Copycat Panera Turkey Chili Recipe (Stove Top or Crockpot) (2024)

Published: Sep 6, 2020 · Modified: Apr 21, 2023 by Audrey · This post may contain affiliate links

This copycat Panera turkey chili is so easy to make at home. You can make this on your stove top or let your crockpot do all the work with this recipe!

I love Panera! I feel like so many of my favorites are there. I love Panera lemonade, mac and cheese, iced green tea, and of course, their turkey chili. When I was pregnant with my son, I worked across the street from a Panera so I ate lunch there quite a bit. Since I couldn’t have deli meat because I was pregnant, I would often get their turkey chili. It was really filling and delicious.

Now that we’ve moved several times since then, I’m not quite as near to as a Panera as I would like. I’ve been missing their turkey chili. You can make this copycat recipe on your stove top or let your crockpot do all the work. Either method will give you a delicious batch of hearty chili.

📋 Ingredients needed

For this recipe, you will need:

• White onion
• Lean ground turkey: You can also substitute shredded turkey.
• Celery
• Carrot
• White beans: I used navy beans.
• Kidney beans
• Garlic
• Canned crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning: If you can’t find canned crushed tomatoes with Italian seasoning, use regular crushed tomatoes and then add two teaspoons of Italian blend seasoning to substitute.
• Chili powder, cumin, white pepper, bay leaf, and onion powder: To season the chili with. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
• Tomato paste
• Chicken broth or stock
• Edamame: I really love the edamame in this recipe. They give this turkey chili such a nice crunch, the texture is really a nice addition. My local grocery store carries shelled and peeled frozen edamame. If yours doesn’t you’ll need to cook and peel the edamame and then throw it in at the end.
• Salt and pepper: I recommend doing to taste.

Equipment needed

You can make this recipe in a large pot on your stove top or you can use your crockpot (6 quart or larger).

⏲️ How to make this recipe

For the crockpot

Brown your ground turkey meat, drain the fat, and set aside. (You may also use cooked shredded turkey for this recipe).

Spray your crockpot with non-stick spray.

Add all the ingredients to your crockpot and stir well.

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

For stove top

Brown your ground turkey meat, drain the fat, and set aside. (You may also use cooked shredded turkey for this recipe).

Add the turkey to a large cooking pot along with the other ingredients. Stir well.

Bring to a low boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least one hour before serving.

🥖 What goes well with this turkey chili?

I love to serve this copycat Panera turkey chili with yellow cake mix corn bread or oyster crackers. Sour cream, diced red onion, avocado, and shredded cheese also go well on the side.

💭 Do I have to brown the turkey first?

Yes, if you don’t brown it first it is too greasy or it clumps together. I highly recommend browning it. When I have time, I love to brown ground turkey and ground beef then drain and cool. I then put the meat in freezer friendly ziplock bags and store them flat in my freezer. These are great to defrost the night before and then toss in the crockpot with everything else the next morning.

🔪 Do I have to use ground turkey?

No, not at all! Shredded turkey, like leftover Thanksgiving turkey also goes well in this chili.

🥡 How to store leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge. Leftovers will be good for 4 to 5 days after making.

Other copycat recipes:

If you tried this Copycat Panera Turkey Chili or any other recipe on my site, please leave a ⭐ rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I would love to hear from you!