Famous Bowl KFC are like a warm hug in a bowl. Popcorn chicken, cheddar cheese, gravy, and sour cream atop cheesy mashed potatoes. Really, how could you not adore that?
There’s a reason why they’re known as “famous bowls.” With so many tasty ingredients, it’s little wonder KFC’s bowls are so popular. They include a plethora of delicious flavours that work wonderfully together. These bowls will quickly become your favourites.
What are KFC Famous Bowls (Copycat)?
Made famous by the quick food franchise KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), these bowls scream comfort! Mashed potatoes in a creamy sauce form the bowl’s foundation. Next, KFC adds their famed popcorn chicken, which is extra tasty and crispy, on top of the potatoes. These bowls epitomize comfort food with their heaping mounds of corn, cheddar cheese, and gravy.
Our knockoffs are even better than the original version of the fast food staple. The best part is that you can tailor the taste to your desire, save money, and eat healthier by creating it at home.
Related To KFC Famous Bowls
CopyCat KFC Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe
What is in Famous Bowl KFC (Copycat)?
Potatoes – For mashed potatoes, we recommend russet potatoes, but you can use anything you like. KFC takes the extra step of removing the peels from its potatoes, so we follow suit in our recipe.
Butter enhances the flavour of any food.
Butter and Eggs – The potatoes are irresistibly smooth and creamy after being cooked in this mixture.
Seasonings for Food
Cheese, Cheddar – Complements the corn, gravy, and popcorn chicken nicely. If you like to use a different flavour of cheese, you can. Use spicy cheese, like jalapeno Havarti, pimento cheese, or spicy Monterrey jack, to kick up the heat in this recipe.
Corn – You can use fresh, canned, or frozen corn in this recipe, making it versatile enough for usage over the week.
Recipe for Popcorn Chicken
Chicken – You can use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Because of the frying, we prefer to use chicken breast to reduce the overall fat and calorie content of the dish. It is also possible to utilize a combination.
Sour cream – This is what goes into the chicken’s marinade. The chicken is more tender and stays moist, thanks to this.
Flour – Seasoned flour is used as the coating for the chicken. After dipping the chicken in flour, marinate it in the button milk. You can achieve the best results and the crispiest coating by dipping the chicken pieces in the buttermilk and flour mixture not once but twice.
Spice Blend, Top Secret – KFC’s secret blend of spices has become legendary. We discovered their hidden ingredient. Our version of the takeaway staple is equally as good, if not better.
- Oregano and Paprika
- Powdered Ginger, Garlic, and Thyme
- Basil with Mustard Flour
- Salted Pepper and Celery
Components of Gravy
Chicken and Beef Broth – This blend produces a gravy that is both delicious and visually appealing. Bone broth, both beef and chicken, is an excellent source of minerals and proteins. Broth, either homemade or store-bought, works as well in this dish.
Water – You can use beef broth and chicken broth or bouillon. Bouillon requires water, although broth is also an option.
Flour and Butter – To make a roux mix and heat the flour in the butter as it helps to thicken the gravy
Ground Onions – Enhances the bouillon’s existing flavour without overwhelming it.
How to Make Famous Bowl KFC (Copycat)
- Prepare chicken by chopping it into bite-sized pieces of uniform size.
- To make the buttermilk, combine the salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken pieces until they are well distributed. Marinate for 15 minutes to an hour in the fridge, covered. The recommended time frame is a whole night. The chicken will be more tender after doing this.
- Put all the coating ingredients for the popcorn chicken in a wide, shallow basin and mix well.
- Take some chicken out of the buttermilk marinade and roll it in the seasoned flour. Rub the flour mixture into the chicken with your hands. After coating each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, you can rapidly dip it back into the seasoned buttermilk and then back into the flour for optimal results, although this step is optional. Add another layer of flour in this fashion, and then do it again. This is the secret of the most deliciously crunchy popcorn chicken.
- Add enough oil to come 1′′-2′′ up the sides of a Dutch oven, cast iron pan, or deep pot. Bring to a boil at a medium-high temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Please take a little of the remaining flour mixture and put it in. If it sizzles and floats to the top after a few seconds, the oil is ready for frying.
