Kentucky-Style Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Inspired by KFC
Ultra-smooth riced potatoes enriched with whole milk, heavy cream and butter, under a peppery brown chicken-and-beef gravy, the fried chicken side at home; inspired by, not official.
Mashed potatoes and gravy are the side that comes with the bucket. Colonel Harland Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964, and he became its loudest critic: in a 1976 New York Times story by Mimi Sheraton, "For the Colonel, It Was Finger-Lickin' Bad", he visited a franchise, learned the potatoes were made from instant powder and boiling water, compared them to "wallpaper paste" and said the gravy turned it to sludge (as summarized by kottke.org, 2016: the Times article is, which we did not read). What KFC uses today is DISPUTED (see Rules). This home version uses real potatoes and is inspired by, not official.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Ultra-smooth riced potatoes enriched with whole milk, heavy cream and butter, under a peppery brown chicken-and-beef gravy, the fried chicken side at home; inspired by, not official.
🇮🇪 The original
Ireland's colcannon is floury potatoes mashed with butter and milk and folded with cooked cabbage or kale, a well of melted butter in the middle. See the Irish Colcannon recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
Riced, then cream
Pressing the potatoes through a ricer and folding in warm milk, cream and butter gives the very smooth, uniform texture the fast-food side is known for, with real potatoes (Taste of Home).
Two broths and a browned roux
Cooking the flour to a peanut-butter color and mixing chicken and beef broth gives the gravy its deep brown color and savory flavor, and extra black pepper gives the kick Taste of Home suggests.
Step by step
- Step 1
Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large pot, add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, until very soft.
- Step 2
While they cook, make the gravy: melt the 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, 5 to 7 minutes, until the roux is the color of peanut butter.
- Step 3
Slowly whisk in both broths and the 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, about 5 minutes, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and keep warm over low heat.
- Step 4
Warm the milk, cream and 6 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts; do not let it boil.
- Step 5
Drain the potatoes and press them through a ricer or strainer into a large bowl.
- Step 6
Gently fold in the warm dairy, the remaining 2 tsp salt and the 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth. Serve in bowls with a well of gravy on top.
Kentucky-Style Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Inspired by KFC
Serves 10 · about 8 cups potatoes plus 2 cups gravy · 50 min total
Potatoes
- 3 lb medium potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and halved
- 3 tsp salt, divided
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Peppery brown gravy
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
Method
- Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large pot, add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, until very soft.
- While they cook, make the gravy: melt the 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, 5 to 7 minutes, until the roux is the color of peanut butter.
- Slowly whisk in both broths and the 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, about 5 minutes, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and keep warm over low heat.
- Warm the milk, cream and 6 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts; do not let it boil.
- Drain the potatoes and press them through a ricer or strainer into a large bowl.
- Gently fold in the warm dairy, the remaining 2 tsp salt and the 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth. Serve in bowls with a well of gravy on top.
Potatoes adapted from Taste of Home, "Copycat KFC Mashed Potatoes" (Kim Wehby, Taste of Home Test Kitchen, updated October 29, 2024), as written for 10. Taste of Home leaves the gravy open ("chicken or beef gravy"); the peppery chicken-and-beef broth gravy below, its amounts and its times are ours. Not affiliated with or endorsed by KFC. Taste of Home. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Taste of Home warns not to boil the milk and cream; it can scorch.
- Refrigerate potatoes and gravy separately up to 4 days, or freeze about 2 months; reheat gently with a splash of milk or cream (Taste of Home).
- For a bowl meal, top with corn, popcorn chicken and shredded cheddar.
- Fold gently; beating riced potatoes with a mixer turns them gluey.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- KFC's potatoes are made from flakes. Disputed: the Colonel's 1976 complaint was about instant powdered potatoes (kottke's summary of the Times); Taste of Home says KFC's published ingredients list potatoes, a whey product, salt, natural flavors and colors and that powdered-potato rumors are not supported; Tasting Table (search summary) lists an ingredient set with no fresh potatoes.
- KFC's mashed potatoes contain MSG. Disputed: Taste of Home says the potatoes' published ingredients do not include it, but KFC lists MSG in its gravy.
- The Colonel hated the gravy. Documented as reported: the 1976 Times story (via kottke) and his "horrible" gravy remark reported from the Louisville Courier-Journal (search summary only).
- This is KFC's recipe. Folklore: it is a copycat, inspired by, not official.
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