It's an interesting twist on mashed potatoes and gravy that gives the dish a slight, very mild kick. Breading that falls off the chicken is an absolute fried chicken cardinal sin, so there should certainly be none of that. Check out the end of this article for ingredient quantities and the full step-by-step instructions. We were able to make this dish with a stick of butter, flour, milk, salt, pepper, beef and chicken bouillon cubes, and a packet of instant mashed potato flakes. If you live in Florida, then you know PDQ is where you can find some of the best fast food chicken in the country. They're certainly not bad, because it's hard to make bad fried chicken, but they're just not that exciting. They at least have a starting point that they may be able to tweak over time. However, in recent years, the quality of their chicken has drastically declined. Calling KFC's mashed potatoes with gravy a meal would be pretty accurate, considering an individual side portion packs in an alarming 530 milligrams of sodium. It's the sort of place that you'd try for the novelty of the KFC comparison, and find yourself pleasantly surprised with the flavor to the point of frequenting again. According to Idahoan, half a cup of prepared potatoes packs 370 milligrams of sodium. Also, the skin of the chicken is perfectly cooked always crunchy, never rubbery. If you're a boneless chicken fan and order their Supremes instead, you'll be disappointed in a totally different way. The 2020 forecast projects that the average American will eat 99 pounds of chicken for the year, which is far higher than beef (57 pounds) or pork (53 pounds). We made gravy with chicken bouillon only the first time around, but it wasn't dark enough to match up with the real deal. Overall, we were impressed with the quality and flavor of what we ate at Popeye's. Phew; we didn't have to add all those crazy ingredients we can't even pronounce. They are made with a mixture of potatoes, milk, butter, cream of celery soup, and spices. You'll never feel like you're getting short-changed when it comes to the meat. The recipe has changed several times over the years, so we tried out a few copycat recipes before settling on a final version. Fried chicken is complicated. However, the wait for the food was a minute and 12 seconds. Chick-fil-A is good, but if I wanted a fast food sandwich or burger, I'd go to Burger King. Fancy or fast? In fact, back in 2016, it was the fastest, increasing sales by nearly 26 percent for the year. You won't find fried chicken at El Pollo Loco, but instead citrus-marinated, fire-grilled, super-yummy chicken. And, honestly, the Half N' Half is your best bet because they are both so good. Popeyes' nuggets, on the other hand, are a little disappointing. Combo (8 or 12 piece, Waffle Fries, and Drink). According to Vice, part of the Popeyes magic lies in its seasonings, as well as their deep fryers. You'll want to add the liquid slowly in the beginning, constantly whisking to incorporate the two products. But you pretty much just got one scoop of potatoes for that, and the least amount of gravy from all the places we visited. Our feelings about our KFC order weren't as nice as our feelings about our Popeyes order. If it has, don't worry; upon stirring, it will incorporate into the rest of the gravy without any problems. If you're watching your fat and sodium, you may want to be mindful of eating this full meal. Add in the beef bouillon, and it not only improves the flavor, but it also gets our gravy closer in color to the actual dish. If you're looking for a homemade-potatoes feel, it doesn't get better than this restaurant chain. The butter wasn't real, but it seemed to add to the overall biscuit taste. As a carrier of Pepsi products, the closest choice to the Sprite we ordered at Popeyes was Sierra Mist. In fact, PDQ stands for People Dedicated to Quality, though their service is also Pretty Darn Quick. All Rights Reserved. They were only $0.07 more than the most inexpensive potatoes, ringing in at $2.09 for an "individual" portion. Popeyes calls their biscuits "hearty and flaky", while KFC describes their biscuits as "warm, flaky, southern-style." Popeye's mac and cheese has a thinner, more saucy texture, whereas KFC's mac and cheese has a more solid, baked texture. KFC tastes a little bit more like it's just got salt and pepper (I know it's not but they're the predominant flavors), whereas Popeye's actually has FLAVORS going on. Luckily, we don't have that problem here. When you can get a perfectly cooked bird at Costco for $4.99, why would you venture to Boston Market for a more expensive and less appetizing meal? After it quickly sold out, the coveted sandwich didn't return until two months later and the frenzy continued with people across the country waiting in long lines. If the gravy has sat for more than a few minutes, just give it a stir before serving it to make