Here's What KFC Mashed Potatoes Are Really Made Of

is of course known for that juicy, crispy chicken that we down by the bucketful, but the side dishes are really where it's at. Just try bringing home for dinner a bucket of chicken without any sides — no creamy mac and cheese, no no seasoned potato wedges — and see the reaction you get. One of the most classic and well-loved side dishes is the smooth mashed potatoes and rich brown gravy.

I'm sure that if I were to quantify it, I've eaten more KFC mashed potatoes than chicken in my life — no trip to KFC is complete without them. If you were wondering what trade secret KFC uses to get its potatoes so impossibly smooth, you may or may not be surprised to learn that the same ingredient may be hiding in your own pantry at home. KFC uses instant mashed potato flakes in order to achieve that silky, even texture.



This might turn some people off, but I, for one, never expected one of the busiest chicken chains to be peeling and boiling potatoes fresh every day (and there are certainly ). Personally, this revelation certainly won't stop me from ordering heaping cups of mashed potatoes every time I stop by the fast food chain. How KFC makes their mashed potatoes The mashed potatoes at Kentucky Fried Chicken start off the way many people make mashed potatoes at home: with a heap of dehydrated potato flakes.

Before you go turning your nose up to dehydrated potatoes, just know that plenty of places use the same thing for their mashed potatoes, and, to be honest, I always enjoy the silky smooth texture that you can't easily replicate with whole potatoes. The dried potatoes just get rehydrated with hot water and mixed until fluffy and smooth — that's all there is to it. But no mashed potatoes are complete without gravy (just don't get your hopes up for any big culinary secret here either).

As it turns out, KFC's gravy is also made from a mix. A little bit of research shows that the ingredients listed on KFC's gravy mix are pretty similar to those you would find in a packet of regular McCormick gravy mix at the supermarket. But just like all good gravies made at home, KFC sneaks a bit of pan drippings from the fryer into the gravy mix to make it taste more homemade.

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