This Panera Bread Turkey Chili is a copycat recipe and it's full of flavor. It's a hearty soup that's more like a full meal, because it's loaded with protein and veggies. This easy chili recipe only takes 15 minutes of prep time and is ready in under an hour!
Chili has to be one of the best meals invented. You take everything you need to make a healthy meal and dump it all into one pot, then top it with sour cream, cilantro, cheese and call it a day.
Just like this Bistro French Onion Soup, this recipe is inspired by Panera Bread and has a few extras, like edamame and carrots, that I don't typically use in chili recipes, but it works great here.
If you love chili recipes, try this Mexican Chicken Chili and Dutch Oven Chili too!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's Quick & Easy. Ready to eat in under an hour with just 15 minutes of prep time and this soup is so easy to make.
- Minimal Dishes Required. This soup cooks all in one pot!
- Full of Flavor. Classic chili flavors with a few additions make this soup over the top delicious.
- Great for on a Budget. Feed the whole family a delicious meal with lots of inexpensive pantry items and veggies. Plus, it makes about 6-8 bowls of soup, so you can use it for leftovers too.
- Healthy and Protein Heavy. This soup is loaded with protein from the ground turkey and beans. It also has lots of vegetables and is really healthy and low in fat.
For more healthy soup recipes, try this Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup, Turkey Lentil Soup, and Mini Meatball Soup.
Ingredients:
Ground Turkey- High in protein and low in fat. Ground turkey is a great substitute for ground beef in chili because it is lower in fat and less greasy in the soup.
Beans- A combination of Soybeans, Garbanzo Beans, and Kidney Beans are used in this soup for protein addition and lots of delicious textures.
Carrot, Onion and Garlic- Veggies used for additional flavor. Make sure to chop everything nice and fine for this recipe.
Rotel- A canned item that pairs diced tomatoes with green chiles. It adds flavor and you can choose the spice temperature based on your preferences.
Edamame/ Mukimame (Shelled Soy Beans)- These are a bit of an odd ingredient for chili, but they taste so good in the soup. Look for them in the freezer section and make sure to buy shelled, so you don't have to allow them to thaw and pop them out of the pods.
Chicken Stock- Chicken stock is cooked with the bones and is always richer in flavor versus broth. I love the Kitchen Basics brand or Kirkland's brand from Costco (as seen in photo above).
Tomato Sauce-Adds acidity and thickens the broth of the soup.
Cumin, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Bay Leaf, and Salt- come together for a nice punch of flavor for seasoning this turkey chili.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
Not big on ground turkey? Use ground chicken or ground beef. If you choose ground beef, choose a 85/15. A 93/7 can get dried out because it has little fat and 80/20 can be too greasy from too much fat. Drain out a lot of excess fat before adding in the canned items.
Love Spicy? Buy a Hot and Spicy Rotel version or add in a few dashes of hot sauce & use jalapeño for topping the chili.
I don't recommend using Chicken Broth. Chicken Stock has a lot more flavor. You can also use Turkey Stock for this recipe.
Like a thick chili? Use half the chicken stock in the recipe (you can always add more as needed) and/or use a few tablespoons of tomato paste.
How to Make Panera Bread Turkey Chili (Copycat Recipe):
Here are the Step by Step Instructions for Turkey Chili.
Step 1: Add olive oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the onions and carrots and allow them to soften for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 2: Add in the ground turkey and continue to break up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Note: If it's not cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the soup broth.
Step 3: Add in the minced garlic, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt and bayleaf and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in the tomato sauce, kidney beans, edamame, garbanzo beans and Rotel. Stir to combine.
Step 5: Pour in the chicken stock and cover until it comes to a boil. Stir and reduce the heat to low on the stovetop. Cook covered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring half way through cooking.
Step 6: Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings, like sour cream, fresh cilantro or cheddar cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Ground turkey can overcook and dry out quick. Only cook it until the outside is no longer pink. It will finish cooking internally in the soup.
- Don't brown or burn the onions and carrots. Only allow them to soften for a few minutes and become translucent.
Love Ground Turkey Recipes? Try these Air Fryer Turkey Burgers and Asian Turkey Meatballs.
Recipe FAQs:
This chili is really filling and can be a full meal, but it's also fantastic with this Sourdough Grilled Cheese or this Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt (another Panera Copycat recipe). If you love Panera Mac and Cheese, you will go crazy over this White Cheddar Mac and Cheese, that is perfect to serve with chili!
Allow the soup to come to room temperature and store in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! I love freezing small batches of soup to reheat on busy weeknights. I suggest vacuum sealing for the best results and enjoy within 2 months.
More Easy Soup Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Turkey Chili Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Panera Bread Turkey Chili (Copycat Recipe)
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 bowls of soup 1x
Description
This Panera Bread Turkey Chili is a copycat recipe and it's full of flavor. It's a hearty soup that's more like a full meal, because it's loaded with protein and veggies. This easy chili recipe only takes 15 minutes of prep time and is ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced small
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 dried bayleaf
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), drained
- 15 ounces can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
- 10 ounce can of Rotel, drained (mild, medium or spicy based on preference)
- 1 cup frozen shelled soybeans (may be labeled edamame or mukimame)
- 32 ounce container of chicken stock
Optional toppings: 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (minced), sour cream and/or grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add olive oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the onions and carrots and allow them to soften for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in the ground turkey and continue to break up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Note: If it's not cooked all the way through, it will finish cooking in the soup broth.
- Add in the minced garlic, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt and bayleaf and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, kidney beans, edamame, garbanzo beans and Rotel. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the chicken stock and cover until it comes to a boil. Stir and reduce the heat to low on the stovetop. Cook covered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring half way through cooking.
- Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings, like sour cream, fresh cilantro or cheddar cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Ground turkey can overcook and dry out quick. Only cook it until the outside is no longer pink. It will finish cooking internally in the soup.
- Don't brown or burn the onions and carrots. Only allow them to soften for a few minutes and become translucent.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Holly
This soup is delicious and I made it with your sourdough grilled cheese recipe! Yum!