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Would you choose to forego the drive-thru in favor of that KFC combo of mashed potatoes and gravy? You’re not alone!
This copycat KFC mashed potatoes and gravy recipe is exactly what you need to satisfy your cravings from the comfort of your own kitchen.
This recipe is not only easy to follow, but it delivers the same creamy, delicious mashed potatoes and rich, flavorful gravy you know and love from KFC.
So ditch the takeout menu and get ready to whip up this restaurant-quality side dish in no time!
Pick up the ingredients for copycat KFC mashed potatoes and gravy
When we first looked at the ingredients list on KFC’s website, we were a little confused.
They list over 28 ingredients, such as mono and diglycerides and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate.
What in the world is all that?
Then, Popsugar told us that KFC mashed potatoes and gravy are made from bags of powder, which made us feel a little better.
We didn’t have to use all those weird chemicals that we can’t even say.
When it comes down to it, the list of ingredients is pretty easy.
With a stick of butter, flour, milk, salt, pepper, beef and chicken bouillon cubes, and a package of instant mashed potato flakes, we were able to make this dish.
If you don’t count the salt and pepper, you can make this dish with less than six items, and you probably already have most of them.
You can find the full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions at the end of this piece.
Contrary to popular belief, KFC gravy does not contain fried chicken drippings
It is widely believed that the grease at the bottom of the pressure cooker at KFC is used to flavor the gravy.
A few Canadian Redditors backed up this idea: A worker at KFC Winnipeg said that when they filter out the oil, they get “all the bits of deep-fried chicken, skin, and batter.
Then, gravy powder and water are mixed with the bits, and after the sauce is given its taste, they are strained out.
According to another Redditor, when their boss was asked about adding chicken drippings to the gravy, they were told that it had to be stopped because it wasn’t cost-effective.
In the past, they may have used the drippings, but that meant adding more oil, which made the side dish too expensive.
It could be a myth, or it could be how KFC gravy was made back in the day, but the decision was made to skip the chicken drippings to keep things clean.
If you want to try it out to see if it makes a difference, you’ll have to make a lot of KFC fried chicken first.
KFC gravy does contain a few types of bouillon cubes, though
What’s in the powder box is the real key to KFC gravy. Marcus Buck, the senior brand and innovation manager for KFC UK and Ireland, told Vice that the stock used in the gravy is “your standard stock cube…
It has things like black pepper, chicken extract, salt, flour, etc. as part of its ingredients.”
Some recipes that try to copy KFC use either chicken or beef bouillon cubes, but we wanted to use both.
If the original KFC recipe did use the chicken drippings at the bottom of the pressure fryer, we would need a chicken bouillon cube to give the gravy more chicken taste.
So why also use beef broth? Since this fast-food company only serves chicken, beef may seem like an odd choice.
So, this ingredient not only gives the gravy a deep, rich taste, but beef bouillon is also very important because it gives the gravy its color.
The first time we made gravy, we used chicken broth, but it wasn’t dark enough to look like the real thing.
When we add the beef broth, it not only makes the gravy taste better but also makes it look more like the real dish.
Should you use real potatoes or instant potato flakes for KFC mashed potatoes?
We thought about making our knockoff KFC mashed potatoes with real potatoes.
Even so, instant potato chips are an odd thing to keep in the cupboard.
When they come out of the box, they look a bit like dandruff and the thought that they can become as soft and fluffy as real potatoes seemed crazy.
But KFC makes mashed potatoes with them, and they taste pretty good. So, we tried it, and the results pretty much blew our minds.
These things are pretty amazing, man!
It was decided to purchase the Idahoan brand, which is made from 100% Idaho potatoes and has a taste just like mashed potatoes made from scratch.
Plus, they couldn’t be easier to make. Just heat some water or milk, add the flakes, and top with butter.
You can whisk in more water or milk at the end if you want your potatoes to be on the smooth side.
After making the test batch, we could see why KFC doesn’t boil and mash real potatoes, so we didn’t either.
As a bonus, instant potato flakes have a long expiration date, so you can feel safe having a box on hand for last-minute or emergency situations.
Start by making a roux for copycat KFC gravy
Now that we know what needs to be done, it’s time to start cooking. We began with the sauce.
Gravy is easier to keep warm than mashed potatoes, and mashed potatoes always taste better when they’re fresh, so save them for last.
Roux, which is a mix of flour and fat (in this case, butter), is the base of all good gravy.
It’s basically a starch bomb that expands when it absorbs water to make a thick, delicious gravy that can cover almost anything.
Letting the butter brown a bit is the first step to making a good roux. In theory, all you need to do is melt it so that it mixes with the flour.
But one trick cooks learn in cooking school is to let it bubble and turn a light tan color. It helps you get the flour cooking faster.
Then, turn down the heat and slowly add the flour. You’ll need to whisk the whole time to make sure that no dry clumps form and that the flour doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
After that, you just keep cooking the mixture for a few minutes to get rid of the taste of raw flour. The roux should be thick but smooth when you’re done.
Add beef and chicken bouillon to make authentic KFC gravy
Now that the roux is done, the liquid can be added.
In this case, we’re using both beef and chicken broth, which makes the perfect blend of flavors to make gravy that tastes just like KFC’s.
Just put them in hot water and stir until everything is mixed well.
If you don’t have bouillon cubes on hand, you can use roasted beef or chicken base from Better Than Bouillon.
You could also use the same amount of beef or chicken broth, but we like the taste of the cubes or base better.
