How to Make Perfect Popcorn on the Stove
on Sep 22, 2021, Updated Jul 17, 2024
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Homemade popcorn is so much better tasting and better for you than anything that comes in a bag, and it couldn't be faster or easier to make.
Popcorn is a bona fide food group in our family, a group craving of unparalleled proportions. We pop it on the stovetop, with just a moderate amount of vegetable oil, until soft and fluffy, and lightly salt it at the end. It’s pretty healthy, and thank goodness, because if you actually saw the amount that I and my family eat, you might catch your breath.
This classic stovetop popcorn recipe is so much better tasting and better for you than the microwave popcorn, though I have to confess, as with so many things, sometimes my kids do clamor for the stuff in a bag. I usually yell, “I can’t hear you over the sound of the popcorn popping,” and by the time a big bowl of this hits the table, they stop whining.
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Table of Contents
How to Make Perfect Popcorn on the Stove: Homemade popcorn is so much better than anything that comes in a bag, and it couldn’t be faster or easier to make.
Stovetop Popcorn Ingredients
- Oil – Use a neutrally flavored oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable or canola oil.
- Popcorn – Anything from supermarket brand kernels to more artisanal popcorn works here.
- Butter – The optional melted butter at the end is not necessary because the fact that the kernels have been popped in oil already gives them a “buttery” flavor, but sometimes we all need our lilies gilded.
- Salt – I like to use kosher salt. You can also try a flavored salt.
Best Oil for Popping Popcorn on the Stove
Use an oil with a high smoke point, which will prevent the oil (and the popcorn) from having a burnt taste. Coconut oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed or rapeseed oil, or canola oil are good choices.
Recipe Variations
Start flinging herbs and spices that you like into the popcorn pot. It’s fun, it’s cheap, and it’s usually delicious. This is perfect when you might be having a grown-up popcorn night or want to put out a couple of bowls for movie night and see if some of the more intensely flavored popcorn hits a note.
Aside from this variation, you should feel free to experiment with other spices and seasonings, such as cayenne powder, curry powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and so on. Also, try seasoned salt, like truffle salt or salt infused with herbs.
Variation: Seasoned Popcorn
When you add the kernels to hot oil in the pot, think about adding in some or all of the following.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Then, salt the warm popcorn at the end.
How to Make Popcorn on the Stove
- Combine the oil and popcorn: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn.
- Shake the pot: Put the lid on the pot. Heat until the popping starts, shaking it every once in a while. Take it off the stove the minute the popping quiets down to almost nothing.
- Add butter and salt: Drizzle over the butter, if using. Replace the lid and give it a few more shakes to distribute the butter evenly. Add a bit of salt and shake to distribute. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle over a bit more salt if necessary.
FAQs
I like to make popcorn over medium-high heat. Just make sure the heat doesn’t get too high, or the popcorn might scorch.
The steam trapped in the pot by the lid can cause popcorn to become chewy. You can adjust for that by leaving the lid a tad open to the side or removing the lid as soon as the popping slows down. The popped kernels should prevent any just-popping kernels from flying out of the pot. Also, make sure to use a high smoke point oil, like vegetable or canola oil.
You may not have enough oil in the pot, or the heat may be too low. Give the pot a shake every once in a while to make sure all of the kernels have a chance to hit the bottom of the pan.
I prefer popping corn in oil with a higher smoke point and then adding some melted butter at the end (if desired). If you want to use butter, you’re better off with ghee. It’s a clarified butter, and the milk solids have been strained out. Those milk solids are what cause butter to burn at high temperatures.
Most supermarket commercially packaged butter has a high percentage of water, and when it melts, that water can make your popcorn soggy. Using a European-style butter, like Danish Creamery, Vermont Creamery, Plugra, or Kerrygold, can help a bit, as the water content is a bit lower. Also, butter your popcorn right before you serve and eat it!
A large, deep stainless steel pot with a lid is my favorite pan for making popcorn on the stove.
What to Serve With Homemade Popcorn
More Snack Recipes
- 5-Minute Cheddar Cheese Popcorn
- Hot Corn Queso Dip
- English Muffin Pizzas
- Mini Banana Bread Loaves
- Tostones
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How to Make Perfect Popcorn on the Stove
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup popcorn
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional)
- kosher salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn, garlic powder, oregano, and chili powder, and shake it all about. Heat until the popping starts, shake it every once in a while, and take it off the stove right when the popping quiets down to almost nothing.
- Drizzle over the butter, if using, replace the lid and give it a few more shakes to evenly distribute the butter. Sprinkle with salt and the Parmesan, if using, cover, and shake it up again. Pour into a bowl and eat warm.
Notes
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup popcorn
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional)
- Kosher or coarse salt to taste
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (optional)
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn, garlic powder, oregano, and chili powder, and shake it all about. Heat until the popping starts, shake it every once in a while and take it off the stove right when the popping quiets down to almost nothing.
- Drizzle over the butter, if using, replace the lid and give it a few more shakes to evenly distribute the butter. Sprinkle with salt and the Parmesan, if using. Cover, and shake it up again. Pour into a bowl and eat warm.
