If you love the popcorn served in movie theaters, you're going to love this easy stovetop method for homemade popcorn!
There are a few simple secrets that will give you perfectly crisp and buttery popcorn - so you can skip the theater and host family movie night right in the comfort of your own home.
If you love fresh popcorn as a salty snack, it makes sense that you want to master making it at home!
Sure, it's easy to make a batch of microwave popcorn or use an air popper (if you have one), but nothing quite compares to buttery and delicious movie theater-style popcorn now does it?
This method uses a little oil for cooking and yields perfectly crisp and buttery results every single time. Best of all? You can customize it to your preferences and even add your favorite seasonings for flavor. All you need is a big pot and a few simple ingredients.
Why You'll Love It:
- Perfect stovetop popcorn. There's no need to haul out big clunky machines or settle for microwave packets. This easy recipe makes perfect popcorn using basic kitchen tools!
- Best results. While we all love air-popped popcorn for making caramel corn or a light snack, this method using hot oil is the closest to movie theater popcorn, and the results are worth it.
- Quick and easy. Once you have the method down, you can enjoy a large bowl of buttery popcorn any time the craving hits!
- It lasts longer. If you have leftover popcorn (and that's a big IF), you can store it at room temperature for several days if you use our homemade popcorn butter or ghee.
You Will Need:
- Popcorn: You can use any type of popcorn kernel you like. There are plenty of specialty options (and I have tried them all!), but your basic yellow kernels are our top pick. Orville Redenbacher's were our favorite, but store brands work too!
- Oil: Unrefined coconut oil, avocado oil, popcorn oil, canola oil, etc. As long as it has a moderate to high smoke point and tastes fairly neutral you're good to go.
- Butter (or popcorn butter): Melted butter adds delicious flavor, but if you have the time, I strongly recommend making your own popcorn butter. It evenly coats each kernel and does not get soggy since the milk solids are removed.
- Salt: The key to tasty popcorn is enough salt! Be generous and adjust it to taste. Use homemade popcorn salt for bonus points.
Equipment
- Large pot: I recommend using a very large pot with a lid. A good pot is worth its weight in gold and can be used for popcorn, chicken broth, and big batches of soup. We use a stainless steel stockpot, but a Dutch oven is a good choice too.
What Kind of Oil is Best for Making Popcorn?
I've tested this recipe MANY times, and it works with pretty much any moderate to high smoke point oil. Our favorite is popcorn oil, which is coconut oil colored with annatto or beta-carotene. Runners-up include refined coconut oil (unflavored) and avocado oil.
How to Make Popcorn on the Stovetop
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add 3 kernels and watch it closely.
- As soon as 2 out of the 3 kernels pop, the oil is hot enough to make popcorn.
- Add the rest of the kernels and remove from the heat. Add the lid and let it rest for 1 full minute.
- Return the pot to the heat and cook (with the lid on) until the kernels start popping.
- Once you hear the first few pops, tilt the lid, leaving a gap to allow the steam to escape during cooking.
- Cook until the pops slow to one every few seconds. Shake the pot occasionally to help with even cooking.
- When the pops slow down to nearly a stop, remove from the heat and rest for about 30 seconds, then remove the lid.
- Drizzle in 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter and toss well to coat every kernel.
What if the popcorn starts overflowing? If your pot is too small, you may have popcorn that quickly fills (and overflows) the pot. If this happens, you can simply tip the cooked popcorn into a big bowl, then return to the heat to cook the rest of the popcorn kernels.
Finishing with salt
- One of the most underestimated factors in good popcorn is salt!
- Adequate salt adds flavor and enhances the buttery-ness.
- One of the secrets to movie theater popcorn is...salt! And lots of it.
- Sprinkle a little salt onto the hot buttered popcorn, toss well, then taste. Add more salt until it tastes flavorful and well-balanced.
- Use popcorn salt if you can (we make our own).
- Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!
Can I use popcorn seasonings? Yes! This recipe has been tested using all sorts of powdered seasonings (dill pickle, white cheddar, ranch, etc.). It works best when added to hot popcorn, after the butter, but before the salt. Many blends contain salt, so it's important to taste and add salt as needed.
How to Make Popcorn Butter
If you want the closest-to-movie-theater taste (and we think it's even better), use clarified butter instead of the regular stuff. If you prefer to use melted butter, that's okay too!
Here's a basic rundown on how to make your own clarified butter for popcorn. You can find in-depth detailed instructions when you check out my recipe for popcorn butter.
- Melt the butter in a stainless saucepan and cook for 15-25 minutes over low-medium heat.
- As the butter clarifies, remove any foam that rises to the top.
- The butter is done when the milk solids cling to the bottom of the pan and have a light toasted appearance.
