These Copycat KFC Bowls are just like the kind you get from the restaurant with mashed potatoes, breaded chicken, corn, gravy, and cheese! It’s a simple and hearty mix that’s easier than take out!
We’re big fans of fried chicken around here (see our air fryer fried chicken!) and KFC has been a favorite since childhood. We love their extra crispy chicken but our favorite thing on the menu is probably the KFC bowls. It’s a great combination of flavors and simple ingredients that is perfect for turning into a homemade copycat recipe.
There isn’t anything special in the KFC famous bowls that you can’t get from the store so it’s an easy recipe to copy and to prepare. If you’ve got leftover mashed potatoes from a previous meal these bowls are an excellent way to use them up! And it takes no time at all to air fry some breaded chicken bites or frozen popcorn chicken.
If you really want to stick with the KFC theme try serving these up alongside our air fryer biscuits with soft butter and a drizzle of honey or some homemade coleslaw! You’re going to love these copycat KFC bowls they are total comfort food!
What are KFC Famous Bowls?
The famous bowls from KFC are basically just a mix of other menu items including their mashed potatoes, chicken bites, corn, and gravy with some shredded cheese. It’s about as simple as it gets and it makes for a hearty meal that feels like a cozy hug in a bowl!
They have had different varieties available at times including a spicy famous bowl that was topped with hot sauce, and another that made use of their french fries. Feel free to switch these up with whatever ingredients you like!
Ingredient Notes:
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Frozen Chicken – We’re using Just Bare brand frozen chicken bites for this recipe. They’re 100% chicken breast meat that’s been cut into chunks and breaded. You can use any frozen popcorn chicken or chicken nuggets for this if you have a favorite brand!
Mashed Potatoes – You’re welcome to prepare some creamy homemade mashed potatoes for these chicken bowls but we’re all about keeping this recipe simple and that usually means a package of refrigerated mashed potatoes. We like the Bob Evans brand of mashed potatoes. So quick and easy!
Canned Corn – We love the combination of chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn that you get in the KFC bowls and we’re keeping that going with this copycat recipe. We’re using canned sweet corn cooked in some butter on the stove, but frozen or fresh corn works too if you adjust the cook time.
Gravy – According to my research, KFC uses both chicken and beef in their gravy. Adding a little beef bouillon to chicken gravy is an easy way to make a similar gravy to KFC!
Cheese – I’m topping these copycat KFC bowls with shredded cheddar cheese!
We love how easy it is to recreate this classic KFC favorite at home! They aren’t exactly using freshly made mashed potatoes there for example, so it’s not like you need to either. Instant mashed potatoes will work fine here, but we like the refrigerated kind from the store.
How to Make Copycat KFC Bowls:
Spritz the chicken bites with oil spray and air fry at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is hot and crispy.
Scoop the mashed potatoes into a bowl, top with the corn, chicken, and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.
Drizzle the gravy over the top of it all and dig in! That’s all there is to making these Copycat KFC Bowls at home!
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Recipe FAQs:
This KFC favorite is made with mashed potatoes, sweet corn, breaded chicken and topped with gravy and shredded cheese.
The mashed potatoes that you get from the restaurant are actually instant mashed potatoes made from dehydrated potato flakes. So feel free to use instant mashed potatoes here if you’d like or pretty much any kind of packaged and refrigerated mashed potatoes from the store.
The KFC famous spicy bowls are basically just their regular chicken bowls topped with a Nashville style hot sauce. Feel free to spice these bowls up using your favorite sauce!
Recipe Tips!
You can make this recipe as quick and easy as you like! Frozen chicken, packaged mashed potatoes, and canned corn are all so simple. Jarred gravy from the store works too. It’s also about the same quality you’d get from KFC. Or take your time and make homemade mashed potatoes and gravy to use in our copycat bowls.
Comments & Reviews
Elena says
Perfect for a quick meal – hubby loved it!!
Love your recipes,Karly!
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Elena!