10 Facts You Didn't Know About KFC Mashed Potatoes

While Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) may be most known for its fried chicken, it's easy to see why its mashed potatoes are also a fan favorite. KFC has been heralded for never freezing its chicken, sourcing its poultry from local farms, and ensuring the quality of each and every piece. But what about its mashed potatoes? What's the skinny behind these tasty, gravy-topped spuds? Sure, eating a side of KFC mashed potatoes conjures up childhood nostalgia and memories of cozy family meals around the dinner table. For many, there's nothing like a comforting dish of creamy mashed potatoes and decadent gravy to warm the insides and fill the stomach.

Still, with anything this good, you might wonder what the catch is. Are these silky spuds all that they appear to be? What untold truths might be lurking beneath this mashed concoction? The following facts about KFC's mashed potatoes may not be Earth-shattering, but they are nonetheless true. Time to peek behind the KFC curtain and explore the secrets behind these delightful spuds.

Although it might not taste like it, KFC's mashed potatoes are made from potato powder and water, just like instant potatoes. Pre-portioned bags of powdered mashed potatoes are added to containers with 3 quarts of water before being heated and stirred. While some may find this concept hard to believe, the information was confirmed by a KFC manager on Reddit.

Although some may be disappointed to discover KFC is not boiling and mashing its potatoes by hand, there really is no reason to be displeased. In fact, its powdered mix is why the texture is so perfectly smooth and creamy. There are no lumps or clumps in these KFC mashed potatoes. Instead, tasters enjoy the sheer perfection of decadently, fluffy mashed potatoes in each and every spoonful. Their consistency is well-textured and never too dense, with each buttery bite balanced perfectly with lightness and delicate flavor. 

Chicken fat is listed as an ingredient in the gravy used to top the mashed potatoes. This seems simple enough, yet a U.K. documentary titled "Inside KFC At Christmas" divulged the method by which this classic mashed potato topping is crafted — at least in the U.K. 

The savory gravy flavor is enriched with the addition of "crackling" — leftover chicken remnants that have fallen to the base of the chicken fryer. In the documentary, KFC employee Anne Walker showed how KFC gravy included the addition of two scoops of crackling, 3.5 liters of water, and finally its mysterious gravy mix sealed in a foil bag with no description of the contents. The mixture is then whisked, heated, and served to the gravy-loving masses. While some were disturbed to find that KFC's famous gravy included such unappealing-looking ingredients, this is what gives the sauce its signature richness. After all, the best-quality brown gravies typically include the drippings from roasted meats. 

While this revelation showed gravy-making in the United Kingdom, some have wondered if American stores are using the same methods. Some employees have confirmed that American KFCs do add cracklings to the gravy, while others have claimed that the gravy is delivered to the stores in large tubs. Some mysteries, it seems, may never be solved.

Who says you can't dip your chicken into your mashed potatoes? The combination of creamy spuds, decadent gravy, and savory chicken is an exceptional medley. Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China (the company who operates all KFCs in China) even spent hours watching customers pair the three in order to come up with some intriguing menu creations. On one of these excursions, she noticed kids eating their fried chicken with the mashed potato. Additionally, she saw Gen Z customers dunking chicken drumsticks into their potatoes and again into the gravy. This observation prompted her to launch a mashed potato burger made with boneless chicken in China. 

This blended chicken-and-potato concept has been echoed in KFC's Famous Bowl which includes layers of mashed potatoes, sweet kernel corn, Kentucky fried chicken nuggets, and a final topping of gravy and shredded cheese. KFC also offered a Smash'd Potato Bowl in 2024, a similar, smaller-sized offering, blending mashed potatoes, fries, cheesy sauce, bacon, and shredded cheese. Although it's no longer listed on the menu, many agreed the Smash'd Potato Bowl was a success — and that the mashed potatoes held all of the other ingredients together.

So next time you pick up a batch of KFC mashed potatoes, go on and give your chicken a dip or try plunging a few salty french fries into the mix and double down on the potatoey goodness. Feeling extra adventurous? Add a spoonful of corn to the mix. There's no reason you can't get creative here.

This might be the most mind-blowing fact of all, but it wasn't until 2019 that U.K. KFCs began offering mashed potatoes on their menus. For years, it was actually the gravy that had taken over the hearts of its customers, and it has even become a holiday staple for many British families who served it with their chosen Christmas bird. As reported via The Independent, gravy is so popular in the U.K. during the holiday season that one KFC worker stated it was "​​better to run out of chicken than gravy."

Other countries adapted the mashed potatoes faster than the U.K. Australian KFCs have had the item on menus for some time. Enthusiasm was so intense that multiple chains ran out of the fluffy potato mash, leaving many saddened. Oddly, they are served sans gravy in Britain, but this may be because they expect British customers to order their cherished liquid by the vat.

Many would think mashed potatoes ought to be a vegetarian dish, as our creamy garlic mashed red potatoes are. Yet, the only vegetarian sides at the chain are its corn, green beans, and BBQ baked beans. How is this possible? The ingredient list for KFC's mashed potatoes include several ingredients that might be derived from animals, including natural flavors, mono and diglycerides, and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate. "Natural flavors" may be derived from either plants or animals. These can include vegetarian sources like spices, fruits, vegetables, and plant materials, or animal sources like seafood, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy.