- Line a small strainer with a coffee filter (or layers of cheesecloth) and set it over a small bowl or measuring cup.
- Pour the butter through; the filter will catch the milk solids and the clear butter oil will collect below.
Tip: You may need to gather up the edges of the filter and press the butter through with a spoon or clean fingers.
Expert Tips
- Oven mitts for shaking the pot. If you're using stainless steel or a Dutch oven, the handles of your pot can become very hot when making popcorn. Wear oven mitts when shaking the pot to prevent burns.
- Try using popcorn salt. This can be purchased online, although it's easy to make your own. Grind some in a food processor or mortar and pestle for the best results. Otherwise, regular fine sea salt will do perfectly well!
- Use a large heavy-bottomed pot. I like to make my popcorn in a large stainless steel stockpot. Cheap aluminum pans conduct heat poorly and cause hot spots, so use something a little thicker! Popcorn also takes up quite a bit of space, but if your pot starts to overfill, you can pour out some of the popped kernels to make more room.
Flavor Variations
- Cheddar cheese popcorn: Increase the popcorn butter to 3-4 tablespoons, and add 5-6 tablespoons of cheddar cheese powder (I use Hoosier Hill Farms). For both cheddar and white cheddar versions, I recommend using mushroom popcorn if it's available to you, but regular kernels are perfectly fine!
- White cheddar popcorn: Increase the popcorn butter to 3-4 tablespoons, and add 5-6 tablespoons of white cheddar cheese powder (I use Hoosier Hill white cheddar powder). For white-colored popcorn, prepare your popcorn butter without adding annatto, paprika, or turmeric, and use uncolored cooking oil (refined coconut, avocado oil, vegetable oil, etc.) for cooking.
- Dill pickle popcorn: Increase the popcorn butter (this helps the seasoning to adhere better) and add your favorite dill pickle popcorn seasoning to your taste.
- Brown butter popcorn: Instead of preparing clarified popcorn butter, increase the heat to medium during the clarification process. Once the butter has a nutty aroma and the milk solids are well-browned throughout the butter, it can be skimmed and used to add a delicious flavor to your homemade popcorn.
- Nutritional yeast: If you're vegan or dairy-free, you can use nutritional yeast to give it a nutty/slightly buttery flavor instead.
Storing Leftovers
If you have any leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container. Popcorn that has been made with melted butter stores moderately well for 6-12 hours, but that made with clarified butter can be stored for several days.
More Easy Snacks:
If you loved this recipe Homemade Popcorn recipe, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
The BEST Homemade Popcorn (On the Stovetop)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup popcorn kernels
- 2 tablespoons oil* like avocado, popcorn oil, or refined coconut oil
- 2-4 tablespoons melted butter popcorn butter**, ghee, or clarified butter (we like popcorn butter best - it's the most like the movie theatre style!)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt (or popcorn salt) plus more to taste
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of refined coconut oil (popcorn oil, or high smoke point oil of your choice) in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add 3 popcorn kernels to the bottom of the pot and cover it with a lid.
- Continue to heat, shaking occasionally, until at least 2 of the 3 popcorn kernels pop.
- Once the kernels have popped, remove the pot from the heat and add in the remaining ¼ cup of popcorn kernels. Cover with a lid and shake the pot to coat the kernels in oil.
- Rest for 1 minute, allowing the oil to cool down.
- Return the pot to the heat source and cook with the lid secured until you begin to hear kernels pop (about 2-4 minutes).
- Once you hear the first few pops, tilt the lid slightly to allow the steam to escape during cooking.
- Heat until the pops slow to one every few seconds, shaking the pot every now and then to ensure the kernels cook evenly.
- When the pops slow down to a near stop, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to rest for about 20-30 seconds before removing the lid completely.
- Add in the melted butter (or popcorn butter) and stir gently to coat all of the kernels. Sprinkle in the salt, adding more to taste (it should taste similar to movie theatre popcorn).
- Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.
Notes
- Heat ½ cup of butter over medium heat in a stainless steel saucepan.
- Once it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low-medium and cook for 20-25 minutes, never stirring. Milk solids will start to cling to the bottom of the saucepan, and foam will rise to the top. Once the butter oil stops bubbling, you are done.
- Remove from the heat and skim off the foam that has risen to the top.
- Fit a strainer with a coffee filter and place it over a bowl or measuring cup. Strain the butter through so the solids are caught in the coffee filter and the golden liquid catches below.
- Drizzle 2-4 tablespoons over your prepared popcorn.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several months.
- Melt a small portion every time you need butter for popcorn!
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Dorothy Bigelow says
We've skipped the potato chips and instead switched to popcorn. It's budget friendly and has some fiber too, which is nice. This method is our top pick and we love using popcorn butter for the most delicious flavor and texture.
I also love packing it for lunches as it stays crisp for several days.