They also have a lot of salt in them, so you don’t need to add any more. If you prefer, you can look for low-sodium choices, though.
To make gravy, we just need to add the liquid to the hot roux. At first, you’ll want to add the liquid slowly and whisk constantly to mix the two things together.
As soon as the liquid hits the roux, you’ll see it start to bubble and grow. This is because the starches in the roux are taking the water.
Keep whisking and adding water until the whole thing is gone. If you mixed the gravy as you added ingredients, there shouldn’t be any lumps.
Simmer the mixture for about five minutes, or until it is nice and thick. Then, turn the heat down to low so that the gravy stays warm while we make mashed potatoes.
It’s time to make copycat KFC mashed potatoes
If you were making this with real potatoes, it would take a long time.
You’d have to peel the potatoes, boil them until they’re soft, and then mash them with milk and cream until they’re the right consistency.
Overworking the potatoes results in stickiness and excess starch, whereas insufficient mixing leads to unseasoned lumps.
We don’t have that trouble here, which is good. It’s easy to mix the quick flakes into our hot liquid, so they always turn out great.
We used a mix of milk and water to make our mashed potatoes taste like the rich, sweet potatoes at KFC.
You could just use water, but we found that a small amount of milk made mashed potatoes taste much better.
Before you add the flakes, melt some plain butter into the liquid and stir until everything is well mixed.
All done! If the potatoes are too thick, whisk in more milk or water until the right consistency is reached.
Before you serve them, add some freshly ground black pepper to make them taste just like KFC’s mashed potatoes.
Eat KFC mashed potatoes and gravy as a side, or turn them into a KFC Famous Bowl
Time to put everything together to make KFC’s standard side dish of mashed potatoes and gravy.
When it’s time to serve, just scoop out the potatoes and pour the rich gravy on top.
We like to use the back of a spoon to make a little hole in the mashed potatoes so that the gravy has a place to pool.
If the gravy has been sitting for a while, it is important to stir it before serving to ensure that it hasn’t developed a skin on top.
If it has, don’t worry; it will mix in with the rest of the gravy just fine when you stir it.
Mashed potatoes and gravy are delicious as a side dish, but these mashed potatoes are so tasty on their own that you could eat them as the main meal.
We thought it would be fun to make a KFC Famous Bowl by adding some chopped cheddar cheese, sweet corn kernels, and crispy chicken nuggets.
Pour some sauce over the top to finish, and you’re in for a real treat.
How close did we get to KFC mashed potatoes and gravy recipe?
You wouldn’t think that mashed potatoes made from dried potato flakes could be so good, but they are.
The potatoes tasted like a lot of butter and were nice and light and fluffy. We couldn’t stop eating them, to be honest.
The gravy didn’t let us down either. It had a deep, dark, rich taste that went well with those fluffy potatoes.
We thought the gravy was tasty enough to stand on its own. It would be great over pot roast or as the sauce for Swedish meatballs.
It might seem like cheating to make a side dish that tastes so good with just a few things from boxes or bags.
But taste doesn’t lie, and this side dish tasted almost exactly like the one we get from the Colonel.
We might use this recipe to make mashed potatoes and gravy as a Thanksgiving side dish this year because it was so good.
If no one walks into the kitchen while we’re dumping out the bag of instant potato flakes, we don’t think anyone would even know about this little secret.
FAQs – Copycat KFC Mashed Potatoes And Gravy Recipe
How do I make Copycat KFC Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Recipe? What do I need?
For the mashed potatoes, you’ll need potatoes, butter, milk, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. For the gravy, you’ll need flour, salt, pepper, milk, and chicken broth.
Should I peel the potatoes before putting them in water to boil?
You can choose whether to peel the potatoes before cooking them or not. Some people like to keep the skin on because it gives the food more structure and nutrition, while others like to take it off.
How long do the potatoes need to boil?
The potatoes need to boil for about 20 minutes, or until a fork can easily cut them.
Can I make the gravy with a different kind of broth?
Yes, you can use beef broth or veggie broth instead of chicken broth, but the gravy will taste different.
Can I substitute margarine for butter?
Yes, you can use margarine instead of butter, but the taste of the mashed potatoes will change.
Can I make the gravy before I need it?
Yes, you can make the gravy in advance and store it in the fridge in a sealed container. When you’re ready to serve, heat it up on low and add a little chicken broth to thin it out.
Can I replace regular milk with almond milk or soy milk?
Yes, you can use almond milk or soy milk instead of regular milk, but the taste of the gravy will change.
Can I make this dish without milk or cheese?
Yes, you can make this recipe without dairy by using butter and milk options that don’t contain dairy.
Can I put mashed potatoes and gravy in the freezer?
Yes, you can freeze the mashed potatoes and gravy, but keep in mind that the taste may change a little after thawing.
How long can you keep the mashed potatoes and gravy in the fridge?
If you put the mashed potatoes and gravy in a container that keeps air out, you can keep them in the fridge for up to four days.
Can I season the mashed potatoes and gravy with something other than salt and pepper?
Yes, you can try out different spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to make them your own.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Copycat KFC Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Recipe are easy to make at home with items that are easy to find.
By following our step-by-step instructions, you’ll have the perfect side dish to go with your fried chicken, or you can even eat it as a meal on its own.
So go ahead and try it, and we’re sure you’ll love it as much as we do! Don’t forget that you can always change the seasonings and try out different types of potatoes and broths to make them your own. Happy cooking!