Easy Vegan KFC Famous Bowl

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If you’ve never tried a KFC Famous Bowl, you’re in luck because I’ve whipped up the perfect Vegan KFC Famous Bowl alternative for you that tastes even better than the real thing! This homemade version is easy to make and is even more comforting and hearty than anything you’ll get at a drive thru. I used Alpha Nuggets to replace the fried chicken and the taste and texture worked perfectly!

Vegan KFC Famous Bowl

What’s in a KFC Famous Bowl?

If you’ve never been to KFC don’t worry, you’re not missing out on too much. One of their most popular offerings includes what they call a “KFC Famous Bowl” that includes mashed potatoes as the base, sweet corn, shredded cheese, gravy and topped with bits of popcorn chicken.

Sounds pretty good right? But it would be better if it were vegan 🙂 Lucky for you, this Vegan KFC Famous Bowl can be made in the comfort of your own home, has a cajun twist and packs an even better flavor!

How to Make a Vegan KFC Famous Bowl at Home

Making a Vegan KFC Famous Bowl at home is really easy! Because there are just a few main components that are all relatively easy to make, you’d be surprised at how quickly you’ll find yourself enjoying one of your own.

Vegan KFC Famous Bowl

Making Mashed Potatoes for the Vegan KFC Famous Bowl

To begin your Vegan KFC Famous Bowl, you’ll want to start with making the mashed potatoes. There are a few ways you can make mashed potatoes, but I always say, the easier the better! For these mashed potatoes I decided to use my favorite yukon gold potatoes. They’re really creamy, hearty and have great flavor. If you’re trying to be spot on with your DIY version of the famous bowl, perhaps you should consider a russet potato instead.

Making the mashed potatoes is easy. Simply add a few yukon gold potatoes to a pot of boiling water and allow them to cook until they are fork tender. My preference has always been to leave the skin on (less work and I like the added texture + nutrients), but you can remove the skin before boiling if you’d like.

Vegan KFC Famous Bowl

Once the potatoes are finished boiling, drain the water from the pot and set the potatoes aside. In the same pot, place it back on the stove over medium heat and sauté the minced garlic along with a little bit of oil until golden brown. Add the cooked potatoes back into the pot with the garlic and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Once all are mashed, stir in the vegan butter, chives and salt + pepper.

Pro Tip: Try using kitchen shears to quickly cut your chives!

Vegan Fried Chicken Alternative

The next component you’ll want to start on is the “chicken.” I’m a big fan of Alpha Foods and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to use their Alpha Nuggets. Y’all know I’m a little extra sometimes, so I decided to take things a step further by using a cajun seasoning blend for extra flare. YUM!

This part is completely optional, but if you ask me it really leveled this bowl up a notch! I simply sprinkled the cajun seasoning over each of the nugget pieces on both sides and cooked them according to package instructions.

Last, but not least we’ve got the sweet corn and cheese. These parts are super easy and can be done in a snap! I don’t know about you, but I’ve always got canned corn on hand, so I simply whipped out a can of it and warmed it in the microwave for a minute or so until it was warm. As for the cheese, I had a fresh bag of vegan cheddar cheese on hand so I used that to add to this bowl.

Desirée enjoying vegan KFC Famous Bowl

Vegan KFC Famous Bowl Gravy Alternative

Now you may be wondering… what about the gravy? Y’all, gravy has never been my thing so I chose to skip it. However, if you neeeeeed gravy on your Vegan KFC Famous Bowl, try this recipe from Nora Cooks. I personally enjoyed this bowl with just the four components (mashed potatoes, vegan cheese, Alpha Nuggets, and sweet corn), but if you need a little something to replace the gravy, try your fav BBQ sauce! I experimented with this for my leftovers and it worked really well!

Tips for an Easy and Delicious Copy Cat KFC Famous Bowl

  • Use your favorite potatoes– as I mentioned earlier, I looooove yukon gold potatoes. In my opinion, they make the best mashed potatoes because of their texture and flavor. However, if you know you’re a russet potato kinda girl, use russet potatoes instead!
  • Don’t have a potato masher? Use a hand mixer instead!
  • Don’t feel like making potatoes yourself? Try substituting for a store bought version instead, just be sure to read the ingredients because a lot of them like to sneak milk (and butter) into the ingredients.
  • Don’t have canned corn? Frozen or fresh corn off the cob works too! I think fire roasted corn would also be a great substitute.
  • Don’t have any cajun seasoning? That’s fine too! Like I said, it’s not absolutely necessary, but it sure does add in some extra flavor! If cajun seasoning isn’t your thing, try substituting for a different seasoning blend you enjoy.
Vegan KFC Famous Bowl

I know you’ll love this Vegan KFC Famous Bowl! It’s delicious, hearty, filling and super easy to customize according to your preferences! Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!

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KFC Style Bowl- Pinterest

Easy Vegan KFC Famous Bowl

A vegan twist on the KFC Famous Bowl using Yukon gold potatoes, sweet corn, vegan cheddar cheese and Alpha Nuggets!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°
  • Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil and add in Yukon gold potatoes. Reduce heat to a medium temperature and allow to continue boiling until fork tender.
    4 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes
  • Season the Alpha Nuggets with the cajun seasoning on both sides and place into the oven to cook according to package instructions for 13-15 minutes.
    8 Alpha Nuggets, cajun seasoning
  • Once the potatoes are finished cooking, drain the water and remove the cooked potatoes from the pot. Set aside in a separate container.
  • In the same pot that was used to cook the potatoes, begin sautéing the minced garlic with a little oil over medium heat until fragrant and golden in color.
    1 tbsp minced garlic
  • Turn off the eye and add the cooked potatoes back to the pot with the minced garlic and mash with a potatoes masher. Stir in the vegan butter, salt + pepper and chives. Set aside.
    1 tsp sea salt, black pepper to taste, 5 tbsp vegan butter
  • By now your Alpha Nuggets should be done cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • In a microwave-safe container, warm your sweet corn and set aside once done.
    1 cup canned sweet corn
  • Begin building your bowls with the mashed potatoes on the bottom, sweet corn, vegan cheese, Alpha Nuggets and garnish everything with more chives (and cajun seasoning if you want!). Enjoy!
    ¼ cup chopped fresh chives, vegan cheddar cheese

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