sure it hasn't formed a skin on top. While Popeyes does consistently delivery stronger flavors, if you prefer the simpler flavors of KFC, there isn't too much difference in price. Unless Boston Market revamps their menu, upgrades their chicken quality, and launches an impossible-to-ignore advertising blitz, you'd have to imagine more and more locations will be shuttered in the months and years to come. Only the true connoisseurs can distinguish KFCs homestyle recipe from Popeyes. Boston Market has been known for their homestyle meals and amazing rotisserie chicken for decades. The Sprite also has more sugar in it than the Sierra Mist we got at KFC. Another thing that catapults Chick-fil-A to the top is their cleanliness and service. As a carrier of Pepsi products, the closest choice to the Sprite we ordered at Popeyes was Sierra Mist. Or at least something very similar. The crispness, the seasoning everything is just perfect. Add the bouillon-infused water to the pan, whisking constantly to prevent any clumps from forming. It's time to pull it all together to create KFC's classic mashed potatoes and gravy side dish. So, eating the whole 3-piece meal in one sitting will max out your fat and sodium for the day and then some. The chicken pieces were on the small side compared to KFC, but they were still in the ordinary range as far as bone-in chicken goes. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. A few Redditors from Canada confirmed this theory: A KFC Winnepeg employee explained that, when they filter out the oil, they collect "all the bits of deep fried chicken and skin and batter." So, if you want to grab your sides at KFC and get your chicken elsewhere, that's perfectly acceptable. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy This is an excellent side dish that goes great with chicken. These fries need to hold up to the fried chicken so as not to be overpowered, and Popeyes' bring some much needed texture and crunch, making them the clear winner here. You need something like Tabasco or Frank's RedHot sauce to add some oomph to these otherwise boring fingers. Both mac and cheeses are good in a fast food, kinda bland, sorta tasty kind of way. According to FastFood Geek, "The bun was large and pillowy, yet sturdy enough to handle the large breast of chicken and super schmear of mayo without any noticeable sog.". Boston Market's mashed potatoes tasted the best and the most real. And while 50 cents may not seem like a big deal, Sharon Epperson from CNBC explains why it is. In the end, you want to get the most food for your money, but you also want to get food that tastes good. Now that KFC has reported they're serving sides by the scoop instead of by the container, you can really hack the menu to make some creative dishes. However, nothing is good enough to make up for their subpar chicken. And without further ado, we present to you the latest on fast food chicken prices, because thats what we do around here. Lee's is definitely in the KFC range of flavors. And though Popeyes has always been known for their bone-in fried chicken, in 2019 they turned the chicken world on its head with the release of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. The crispy chicken is dipped in homemade honey butter and served on a toasted brioche bun with crunchy pickle slices. However, it comes out higher in cholesterol, sodium, and carbs. Started in the Philippines, this chicken restaurant came stateside in 1998 and now has over 1,300 worldwide locations but only 37 in the U.S. Jollibee offers a wide variety of dishes on their menu, from their Jolly Spaghetti in its sweet sauce made from banana ketchup (yes, that's a thing) to their Halo-Halo dessert, which is surprisingly good even though its made with beans. We spent a total of $9.78, which was a mere $0.10 less than what we spent at Popeyes. Tenders often take a back seat to bone-in fried chicken at places like KFC and Popeyes. There's nothing like fried chicken with a biscuit on the side. The potatoes themselves tasted pretty plain, but the spice from the gravy did amp that up. KFC's mac and cheese is thinner and more saucy, like the childhood stovetop favorite, while Popeyes was clearly going for a more solid, baked style of mac and cheese. You could probably even eat the potatoes without gravy they held their own. At Zaxby's, if you're in the mood for a sandwich, stay away from their Chicken Fingers Sandwich. KFC edges out Popeyes by offering a few more options in almost every category, which is perfect for those who need to feed a bunch of people with varying tastes. But it's not just the quality of the chicken that seems to be causing the demise of Boston Market, it's the fact that you can find rotisserie chicken in almost every grocery store these days. Add the beef and chicken bouillons to the hot water, stirring until the mixture is well combined. However, if you're a bit