Copycat KFC Bowl Recipe

This KFC Famous Bowl is a quick and easy copycat recipe that I think is just as good as the real deal! It’s got fluffy mashed potatoes, crunchy chicken, sweet corn, and melty cheese, all topped with gravy. My favorite part is this KFC bowl recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish!

The Best KFC Bowl Recipe

If you’ve ever been to KFC, then you’ve for sure had their iconic KFC Famous Bowl, or at least heard of it.  It’s one of my absolute favorite dishes off the KFC menu, so I knew I had to try making my own version of it at home.

And honestly, I think this copycat recipe is better than the original one! This super satisfying bowl has creamy mashed potatoes, crispy popcorn chicken, and bits of sweet corn kernels all topped with melty cheese and a generous helping of chicken gravy.

Plus, I think the best thing about making the KFC famous bowl casserole at home is you can customize it however you want. Make it without corn, make it extra cheesy or spicy, or even make it with grilled chicken (more on that later).

However you make it, it'll be finger-licking good!

What’s more, this KFC famous bowl casserole takes just 25 minutes to make from start to finish. That’s faster than the time it takes to order KFC and get it delivered!

Plus, it's always enough to feed my entire family, so it's a great easy weeknight family dinner option!

By the way, if you like copycat recipe hacks like this, you’ll want to check out this Applebee's Bourbon chicken and shrimp and Olive Garden chicken parmigiana.

All you need to make this KFC bowl recipe is a handful of pre-made ingredients. That basically means you can stock everything up in your freezer or pantry and make a KFC famous bowl casserole whenever you want!

So, here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe:

• 2 ½ cups mashed potatoes
• 2 cups kernel corn, frozen
• 10 oz. Tyson’s popcorn chicken or chicken nuggets (or Tyson’s blackened chicken tenders for a grilled chicken option)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup Heinz classic chicken gravy

Now, if you want a grilled chicken variation of this KFC famous bowl casserole, you can use Tyson’s blackened chicken tenders instead. They’re prepared the exact same way as the popcorn chicken and add a smoky-savory twist to this recipe.

If you want to recreate the KFC Spicy Famous Bowl, you use these KFC Nashville tenders!

And for the mashed potatoes, you can either use homemade mashed potatoes - like these cheesy mashed potatoes - or use instant mashed potatoes. I like to use microwave buttery mashed potatoes, but anything will work great to recreate this KFC bowl casserole

How To Make KFC Famous Bowls

Making your own KFC famous bowl is a lot easier than you might think.

All you have to do is prepare the mashed potatoes and chicken, then assemble the ingredients and bake until the cheese is melty.

All told, you’ll only need about 10 minutes of prep and 10-15 minutes of baking.

Then, dig in!

Step 1: Preparing The Ingredients

First things first, preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) for cooking the KFC famous bowl casserole later on.

Now, put the popcorn chicken or nuggets in an air fryer basket and cook at 390°F (200ºC) for about 10 minutes. By the way, make sure to flip them at the halfway mark for even cooking.

Alternatively, you can bake the frozen popcorn chicken according to the package directions.

So, while the popcorn chicken is cooking, prepare the instant mashed potatoes according to the package instructions.  And if you want to make them as creamy as KFC's, add some butter and milk after they cook.

Step 3: Baking The Famous Bowl

Now, take out a casserole dish and layer it with all of the mashed potatoes for the base. Then add the corn and the cooked chicken to the casserole dish on top of the mashed potatoes. Lastly, top it with shredded cheese.

Bake the KFC famous bowl casserole for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted.

Finally, transfer the casserole to individual bowls and top them with the gravy and some parsley for garnish. Dig in and enjoy one of the best copycat KFC bowls you'll ever make!

How I Recommend Storing This KFC Famous Bowl

This KFC famous bowl recipe will make about 4 large servings. So it's perfect for a home family dinner! And the best part is you can easily double or triple the recipe if you think everyone will want seconds of this KFC chicken bowl.

Then, if you have leftovers, you can store them for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I highly recommend separating the chicken before storing your bowl so it doesn’t get soggy in the gravy.

Then, you can reassemble it in an oven-safe bowl - or casserole dish - and reheat it in the oven at 350°F until the cheese has melted.

FAQS About This KFC Famous Bowl Recipe

WhCan you customize KFC Famous Bowl?

You can definitely customize the KFC famous bowl. This recipe is a great starting point for how to make and assemble a KFC chicken bowl, but you can put your own twist on it! Some ideas are to use cauliflower mashed potatoes, low carb chicken nuggets, and low carb gravy for a keto friendly version.  Also, you could use different types of cheese, gravy, and chicken every time you make it! And if you want, you can add in some veggies - things like broccoli, beans, and peppers.

What comes in a KFC bowl?

The KFC Famous Bowl is a combination of a few of KFC’s most popular offerings. It’s got their creamy mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken, and sweet corn kernels topped with a shredded three-cheese blend and home-style gravy. It's a well-known creation that is totally unique to KFC and it's actually super easy to make yourself at home thanks to this KFC famous bowl recipe. 

What comes in a spicy KFC famous bowl?

KFC’s Spicy Famous Bowl is basically the same thing as their regular KFC Famous Bowl recipe, but it's drizzled with the same hot Nashville sauce they use on their hot chicken. So it’s made with mashed potatoes, popcorn chicken, sweet corn, gravy, and their three-cheese blend, all topped with Nashville hot sauce.

If you like spicy chicken, then adding the Nashville hot sauce to your KFC bowl recipe is a great move. Or you can make our KFC Nashville chicken tenders and use them for this KFC chicken bowl!

My Final Thoughts

Well, that is how to make KFC's Famous Bowl in under 30 minutes with prepared ingredients!

This copycat recipe is a quick and easy way to get your KFC fix at home.

And, honestly, I think this KFC bowl casserole is even better than the one you'd get at the restaurant! Atleast that's what my family thinks.

With that said, I hope you enjoy this KFC famous bowl as much as I/we do!

If you try it, be sure to let me know in the comments what you think.

And don’t forget to check out our Youtube channel for more crave-worthy recipes like this one.