- Fry the chicken until it is golden brown (an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit), working in batches (so as not to overcrowd the pan). Put on a wire rack over some paper towels to absorb the oil. To finish the chicken, make another batch and follow the instructions above.
Gravy Steps
- Chicken or beef broth, bouillon cubes or powder diluted in water can all be used in this recipe. Add 2 1/4 cups boiling water and the bouillon cubes or powder to a large basin. To ensure dissolution, stir for several minutes. If you’re using broth, you can skip this.
- Melt the butter in a pan over low to medium heat.
- Throw in some onion powder, pepper, and flour. Continuously stir the flour for two to three minutes or until a golden colour is achieved.
- Slowly add half the broth once the flour has turned golden. Pour in the remaining broth while stirring constantly until everything is well mixed. The gravy will begin to thicken.
- For a thicker gravy, stir it for an extra minute or two. You can add more salt or pepper to taste. Put away from the stove. Ensure the gravy doesn’t get too thick since it will continue to thicken as it rests. Add a little water and mix if it gets too thick.
Mashed Potato Steps
- To prepare the potatoes for Famous Bowl KFC, first peel them and then cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
- Put the potatoes in a big pot and cover them with water by two inches. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
- Get some water boiling over medium heat. Be sure the potatoes are very soft and fork-tender after 15 minutes of boiling.
- Toss the potato water. Place a colander or strainer on top of the pot to catch the steam, then let sit for 3 minutes.
- Return the potato slices to the pot after draining. Press the potatoes through a potato ricer or use a potato masher.
- Combine the melted butter, cream, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the melted butter. Repeat this until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Pile mashed potatoes, corn, popcorn chicken, gravy, and shredded cheddar cheese into bowls and serve.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Famous Bowl KFC (Copycat)
Popcorn Chicken Tips
Chicken
The Famous Bowl KFC recipe works equally well with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Chicken breasts won’t dry out since they’ve been marinated in buttermilk, which also helps tenderize the meat. Cut the chicken into uniformly sized pieces to ensure uniform cooking. If you cut some parts a little while others are large, the smaller ones will be overdone before the larger ones are done.
Method of Cooking
The popcorn chicken tastes best when fried. If you want perfectly cooked chicken, fry it in batches and not overcrowd the oil. The batter will not adhere to the chicken if the pieces are touching in the oil. The chicken needs to be cooked in several batches, with each set being kept warm on a cooling rack in the oven. You can air fry or bake the chicken with cooking spray or sprinkle oil over the pieces. Warning: this method is not a direct replacement for deep frying, but the result will still be tasty.
Wrapping
Coating the popcorn chicken at least twice will ensure a coating that is exceptionally crispy, crunchy, and flaky. Working in batches, take the chicken out of the buttermilk once it has marinated and coated it with flour. The chicken should be immediately dipped in buttermilk and then coated in flour. For optimal results, do this thrice.
Broth
Bouillon cubes, bouillon powder, broth, or bone broth can all be substituted successfully in this recipe. You can use either bouillon or broth, making this a very flexible method for whipping up gravy quickly with components you already have on hand. The recipe calls for beef and chicken broth, and while using both will yield the most outstanding results, you can certainly substitute one for the other if necessary.
Thickness
A roux is made by cooking butter and flour together; this is what gives the gravy its thick consistency. Once the broth is added to the roux, the gravy will thicken quickly on the heat. The gravy will thicken the longer it simmers on the heat. Adjust the gravy to your preferred consistency. You can keep gravy in the fridge for up to four days if you have any leftovers. After chilling, the gravy will thicken; to reheat it, stir in a little water.
FAQs Famous Bowl KFC (Copycat)
How to reheat KFC Famous Bowls (Copycat)?
Keep each famous bowl ingredient in its airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the bowl and reheat it in the microwave.
How to store KFC Famous Bowls (Copycat)?
Keep the famous bowls in the fridge for up to three or four days by storing the individual components in airtight containers. All three dishes—popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy—freeze well (see notes). For the bowls, we recommend keeping a bag of frozen corn in the freezer at all times.
Can I make Famous Bowl KFC (Copycat) ahead?
