This Employee Video Shows How KFC Mashed Potatoes Are Really Made
KFC has long been a frontrunner for fast food southern staples, mainly because of its delicious entrees and all of the fixings that come with it. According to QSR, KFC ranked number nine on a list of the "top quick-serve and fast-casual brands in the nation." And fans can't seem to get enough of its savory fried chicken. Its blend of 11 herbs and spices and the preparation that combines sweet and salty in every bite, leads fans of the franchise to believe it is damn near perfect.
On top of the chicken, KFC has some very popular sides, which a reviewer from Insider decided to taste and rank. They noted that while the potatoes looked bland to them at first glance, they were pleasantly surprised to find the potatoes were packed with buttery flavor, and they even enjoyed the gravy, complimenting its kick of pepper in every bite which added "a nice jolt." But what are these bland-looking delicious-tasting potatoes actually made of? An employee spilled the beans ... er, potatoes.
TikTok divulges KFC's mashed potato recipe
Snopes reported on a since-deleted TikTok video from user @modaciouss in which an employee told everyone exactly what goes into the mashed potatoes, and it turns out the recipe is very simple. The process, as they describe it, starts with "filling a metal container with three quarts of hot water," then "adding a packet of 'KFC One Step Mashed Potato Mix'". Stir it up and after a bit of a waiting game, they are good to go. Yup, you read that right, they are made from a powdered mix — albeit what must be a very large one.
A Redditor and KFC manager also confirmed the story, revealing quite bluntly that "the potato is powered instant potato." So next time you're thinking of dropping by KFC, but don't want to make the drive, just remember you may not be able to match their masterful fried chicken, but you can always try your hand at their mashed potato method.
Other KFC workers disagree
While the KFC manager backed up the since-deleted Tiktok video as the real way the chain's mashed potatoes are made, other Redditors that have worked at KFC disagreed. They thought the method was far from a true representation of how the mashed potatoes are actually made. Instead, the locations they worked at in the past apparently did not take the extra time or steps to ensure the mashed potatoes would have a completely smooth gravy.
One fellow former KFC employee responded saying, "not one single time did anyone EVER strain the gravy. The gravy is from a powder." Another former KFC cook wrote, "y'all strained your gravy? I whisked that [expletive] bag of insta gravy so hard..we never got ALL the lumps out. But there were never any lumps in the hot pans." Perhaps other chain locations were cutting corners or maybe the one store that strains their gravy has simply gone rogue. Customers and fans may never know. But for the really good mashed potatoes, you might have to find out the specific location of that store.
There's a copycat gravy recipe
There's also a way to replicate the KFC gravy from the comfort of your own home. As long as you have instant potatoes, you can simply add in some butter to get a similar KFC base. But that's the easy part. If you really want something close to the real thing, you'll need to make the copycat gravy recipe that's been shared online. The best part of all is that the recipe calls for ingredients that you should already have at home, so you don't have to have any particularly special ingredients to make it.
All you need to make Kentucky Fried Chicken-style mashed potato gravy is butter, onion, flour and water. You'll also need a couple of other ingredients to pack in the flavors you know and love. Try using beef bouillon or chicken bouillon, along with plenty of black pepper to get that mild heat to come through. With this copycat recipe in your repertoire, you'll be able to have KFC gravy anytime you want. Besides, if you make your own Kentucky Fried Chicken-style mashed potatoes and gravy at home, you can always customize the flavor a bit more. Not to mention, you'll also be able to strain the gravy to make it ultra-smooth if you really want to as well.