Likewise, mono and diglycerides may be obtained from animal fat from beef or pork. These additives are often used to enhance the consistency of food as they help water and oil to emulsify. While they can be sourced from plants, you won't know for sure, as the ingredient list won't tell you this information. Another listed ingredient is calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, which may also include animal fats depending on the production.

Believe it or not, an individual serving of KFC coleslaw contains 170 calories, while its mashed potatoes (sans gravy) contains 110 calories. Even with the addition of gravy, this only ups the count to 130 calories. In terms of sides, KFC's mashed potatoes are far from the most calorie-dense item you could order. Just one KFC cornbread muffin harbors 210 calories, while the secret recipe fries have 320 calories per serving.  

Still, it is good to keep in mind sodium intake when eyeing KFC mashed potatoes. While the coleslaw clocks in at 180 milligrams, an individual serving of mashed potatoes contains 330 milligrams of sodium and 520 milligrams with gravy. Even without the gravy, that's nearly the equivalent of two 1-ounce bags of plain Lays potato chips, which contain 170 milligrams sodium each. For reference, the recommended daily allowance of sodium is 2,300 milligrams. 

KFC mashed potatoes are gluten-free and MSG-free, although the gravy is not. This means those with gluten sensitivities can enjoy this carby delight, so long as they order their potatoes without the gravy. Additional gluten-free sides include coleslaw, corn on the cob, and sweet kernel corn. Still, KFC mashed potatoes do contain milk and soy, so folks with dairy or soy allergies should avoid this side. 

In addition, those concerned about MSG can rest assured, as the mashed potatoes themselves do not include MSG. However, the gravy does. But don't worry too much; MSG, or monosodium glutamate, isn't half as bad as people tend to believe. MSG is safe to eat per the FDA. The flavor enhancer is added to items like KFC's gravy, where it imparts a richer, more savory quality flavor to it. In some cases, utilizing MSG lessens the need for salt, which decreases the sodium content.

American consumers may be disgruntled to learn they've been missing out on some scintillating potato creations over the past few years. In 2017, Australian KFCs sold fried mashed potatoes filled with gravy called Gravy Mashies. These crispy potato balls were given a trial release in Tasmania back in 2015 and proved to be popular; 130,000 were sold in a matter of weeks. Mashies first debuted in 2011 in Australia and launched again in 2023 under the name "Original Mashies." This time, KFC paired the fried potato croquettes with a side of gravy rather than filling the balls with them.

Similarly, Japan previously offered fried mashed potato and bacon creations, called Colonel's Bacon Potato Fritters. The decadent fried treat was assembled from a blend of mashed potatoes, bacon, and sour cream, and were offered for a limited time in 2012. Interestingly enough, mashed potatoes are not regularly offered on the menus of Japanese KFCs. Given this, Americans can't be too upset to have missed out on these tasty fritters — they get to enjoy KFC mashed potatoes year-round, after all.

Many fans of the silky side agree that KFC mashed potatoes may be better than homemade. How so? Because KFC's recipes use an instant mix, there's very little room for error in the mashed potatoes, so they always taste consistent. Unlike home-cooked mashed potatoes that can sometimes be too dense if your measurements are off, or too "gloopy" if you over-mash them, these fast food spuds and gravy always offer the same perfect texture and taste.

In fact, this promise of consistency has been something KFC has been paying more attention to more in recent years. In 2016, KFC launched its "Re-Colonelization" campaign, ensuring a "Colonel Quality Taste Guarantee" on all its products. This public declaration advertised a renewed commitment to the company's original standards initiated on the original menu and affirmed that if customers reported being dissatisfied with their meal, that the company would remake those dishes for them. 

Original KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders had very high standards for all his offerings and disliked many of the menu changes that occurred later in his tenure. Sanders sold the company in 1964 for a hefty $2 million, but still made his comments about the menu changes known. The subsequent alterations to his classic mashed potato and gravy recipe did not escape his wrath. 

According to a 1970 New Yorker article, the Colonel declared KFC's gravy unfit for his dogs. He also referred to its mashed potatoes and gravy to resemble "wallpaper paste" and "sludge" in a NY Times article published in 1976, proclaiming, "There's no way anyone can get me to swallow those potatoes." Other comments ensued about the quality of the chicken and coleslaw, and it even prompted a libel lawsuit. Fortunately for the Colonel, the case would be dismissed and he would continue to operate a restaurant with his wife, where his high standards could be maintained.

Despite the Colonel's scalding comments regarding the company's mashed potatoes, fans of the buttery, fluffy mix continue to frequent his eateries across the country (and in several other places around the world) to devour the popular dish. Whether you pair them with biscuits, swirl them with gravy, or use them as a dipping sauce for your fried chicken, KFC mashed potatoes remain a fan favorite — and it's unlikely the recipe will be changing anytime soon — thank goodness!