of a coward when it comes to spicy foods, don't worry, you have plenty of delicious choices at Wingstop, too. Popeye's is fully dependent on their sauces, and Chick-fil-A isn't even fried chicken. The KFC Famous Bowl in a snack size has 270 calories, 13g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 820 mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 1g sugar, and 11g protein. People are serious about their drumsticks and nuggets, so please, do tell: which chain is your king on your list? And if those were our only expectations. We started with the gravy. But what's a Popeyes visit without fried chicken? However, Popeyes has become ever more popular in recent years, with long lines of people waiting to eat the chain's chicken. KFC tries to pass its seasoned potato wedges off as french fries, but we don't think that counts. It's like eating at home, even when you're out. They're pure white meat and use KFC's famous blend of 11 different herbs and spices. That said, you'll want to have a pitcher of beer (or water) next to you when devouring a platter of these wings, although somehow the heat doesn't overpower the flavor. You can be assured that your shoes will never stick to the floor in this restaurant's bathroom. Chick-Fil-A Nutrition (Updated: May 2023), Fast Food Chicken Prices from KFC, Popeyes, and Chick-fil-A, Popeyes Announces New Chocolate Beignets and Raspberry. Lee's packs a bit more pepper than KFC, and the chicken is much more consistent than KFC. You use your hands, you expect to get a little messy, but when it's good fried chicken, nothing else matters. People can't get enough of their chicken, and everything else on their menu. We thought the gravy was tasty enough to stand on its own, too; it would be great served over pot roast or as the sauce for Swedish meatballs. But if you want a little more spice in your life, why not opt for KFC's Nashville Hot Tenders instead? Biscuit Only: $2.19. When you're finished, the roux should be thick but smooth. Is there such a thing as bad fried chicken? It's a great bite and it really helps the meal to flow and get your palate ready for that next bite of chicken. The use of ranch dressing and their Tongue Torch sauce truly delivers a memorable flavor combination. It made the most sense for us to order similar items from both Popeyes and KFC to see how far our $10 would go in each restaurant. Chick-Fil-A almost feels out of place lined up next to KFC and Popeyes, but technically, what they offer us Monday through Saturday (insert eye roll) is indeed a form of fried chicken. They're also flaky, and retain just the right amount of moistness, so they're not drying in the mouth, like KFC's. And it's also a great palate cleanser before moving onto other sides! Sandwich Only: $3.29. To recreate the buttery, rich flavor of KFC potatoes, we used a combination of milk and water to make our mashed potatoes. Their success comes from these hot commodities, and if youre wanting to see other menu items, check out a full list of Chick-Fil-A prices. That said, if you love spicy fried chicken, Popeyes is your place. Even though the late Anthony Bourdain was a Popeyes Mac and Cheese fan, neither will blow you away, but also neither will make you turn your head away in disgust. Copycat KFC Mashed Potatoes And Gravy Recipe. KFC, on the other hand, has the fried chicken, Beyond chicken, tenders (regular and spicy), pot pie, and the Famous Bowl. It's what most fried chicken is striving to be. They are crunchy and the perfect size to pop in your mouth. If PDQ begins expanding across the country, they'll give the top chains a run for their money. Now that the roux is finished, it's time to add the liquid. Offering drumsticks and thighs to fried chicken lovers all over the world, KFC is all about promotions and special meal deals, but their full-priced combos are also a great option for an affordable, filling, and beautifully greasy meal. That's where coleslaw comes in. You can get whole pieces of chicken served with your choice of sides and tortillas or burritos, bowls, quesadillas, and other specials. Overall, we weren't impressed with the quality or flavor of the meal at KFC. In truth, they are both the reigning fast food chicken champions. 8 Pc. But, flavor doesn't lie, and this side dish tasted almost exactly like the one we get from the Colonel. KFC does sides right. KFC's mashed potatoes were only $2.09 for an individual portion. They have crunch and even some juiciness, but as far as flavor goes, they fall completely flat. KFC describes their mashed potatoes as "hot, creamy, and covered with our signature gravy," and goes on to claim, "It's a side, but we won't fight you if you want to call it a meal." Oh, and we found a chicken feather sticking up from the chicken skin, which wasn't terribly appetizing. In total, we spent $9.88. It should be obvious who the winner is More posts you may like