Love the Starbucks turkey pesto panini and wondering if you can make it even BETTER? Yes, you most definitely can. This turkey panini has major layers of flavor: melty provolone cheese, flavorful pesto, deli turkey, and roasted red peppers for a little punch. Just like my tomato mozzarella panini (also a Starbucks copycat), I add a ton more filling than the version you’ll get at Starbucks so it’s extra-delicious. 😉
If you love Starbucks, be sure to try my sweet cream cold foam cold brew, a DIY Starbucks protein box next time, and check out my list of 31 kids drinks at Starbucks!
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of Contents
What You’ll Love About this Turkey Pesto Panini
- Big flavors
- Made with just 5 simple ingredients
- Just 5 minutes prep time
- Just 8 minutes cook time
- Just 13 minutes total time
Turkey Panini Ingredients
You’ll need just five simple ingredients to make this Starbucks pesto panini:
- Bread – Look for a ciabatta roll. Take-and-bake rolls are a great option, but you can also look for ciabatta bread and then cut it into individual pieces or your favorite artisan or sourdough bread.
- Pesto – Use homemade or store-bought pesto. Use leftover pesto in 10-minute pesto tortellini!
- Turkey – Use your favorite deli turkey meat or any sliced turkey (leftovers from dry brine spatchcock turkey or juicy air fryer turkey breast work well). You could also use crockpot pesto chicken.
- Roasted red peppers – I use store-bought roasted red peppers to cut down on prep, but you can also make your own if you prefer.
- Provolone cheese – Use high quality provolone slices for best flavor. You could use a shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese.
Here are the Starbucks turkey pesto panini ingredients:
CIABATTA ROLL [ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, SOUR CULTURE, SEMOLINA, YEAST, SALT, SEA SALT, ACACIA GUM], TURKEY BREAST RAISED WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS [TURKEY BREAST, WATER, SALT, TURBINADO SUGAR, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN, COTTONSEED AND/OR PEANUT OIL)], PROVOLONE CHEESE [PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES], BASIL PESTO [BASIL, CANOLA OIL, PARMESAN CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), GARLIC PUREE (WATER, GRANULATED GARLIC), RICE VINEGAR, BUTTER (MILK), ASCORBIC ACID, SEA SALT, BLACK PEPPER], ROASTED RED BELL PEPPERS [PEPPERS, CANOLA OIL, SALT]
How to Make Starbucks Turkey Pesto Panini
Ok, let’s make this copycat Starbucks pesto sandwich!
- Assemble turkey paninis. Spread slices of bread with a tablespoon pesto sauce on each side. Top with red peppers, turkey, and provolone cheese.
- Heat sandwiches. Place assembled sandwiches in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Place a heavy cast iron skillet or heavy pan on top of sandwiches and cook until golden brown, flipping half way through – unless you have a panini press!
NOTE: I recommend doing this on the stovetop for a more traditional version, but you can also bake them and I’ve included directions for that below.
How to Bake Turkey Panini:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until cheese is melty. Press sandwich down with weighted pan. (Leave on while baking if it’s oven-safe.)
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of bread is best to make paninis?
Starbucks turkey panini is made with ciabatta bread but you have a few options. You can use ciabatta buns, a loaf of ciabatta bread, or even your favorite artisan bread, sliced.
How many calories in Starbucks turkey pesto panini?
The Starbucks turkey and pesto panini has 550 calories. My copycat version has an estimate of 657 calories, higher than the original as it has more fillings and I think is much more satisfying and flavorful.
Storage Instructions
Store the components in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I do not recommend assembling and cooking the sandwich and then storing, make only what you will eat.
How to Serve Sandwiches to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉
Serving this has some nuance to it, so much so that I actually did a whole video on it. I recommend serving sandwiches deconstructed so I put out all of the components on the table, but didn’t make a sandwich for them (I asked them if they wanted it as a sandwich first). Then everyone could make their own sandwich (or un-sandwich) according to their preferences.
All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.
What to Serve with Turkey Panini
Serve the turkey panini sandwiches with a simple side and potentially a veggie or two. ?
- Potato chips
- Lemon Kale Salad
- Lemon Arugula Salad
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Raw veggies and ranch or Greek yogurt veggie dip
- Fresh fruit
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
If you like this Starbucks turkey pesto panini recipe, you might also like some of these other yummy sandwich recipes:
- Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Cucumber Ribbons
- Crispy Chicken Caesar Wraps
- Lobster Grilled Cheese
- Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese
- Crispy Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
- Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Sliders
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Copycat Starbucks Turkey Pesto Panini
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Skillet
Description
This (better than) Starbucks turkey pesto panini has delicious layers of melty provolone, flavorful pesto, sweet red peppers and turkey. YUM!
Ingredients
- 14 oz. ciabatta or focaccia bread (take and bake is perfect)
- 8 Tbsp. pesto (1/2 cup)
- 8 oz. deli turkey
- 1 cup sliced roasted red peppers
- 4 oz. provolone cheese (8 thin slices)
Instructions
- Bake bread and let cool if necessary.
- Spread both sides of bread with pesto sauce.
- Top with red peppers, turkey, and provolone cheese.
- Place assembled sandwiches in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Place a heavy pan or pot on top of sandwiches and cook for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip over sandwiches, add weight on top, and cook another 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melty and both sides are golden brown.
Equipment
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Notes
- If you prefer, you can also bake these. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until cheese is melty. Press sandwich down with weighted pan. (Leave on while baking if it’s oven-safe.)
Keywords: Starbucks turkey pesto panini, turkey pesto panini Starbucks, turkey pesto panini, turkey panini
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