Panera Turkey Chili Recipe - caramel and cashews (2024)

I am obsessed with Panera Bread's soups! This Panera-inspired turkey chili recipe is a copycat of the original. Now you can make your favorite Panera chili right at home!

Panera is a great option for a healthy lunch. They have everything from mac and cheese to salads to hibiscus tea and of course soups! There soups are by far my favorite thing to order at Panera. If you love their Autumn Squash Soup then check out this butternut squash soup recipe!

Unfortunately our Panera is all the way on the other end of a very busy and traffic laden road. So in order to get my panera chili fix this winter I've decided to just make my own!

Panera Turkey Chili Ingredients

There are a lot of ingredients but keep in mind that many of them are spices and cans of beans/tomatoes.

• Olive oil - To sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in. You can use another neutral flavored oil here if you have something else on hand. Avocado oil, vegetable, or canola oil will all work just fine.
• Carrots & onions
• Garlic
• Ground turkey - You can purchase lean ground turkey if you prefer but it will taste a bit dry since it has very little fat in it. I always buy 85% lean.
• Diced tomatoes & green chiles
• Kidney beans, chickpeas, corn, & edamame
• Chicken stock - Chicken stock gives soup and chili an instant boost of flavor. You could also use beef or vegetable stock if you prefer. Each will vary in flavor slightly.
• Chipotles in adobo - In my experience, Panera's turkey chili has a slight amount of heat to it. One minced chipotle seems to do the trick but if you prefer more heat you can add two.
• Spices - Onion powder, cumin, chili powder, and salt season the soup nicely.
• Tomato paste - Tomato paste thickens the soup and adds concentrated tomato flavor to the soup.
• Cornstarch - Just a small amount to help thicken up the chili. If you prefer to leave this out for any reason you can.
• Lime

How to Make It

This Panera turkey chili recipe really is simple to make! Here's how:

Sauté the Veggies & Garlic

On medium heat sauté the carrots and onion then add the garlic. Sauté 30 seconds more.

Add the Ground Turkey & Spices

Add the ground turkey and spices to the veggies. Turn the heat to medium high and cook the meat until brown and almost cooked through.

Add Tomatoes, Green Chiles, Beans, & Edamame

Add the tomatoes, green chiles, corn, shelled edamame, and garbanzo beans. Stir well.

Add Stock & Minced Chipotles

Pour in the chicken stock and minced chipotles. Stir and then bring to a simmer.

Simmer & Simmer More

Turn the heat to medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add the tomato paste, lime juice, remaining salt, and corn starch. Stir again then let simmer for 15 more minutes.

Add Toppings & Enjoy!

Let cool enough to eat then serve. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crushed chips or crackers.

Tips & Substitutions

• Don't skip the simmer! This is what really brings all the flavors together and makes it delicious.
• If you're like my mom and even a little bit of heat is too much heat then leave out the chipotles.
• If you prefer ground beef in chili by all means use beef! Ground beef may let out more grease when it cooks. You can drain some of it if you need to.

Chili Toppings

I like to top my Panera Turkey Chili with the toppings I mentioned above but you can add whatever you like! Here are some options:

• Sour cream (or Greek yogurt!)
• Sliced avocado
• Shredded cheese
• Siracha
• Crumbled bacon (or bacon bits)
• Sliced red onion
• Pickled red onions (or shallots!)
• Sliced green onions
• Pickled jalapenos
• Torn cilantro
• Tortilla chips

Toppings really take chili up a notch which is another great benefit to making it at home!

Other Soups & Chili Recipes You Might Love

• Easy Homestyle Chili
• Spicy Turkey Chili Recipe
• Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Sides to Serve with Chili

• Almond Flour Cornbread [With Cornmeal]
• Easy Candied Brussels Sprouts
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (For dessert of course!!)
• Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Panera Turkey Chili Recipe Copycat

Carolyn

I am obsessed with Panera Bread's soups! This Panera-inspired turkey chili recipe is a copycat of the original. Now you can make your favorite Panera chili right at home!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 225 kcal

Equipment

• Dutch oven or large pot

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, small diced
• 2 large carrots, small diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 pounds ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
• ⅓ cup green chiles
• 1 cup frozen or canned corn, drained
• 1 16 oz. can light red kidney beans, drained
• 1 16 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• 4 cups chicken or beef stock
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ½ lime
• 1 tbsp corn starch

Instructions

• In a large dutch oven or pot on medium heat add the olive oil. Sauté the carrots and onions for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

• Add the ground turkey, cumin powder, chili powder, onion powder, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Turn the heat to medium high and use a spatula to break up the meat and stir it occasionally. Cook until the turkey is brown and mostly cooked through.

• Add the diced tomatoes, green chilies, corn, kidney beans, shelled edamame, and garbanzo beans. Stir well.

• Add 4 cups of stock and the minced chipotles. Stir well until everything is mixed together.

• Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Stir in the tomato paste, lime juice, ¼ t. kosher salt, and cornstarch.

• Simmer for 15 more minutes. Enjoy with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crackers or chips on top!

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 27gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 575mgPotassium: 715mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2913IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg

Keyword panera chili, panera soup, panera turkey chili, panera turkey chili recipe

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