and spices added on top.
    Spices mixed in to browned turkey and vegetables with a wooden spoon.

    3. Add the rest and simmer: Stir in beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato paste and broth. Give the chili a good stir and bring to a low simmer for 10-15 minutes until heated through.

    Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Prep toppings while it simmers. So easy!

    Beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and corn added to the pot.
    All ingredients are mixed together in pot and ready to simmer.

    How to Make the Chili in a Crockpot

    Brown the ground turkey first then add the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

    Alternatively, place a 2-pound boneless turkey breast in the crockpot, add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low 4-6 hours. When done, shred the turkey with a couple forks and stir back into the chili.

    Making the Chili in an Instant Pot

    Turn on the Instant Pot and select Sauté. Heat olive oil and brown ground turkey until crumbly or cook chopped turkey cutlets until browned on all sides. Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.

    Deglaze bottom of pot with wine. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, then close and lock the lid. Cook on Beans/Chili setting for 15 minutes. Let pressure release naturally when done. Stir and serve.

    Ladling hearty chili from dutch oven pot.

    Chili Toppings

    There's nothing like topping off a delicious chili with a variety of options so here are some thoughts on how to set up a chili bar that has something for everyone.

    • jalapeños
    • green onions
    • red onion
    • avocado
    • lime wedges
    • fresh cilantro
    • sour cream
    • shredded cheese
    • tortilla chips
    Chili ready to serve from large red ceramic pot.

    Side Dishes to Serve with Chili

    Here are complementary side dish ideas to add to the menu!

    Salads – Apple Rainbow Slaw, Red Cabbage Slaw & Citrus Salad with Avocado & Goat Cheese

    Veggies – Grilled Sweet Potato Fries, Crispy Baked Avocado Fries & Cider Glazed Butternut Squash

    Bread – Get dipping with warm tortillas, naan or cornbread!

    Turkey chili garnished with lime wedges and cilantro, served with tortilla chips.

    FAQs

    How do I store, freeze and reheat turkey chili?

    Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Freeze extra chili in resealable freezer bags up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw chili completely if frozen and reheat in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, or microwave in an appropriate dish.

    Can I use leftover turkey to make this chili?

    You sure can! Using leftover turkey will shorten the cooking time since you can skip the step of browning the meat. Just add the cooked turkey in along with the other ingredients. If you want to use your slow cooker, reduce the time to just 2-3 hours on low.

    Can I make this chili vegetarian or vegan?

    Absolutely! Simply add extra beans and vegetables or add in cubed, browned tofu. The chili is already dairy free so don’t add any sour cream or cheese when topping your vegetarian chili to make it vegan.

    More Favorite Chili Recipes!

    • Cheesy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
    • BEST Vegan Pumpkin Chili (30-Minute Recipe!)
    • Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Chili

    🌟Love the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and/or a review in the Comments section below!

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    📋 Recipe Card

    Healthy turkey chili with chopped red and green onions.

    Panera Turkey Chili Recipe (Copycat)

    This healthy, hearty and delicious Copycat Panera Turkey Chili recipe is inspiration to create an amazing one pot, crowd pleaser. It's perfect for game days, busy weeknights and meal prep!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Main Course, Stew
    Cuisine: Gluten Free, Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 234kcal
    Author: Kim Peterson

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 1 poblano pepper , chopped, seeded and ribs removed
    • 1 bell pepper , chopped
    • 2 tablespoons garlic cloves , minced
    • 2 tablespoons chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon cumin
    • 2 teaspoons paprika
    • 1 teaspoon black ground pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)
    • 2 pounds ground turkey
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • 1 15-ounce can black beans or edamame , drained and rinsed
    • 1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans or lima beans , drained and rinsed
    • 1 15-ounce can pinto beans or garbanzo beans , drained and rinsed
    • 1 cup fresh corn or frozen kernels , thawed
    • 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice , do not drain
    • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
    • 2 cups chicken stock
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • Toppings: sour cream, cheddar or pepper jack cheese, scallions, red onion, avocado, jalapeños, cilantro, lime wedges, nachos

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat.
    • Add onion and peppers, season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, 5 minutes.
    • Mix in garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
    • Add ground turkey and break up large pieces with a wooden spoon. When browned stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
    • Pour in wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot and scrape up brownings with a wooden spoon.
    • Stir in beans, corn, undrained tomatoes, tomato paste and broth. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve hot and top with suggestions above, as desired. Enjoy! (See notes for Storage & Reheating)

    Notes

    Storage & Reheating

    Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Freeze extra chili in resealable freezer bags up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw chili completely if frozen and reheat in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, or microwave in an appropriate dish.

    *See Post for Crockpot & Instant Pot Instructions

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1224IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 32mg
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @giveitsomethyme or tag #giveitsomethyme!

    Related Posts

    • Healthy Turkey Meatball Soup (One Pot Recipe)
    • Skillet Turkey Shepherd's Pie
    • Turkey Sliders with Apple Rainbow Slaw
    • Cheesy Turkey Meatball Skillet

    This page contains affiliate links. Meaning, whenever you purchase an item after clicking an Amazon link through this website, we receive a small percentage from Amazon. It doesn’t cost anything extra to you! It simply helps maintain the blog. Thanks so much!

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    Kim | Creator and Author of Give it Some Thyme

    Welcome! I'm Kim - author, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Give it Some Thyme. Here you'll find wholesome, classic and contemporary recipes that make memorable meals every home chef can prepare. Pull up a chair!

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