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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Copy Cat Recipes

    Copycat KFC Famous Bowl Recipe

    Published: Jul 26, 2021 ยท Updated: Nov 16, 2023 by Tammilee ยท This post may contain affiliate links

    Delicious Copycat KFC Famous Bowl is so easy to make at home! The perfect comfort food dinner that takes minutes to prepare. How can you go wrong with mashed potatoes topped with sweet corn, popcorn chicken, homestyle gravy, and cheese?

    KFC Famous Bowl over a white bowl with chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, and gravy next to wooden spoons

    Copycat KFC Famous Bowl Recipe

    Contents show
    Copycat KFC Famous Bowl Recipe
    Ingredients
    Equipment Needed
    How to make KFC Famous Bowls
    Preparation and Storage
    Recipe Variations
    Tips for the Best KFC Famous Bowl
    What to Serve with KFC Famous Bowl
    When to Serve
    Great Recipe Collections
    KFC Famous Bowl
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    Kitchen Tools
    Nutrition

    This KFC bowl is my husband's favorite comfort food dinner right now. A few months ago, he drove through KFC, had a KFC Bowl, and decided it was the best thing in the world.

    I decided to start making these bowls at home to save money and have leftovers so John could enjoy them over the next few days.

    I will admit that I make this with multiple easy ingredients instead of making them from scratch. You can make these ingredients from scratch if you have the time or prefer the flavor. This recipe is one of those recipes you can adapt based on how much time you have and how you feel.

    We have made this as quick and easy as possible to save time and energy. This summer feels like it is flying by, and we are running all over the place, including testing many new recipes. We even made a pumpkin pie in July. LOL!

    Yes, we are already testing holiday recipes and seeing what we want to share in a few months.

    I must tell you this KFC Famous Bowl was loved by all who tried it, and it did not last long. It was an eerily quiet dinner as they inhaled the KFC Chicken Bowls. They looked up, told me it was terrific, and then proceeded to get every drop of gravy out of the bowl.

    KFC describes their Famous Bowl as creamy mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and bite-sized chunks of crispy chicken layered together, then drizzled with home-style gravy and topped with a perfect blend of three shredded cheeses. You can choose between a regular Famous Bowl or one with their signature Nashville Hot sauce.

    Make Colonel Sanders happy and enjoy a delicious KFC fast food inspired meal at home.

    Tillamook cheddar cheese, Idahoan Mashed potatoes, corn, beef gravy, and Tyson popcorn chicken on a white counter

    Ingredients

    Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make an epic KFC Famous Bowl! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

    • Popcorn Chicken
    • Mashed Potatoes
    • Sweet Corn
    • Beef Brown Gravy
    • Cheddar Cheeseย 
    • Salt and Black pepper (to taste)

    Popcorn Chicken - You could also use chicken nuggets or chicken tenders

    Mashed Potatoes - We used instant mashed potatoes but you can use frozen mashed potatoes or make them from scratch.

    Sweet Corn - We used canned corn but you can easily use frozen corn or fresh corn.

    Beef Brown gravy - We used canned gravy to save time but you can easily make this from scratch or use a gravy packet.

     

    Equipment Needed

    • Air Fryer: We make Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken to top this epic Kentucky Fried Chicken Bowl. It is quick and easy to make, and the popcorn chicken can cook while you prepare the mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn.
    • Large Serving Bowl or Individual Bowls: Whether you want to serve this on a big platter or in separate bowls is up to you.

     

    How to make KFC Famous Bowls

    The hardest part of this recipe is cooking multiple ingredients simultaneously and keeping them all hot and ready to go.

    I start with the air fryer popcorn chicken, which takes 10 minutes to cook. I then begin the instant mashed potatoes to soak them and get them nice and fluffy.

    Up next is heating the gravy and then the corn. We heat these in the microwave to make the process quick and easy.

    Mashed potatoes in a white bowl

    Layer 1 - Mashed Potatoes

    We use instant mashed potatoes to save time but you could easily make slow cooker mashed potatoes or your favorite family recipe.

    Corn on top of mashed potatoes in a white bowl

    Layer 2 - Corn

    Spread hot corn over the top of the mashed potatoes

    Popcorn chicken on top of corn and mashed potatoes in a white bowl

    Layer 3 - Popcorn Chicken

    We used air fryer popcorn chicken to get it nice and crispy on top of the corn.

    Gravy over chicken and corn

    Layer 4 - Gravy

    I am going to admit to using canned beef gravy for this recipe to save time. You can definitely make homemade gravy for this recipe.

    Shredded cheese over chicken

    Layer 5 - Cheddar Cheese

    Sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese and enjoy! You can use any shredded cheese for this recipe we like to use Cheddar. KFC uses a blend of three shredded cheeses.

    Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

    KFC Famous bowl in a white bowl

    Preparation and Storage

    Make Ahead: This dish comes together so quickly that we recommend making it to order. We recommend cooking the popcorn chicken first, which takes about ten minutes.

    Storage: You can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for three to four days in the fridge.

    Freezing/How to Freeze: For quality and food safety reasons, it is best not to refreeze any frozen food you have cooked. This KFC Famous Bowl tastes best fresh since it uses frozen popcorn chicken.

    How to Reheat: Leftovers reheat well in the microwave.

    ย 

    Recipe Variations

    Substitutions:

    We used instant potatoes, but you can use frozen mashed potatoes or make them from scratch using the slow cooker or your favorite family recipe. Add in garlic powder, onion powder if desired.ย 

    We used canned corn, but you can easily use frozen or fresh corn.

    We used canned gravy to save time, but you can easily make this from scratch or use a gravy packet.

    You can use any shredded cheese for this recipe. We like to use cheddar. KFC uses a blend of three shredded cheeses.

    Vegetarian Option: Make this recipe vegetarian by replacing the popcorn chicken and beef gravy with meatless alternatives.

    Vegan Option: In addition to the guidance for vegetarians, vegans should replace the shredded cheddar cheese with a plant-based alternative.

    Gluten-Free: Look for gluten-free labels on the instant mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken, corn, and beef gravy to avoid cross-contamination and make this recipe safe for a gluten-free diet.

    Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes five servings and scales easily to your desired yield.

    Make It Spicy: Add Nashville hot sauce to turn your bowl into a Spicy Famous Bowl.

    Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 7 grams of sugar per serving. Each ingredient includes a small amount, so look for sugar-free or low-sugar alternatives to lower the sugar content.

    ย 

    Tips for the Best KFC Famous Bowl

    • We like to set out all the ingredients in order and let everyone dish up their KFC Chicken Bowls. This way, everyone can customize how much they want of each layer.
    • If you don't have popcorn chicken, you can replace this ingredient with chicken strips, fried chicken, or crispy chicken tenders cut into pieces.ย 

    What to Serve with KFC Famous Bowl

    Pair this KFC Famous Bowl with other copycat favorites for a complete fast-food experience from home! Here are some menu planning suggestions.

    Sides: Cracker Barrel Carrots, Texas Roadhouse Loaded Sweet Potato, Chili's Salsa, Cracker Barrel Green Beans, Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole, CrockPot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Olive Garden Breadsticks

    Main Dishes: Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken, Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings, Guy's Burger Joint Pig Patty Burger, McDonald's Egg McMuffins

    Desserts: Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding, Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake, Carnival Cruise Chocolate Melting Cake, Carl's Jr. Pop Tart Ice Cream Sandwich, Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes, Homemade Twinkies

    Drinks: Chick-fil-A Frosted Coffee, Red Robin Freckled Lemonade, Chick-fil-A Frosted Lemonade, Chick-fil-A Lemonade, Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade, McDonald's Shamrock Shake, Sonic Ocean Water, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino, McDonald's Sweet Tea

    When to Serve

    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Potlucks
    • Family and Friends Gatheringsย 

    Great Recipe Collections

    • Favorite CopyCat Recipes
    • 70+ Easy Potluck Recipes for Your Next Gathering
    • Comfort Food Recipes
    • 3-Ingredient Recipes (Appetizers, Entrees, Desserts)
    • 50+ Sour Cream Recipes You Can Make at Homeย 

    Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.

    Follow Tammilee Tips on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for all our recipe posts.

    KFC Famous Bowl in a white bowl by wooden spoons

    KFC Famous Bowl

    How to make a delicious KFC Famous Chicken Bowl at home in minutes
    No ratings yet
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 682kcal
    Author: Tammilee Tips

    Ingredients

    • 8 Ounce Instant mashed potatoes
    • 24 Ounce Popcorn Chicken
    • 15.25 Ounce Corn
    • 10.5 Ounce beef gravy
    • 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded

    Instructions

    • Air Fry popcorn chicken
    • While the chicken is cooking prepare the instant mashed potatoes and let them sit
    • Heat up your corn and gravy so they are hot and ready
    • Assemble your famous bowls - Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Popcorn Chicken, Gravy, and top with shredded cheese

    Kitchen Tools

    • Air Fryer

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    KFC Famous Bowl
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 682 Calories from Fat 315
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 35g54%
    Saturated Fat 18g113%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 125mg42%
    Sodium 787mg34%
    Potassium 876mg25%
    Carbohydrates 59g20%
    Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 37g74%
    Vitamin A 1003IU20%
    Vitamin C 43mg52%
    Calcium 511mg51%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Tammilee

    Lifestyle blogger who travels the world and drinks too much Chai tea. Travel blogger, award winning photographer, sunset hunter, Birkenstock girl, bird nerd
    You can find Tammilee on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

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