Yes! The bowls’ multiple parts mean you can prepare them in advance. Try to Make the mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken, and gravy beforehand. Store in the fridge until shortly before serving and then reheat.
Can I refrigerate KFC copycat Famous Bowls?
For up to three months, you can store individual components in freezer-safe containers. First, let everything defrost in the fridge overnight. Then, heat everything separately.
Vegetarian KFC Famous Bowls (Copycat)
To make this dish suitable for vegetarians, replace the popcorn chicken with popcorn tofu or use vegetarian gravy.
Gluten-Free KFC Famous Bowls (Copycat)
Make the popcorn chicken using gluten-free flour if you need a gluten-free recipe.
Famous Bowl KFC
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn canned, fresh cooked, or frozen thawed
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lb russet potatoes or other starchy potatoes
- 1 tbsp salt for water
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Popcorn Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken breast boneless skinless, cut into bite size pieces
- 3-4 cups oil or enough for deep frying (neutral oil of choice, ex. vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Popcorn Chicken Coating
- 1 cup flour all purpose, packed
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or white pepper
Gravy
- 1 chicken bouillon cube or 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder, or 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 beef bouillon cube or 2 tsp beef bouillon powder, or 1 cup beef broth
- 2 1/4 cups boiling water if using chicken and beef broth do not add this water. This water measurement is for bouillon cubes or powder only.
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted
- 4 tbsp flour all purpose
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare chicken by chopping it into bite-sized pieces of uniform size.
- To make the buttermilk, combine the salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken pieces until they are well distributed. Marinate for 15 minutes to an hour in the fridge, covered. The recommended time frame is a whole night. The chicken will be more tender after doing this.
- Put all the coating ingredients for the popcorn chicken in a wide, shallow basin and mix well.
- Take some chicken out of the buttermilk marinade and roll it in the seasoned flour. Rub the flour mixture into the chicken with your hands. After coating each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, you can rapidly dip it back into the seasoned buttermilk and then back into the flour for optimal results, although this step is optional. Add another layer of flour in this fashion, and then do it again. This is the secret of the most deliciously crunchy popcorn chicken.
- Add enough oil to come 1′′-2′′ up the sides of a Dutch oven, cast iron pan, or deep pot. Bring to a boil at a medium-high temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Please take a little of the remaining flour mixture and put it in. If it sizzles and floats to the top after a few seconds, the oil is ready for frying.
- Fry the chicken until it is golden brown (an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit), working in batches (so as not to overcrowd the pan). Put on a wire rack over some paper towels to absorb the oil. To finish the chicken, make another batch and follow the instructions above.
Gravy Steps
- Chicken or beef broth, bouillon cubes or powder diluted in water can all be used in this recipe. Add 2 1/4 cups boiling water and the bouillon cubes or powder to a large basin. To ensure dissolution, stir for several minutes. If you're using broth, you can skip this.
- Melt the butter in a pan over low to medium heat.
- Throw in some onion powder, pepper, and flour. Continuously stir the flour for two to three minutes or until a golden colour is achieved.
- Slowly add half the broth once the flour has turned golden. Pour in the remaining broth while stirring constantly until everything is well mixed. The gravy will begin to thicken.
- For a thicker gravy, stir it for an extra minute or two. You can add more salt or pepper to taste. Put away from the stove. Ensure the gravy doesn't get too thick since it will continue to thicken as it rests. Add a little water and mix if it gets too thick.
Mashed Potato Steps
- To prepare the potatoes, first peel them and then cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
- Put the potatoes in a big pot and cover them with water by two inches. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
- Get some water boiling over medium heat. Be sure the potatoes are very soft and fork-tender after 15 minutes of boiling.
- Toss the potato water. Place a colander or strainer on top of the pot to catch the steam, then let sit for 3 minutes.
- Return the potato slices to the pot after draining. Press the potatoes through a potato ricer or use a potato masher.
- Combine the melted butter, cream, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the melted butter. Repeat this until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Pile mashed potatoes, corn, popcorn chicken, gravy, and shredded cheddar cheese into bowls and serve.
- Serve and enjoy!
