Panera Bread Turkey Chili Recipe
Learn how to make this Panera Bread turkey chili recipe at home and enjoy the same flavors from your favorite Panera Bread chili! Loaded with ground turkey meat, salsa verde, tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, edamame, and a blend of herbs and spices.
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You can skip the drive-thru and now make your favorite copycat Panera turkey chili recipe in the comfort of your own home. Pair with some tortilla chips, add a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, or any of your favorite taco toppers. This is a total comfort food that you can make all year round.
You also might appreciate this Panera broccoli soup as well. It is a Weight Watcher-friendly soup recipe. I love soup on cold days, and you will find it is a comforting dinner option. Also, make sure to try out this busy-day soup for another quick and easy dinner.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the ingredients used for this recipe. Here is all you need for this Panera’s turkey chili recipe.
- Ground turkey
- Medium Onion
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Chicken Broth
- Salsa Verde
- Diced Tomatoes
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
- Kidney beans
- Edamame
- Ground Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Coriander
- Lime Zest
- Lime Juice
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cilantro
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for this recipe. The full step-by-step instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
In a Dutch oven or large pot, you will add your olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add in the diced onion, carrots, and minced garlic. Saute until the onions are softened and translucent.
Next, add in your ground turkey and cook until fully cooked and crumbled.
Pour in the chicken broth, salsa verde, tomatoes, beans, and all the spices. Stir to combine, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes to blend all the flavors.
Then you will add in the lime juice and zest and season the turkey chili with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge or eat it plain.
Hint: Allowing the soup to simmer will help all the flavors of the chili soup. Also, season less or more with spices and herbs to alter the flavor of the soup if you would like.
Variations
- Spicy – add in cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to make a spicy chili. You could even add in some hot green chiles for even more flavor that will compliment the salsa verde.
- Deluxe – add 1/2 cup corn, black beans, poblano chiles, and more. Now, to top add guacamole, sour cream, or any other toppings you would like.
- Meat – feel free to swap the ground meat with ground beef, chicken, or ground pork. Just cook the meat until crumbled and fully cooked.
See this smoked chili recipe for a twist to a classic chili recipe.
Equipment
Reach for a sturdy Dutch oven or stock pot. This is going to ensure you get a nice even cook on your chili. Another great tool is a meat chopper, which will chop up the ground turkey into nice smaller pieces. This is a great investment for you when making any food that you want chopped.
Storage
Store your leftover turkey chili in the fridge in an airtight container. The soup will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. This is a good chili that reheats well, I find chili always has more flavor the next day. You can also freeze any of the chilis you want to store for later. This is a healthy turkey chili to keep in your freezer for an easy lunch or dinner during the week.
Freeze for 4-5 months, and then thaw in the fridge overnight before you want to eat. Or defrost it straight from the freezer if you would like.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Make sure to saute the vegetables before you add in the ground turkey or even ground chicken. This is going to help add an amazing depth of flavor to your chili. It will complement the warm spices and beans.
- When you are cooking on medium-high heat and get the chili mixture to a boil, you will lower low-medium heat to low heat to allow the chili to simmer on the stovetop. This is going to help all the spices blend and flavor the meat and beans.
- Use a wooden spoon to scrape away any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot after you saute and cook the chili. By scraping the bottom of the pot it ensures nothing gets burnt or stuck on the bottom of the pot.
FAQ
You will find that this turkey chili has a bit of spice to it. If you want to lower the heat use a mild salsa verde and use less chili seasoning. That will help with the spice factor.
Yes, you will find that typically this chili recipe is gluten-free. Just make sure each ingredient you use is gluten-free.
Panera turkey chili is considered one of the healthier than some of the other items available on the menu.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Serve With:
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Panera turkey chili:
- Cornbread muffins
- Dinner Rolls
- Salad
- Sandwich or Sliders
Panera Bread Turkey Chili
Equipment
- dutch oven
- Sharp Knife
- Ladle
- Wooden Spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups salsa verde
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes undrained
- 15 ounces chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup edamame shelled
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and minced garlic, sautéing until softened.
- Add the ground turkey to the pot, breaking it apart with a spoon and cook until browned.
- Pour in the chicken broth, salsa verde, diced tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, and edamame. Add the ground chili powder, cumin, and coriander to the pot with the turkey.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Add lime zest, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes until the chili reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro, if desired, and a wedge of lime on the side.
Notes
- Make sure to saute the vegetables before you add in the ground turkey or even ground chicken. This is going to help add an amazing depth of flavor to your chili. It will complement the warm spices and beans.
- When you are cooking on medium-high heat and get the chili mixture to a boil, you will lower low-medium heat to low heat to allow the chili to simmer on the stovetop. This is going to help all the spices blend and flavor the meat and beans.
- Use a wooden spoon to scrape away any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot after you saute and cook the chili. By scraping the bottom of the pot it ensures nothing gets burnt or stuck on the bottom of the pot.
Disclaimer:
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
