Copycat KFC Famous Bowl is a homemade version of the famous bowl: a generous layer of creamy mashed potatoes, sweet corn and crispy popcorn chicken, covered in shredded cheddar and smothered in brown gravy. It is a loaded mashed potato bowl dinner for a busy weeknight. It serves 4 and is ready in 20 minutes.
How to make it: Bake frozen popcorn chicken while the mashed potatoes, corn and gravy heat up. Then layer the potatoes, corn, chicken and cheese in 4 bowls and pour the gravy over the top.
Why You’ll Love It
- Dinner in 20 minutes: every part is already made and only needs heating.
- Five main ingredients: popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, cheddar and gravy.
- One bowl, one meal: soft potatoes, sweet corn, crunchy chicken and melty cheese in every spoonful.
- Easy to change: fry the chicken from scratch, add vegetables or swap the cheese.
Ingredient Notes
Popcorn chicken: One bag of frozen popcorn chicken, about 26 ounces, covers 4 bowls. To fry your own instead, see the from-scratch section after the steps.
Mashed potatoes: Four cups. Two pouches of instant mashed potatoes are the quickest route, and premade mashed potatoes from the store work just as well.
Corn: A 10-ounce bag of frozen corn, cooked. It adds texture and a subtle sweetness to every bite.
Cheddar: Two cups, shredded, so each bowl gets a thick layer.
Brown gravy: One 10.5-ounce can, heated in a small saucepan.
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen popcorn chicken (about 26 ounces)
- 4 cups mashed potatoes, prepared (2 packages instant, store-bought or homemade)
- 10 ounces frozen corn (1 bag)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 10.5 ounces brown gravy (1 can)
- Chives or scallions, chopped, optional
How to Make a Copycat KFC Famous Bowl
1. Cook the chicken. Heat the oven and bake the popcorn chicken according to the package directions, until hot and crisp all the way through (165°F).
2. Make the mashed potatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and make the instant mashed potatoes according to the pouch directions, or warm 4 cups of homemade mashed potatoes.
3. Warm the corn and gravy. While the chicken and potatoes cook, cook the frozen corn, heat the gravy and shred the cheese.
4. Build the bowls. Divide the mashed potatoes among 4 bowls in a generous layer. Top with the corn, then the popcorn chicken and the cheddar, and smother each bowl with gravy.
5. Garnish and serve. Sprinkle with chopped chives or scallions if you like and serve right away, while everything is hot.
How to Make the Popcorn Chicken From Scratch
The frozen bag keeps this a 20-minute dinner. For a homemade copycat all the way down, fry your own bite-size chicken. Plan on at least an hour of marinating and a few minutes at the stove; one pound of chicken fills the same 4 bowls.
Marinate. Cut 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Whisk 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 egg in a large bowl, add the chicken and let it marinate for at least an hour.
Mix the coating. In a second bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder and 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder. Then whisk in 1/2 cup of the buttermilk from the chicken.
Coat. Lift the chicken out of the buttermilk, drop it into the flour mixture and toss until every piece is coated.
Fry. Heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F; the oil will shimmer slightly. Add a few pieces at a time so the pan is never crowded, and fry each batch for 2 to 4 minutes, until the outside is golden and crisp and the inside reaches 165°F with clear juices.
Drain. Set the fried pieces on a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray while you fry the rest. Then use them in step 4 exactly as you would the frozen chicken.
Tips for Success
How do I get frozen popcorn chicken extra crispy?
Heat it in the air fryer instead of the oven. Go by the time on the package; the air fryer gives the pieces a real fried-chicken crunch.
Why won’t the cheese melt?
For fully melted cheese, change the order a little: sprinkle the cheddar straight onto the hot mashed potatoes so it starts to melt from their heat, add the corn and chicken, then spoon the warm gravy over until the cheese has melted.
Variations
- Panko-crusted chicken: season 1 cup flour with 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, and whisk 4 large egg whites until frothy. Dip 12 ounces of chicken breast pieces in the flour, the egg white, the flour again, the egg white again and finally 2 cups of panko, pressing gently so the coating sticks. Fry at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and 165°F inside.
- Add vegetables: top each bowl with sautéed, roasted or steamed broccoli, Brussels sprouts or garlic balsamic mushrooms.
- All homemade: pair the from-scratch chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and a homemade brown gravy, which needs no drippings.
Storage & Reheating
Keep the chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and gravy in separate airtight containers, and build only the bowls you will eat right away. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months; it also notes that cream sauces don’t freeze well. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer for a couple of minutes and the rest in the microwave, covered, in 30- to 45-second bursts, until everything reaches 165°F. Bring leftover gravy to a rolling boil, and don’t reheat any of it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
The bowl is close to a complete meal on its own, but warm butter biscuits, cowboy beans, carrots or coleslaw fit right in next to it. For more crispy chicken, try bacon brown sugar chicken tenders. If gravy over potatoes is what you’re craving, there’s Crockpot chicken and gravy and ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes. Extra mashed potatoes make great cheesy mashed potato puffs, and for another restaurant copycat, make Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s in a KFC Famous Bowl?
Creamy mashed potatoes, sweet corn and bite-size crispy chicken, drizzled with home-style gravy and topped with three shredded cheeses. This copycat keeps the same layers and uses cheddar for the cheese.
What gravy goes on a KFC Famous Bowl?
Brown gravy is the traditional choice. White gravy or jarred chicken gravy works too if you prefer it, and so does a 1-ounce envelope of brown gravy mix made by the package directions.
Can I use chicken nuggets instead of popcorn chicken?
Yes. Small chicken nuggets work in place of popcorn chicken. Cook them by their own package directions before you build the bowls.
What other cheese can I use?
Monterey Jack, Colby or a shredded taco blend all work in place of cheddar. Use the same 2 cups.
Final Notes
Set the hot parts out on the counter and let everyone layer their own bowl the way they like it. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Copycat KFC Famous Bowl
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Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen popcorn chicken about 26 ounces
- 4 cups mashed potatoes prepared: 2 packages instant, store-bought or homemade
- 10 ounces frozen corn 1 bag
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 10.5 ounces brown gravy 1 can
- chives or scallions chopped, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven and bake the popcorn chicken according to the package directions, until hot and crisp all the way through (165°F).
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and make the instant mashed potatoes according to the pouch directions, or warm 4 cups of homemade mashed potatoes.
- While the chicken and potatoes cook, cook the frozen corn, heat the gravy and shred the cheese.
- Divide the mashed potatoes among 4 bowls in a generous layer. Top with the corn, then the popcorn chicken and the cheddar, and smother each bowl with gravy.
- Sprinkle with chopped chives or scallions if you like and serve right away, while everything is hot.
