Copycat Recipe: How To Make KFC’s Ultimate Chicken Bowls

Every time I’m at KFC I love to order their Ultimate Chicken bowl. It has all of my favorite foods in one compact little bowl. A bed of creamy mashed potatoes topped with a rich gravy, buttery corn, crispy fried chicken nuggets, with a layer of melty cheddar cheese over the top. Yum-yum-yummy-yum-yum! All that’s needed is a big spoon to shovel all that goodness into my mouth. We all know that fast food joints cut corners to save money and increase their profit margins using ingredients that aren’t always the best for us. It may be good for their bottom line but not necessarily great for our health. It tastes good but it’s often loaded with trans fats and more sodium than any of us need or want. This easy to make copy cat recipe lets you recreate your favorite fast food chicken bowl but as a much healthier version at home. You get to choose which convenience items you want to use, or make everything from scratch.

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Preheat oven to 350℉.

Make the mashed potatoes:

You could certainly use instant mashed potatoes to save time, but making mashed potatoes is so very simple to do and they taste amazing.

If you decide to make mashers from scratch, start by peeling potatoes and cutting them into evenly sized chunks.

Place potato chunks in a large pot and cover with water.

Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. The length of time will depend on the size of the potato chunks.

Once potatoes are fork tender drain them.

Place cooked potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer and add butter and salt.

Mix on low for 10-15 seconds using the whisk attachment, to break up the potatoes. Do not overmix!

Increase speed and slowly add warmed milk a few tablespoons at a time until you have a smooth and fluffy consistency (you may not need all the milk). Do not over-mix potatoes, whip them just long enough to combine everything together. We are going for light and fluffy, not gummy. Overmixing will produce gummy mashers.

Keep mashed potatoes warm while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Air-fry the chicken nuggets: 

While potatoes are cooking, preheat air fryer to 375℉.

I used frozen chicken nuggets for these bowls, but you could certainly use frozen popcorn chicken or make your own nuggets from scratch. Remember? You get to choose! I recommend air frying the chicken so you have crispy, crunchy bites of chicken, but cooking them in the oven will work too.

To air fry the chicken, spread nuggets out in an even layer. Do not crowd them. You want the air to circulate around them producing a crispy crust. 

Air fry nuggets for 5 minutes on the first side. Flip them over and air fry them for another 4-5 minutes or until they are golden crispy brown.

Remove chicken from the air fryer and keep the nuggets warm.

Cook the corn:

I used frozen corn for these chicken bowls. You could use fresh corn and cut the kernels off the cob or canned corn, would work as well. Use whatever you happen to have on hand.

While chicken nuggets are cooking, place ½ cup water in a saucepan and cover the pan with a lid. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Once the water comes to a boil add frozen corn, and bring water back to a boil.

Once the water boils again, cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook corn on low for 2-3 minutes.

Drain corn and return to the saucepan. Season with butter and salt.

Cover and set corn aside. Keep warm.

Prepare gravy:

While the corn is cooking prepare the gravy. I used a dry gravy mix but you could also use a jar of chicken gravy, or if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, make it from scratch.

If you’re going with the gravy mix, place 1 cup cold water in a small saucepan. Whisk in gravy mix. Using hot water will cause lumps in the gravy, so be sure to use cold water.

Bring the mixture to a boil whisking constantly until the gravy thickens. 

Remove from heat.

Assemble bowls:

Place oven safe bowls on a cookie sheet and place mashed potatoes in the bottom of each bowl.

Top each bowl of mashed potatoes with chicken gravy.

Add a layer of the cooked seasoned corn to each bowl.

Divide the chicken nuggets evenly among the four bowls on top of the corn.

Finish each bowl with a ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, or more. You get to decide. We like ours extra cheesy!

Place bowls in the preheated oven. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve immediately.

There’s something so comforting about a bowl of mashed potatoes, topped with gravy, buttery corn, and crispy chicken nuggets. Adding a layer of melted cheese takes these bowls over the top crazy delicious! Not only are they tasty, but they are oh so easy to whip up and even if you use mostly convenience items to make them, they are still a healthier alternative to the one’s you pick up at the KFC drive thru. Give these bowls a try, your family will gobble them up…guaranteed!

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