The BEST Homemade Popcorn (On the Stovetop)
Looking for movie theater-style popcorn made at home? You're going to love this easy stovetop method for homemade popcorn!
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
*Oil: Use a moderate to high smoke point oil for cooking the actual popcorn kernels. Specialty popcorn oil is our top choice, but refined (unflavored) coconut oil or avocado oil both work well!
Storage: If you use ghee or popcorn butter, you can store your popcorn in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. The milk solids in butter cause the popcorn to become weighed down with moisture, so if you use melted butter, it’s recommended that you consume it fresh. Leftovers should still be edible, but they will lose their crunch. Popcorn made with ghee or popcorn oil can be stored in airtight bags for 2-3 days. Do not store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Other flavors: It's easy to make different flavors by adding your favorite popcorn seasoning (i.e., dill pickle) or dry cheese powders! We love making cheddar cheese popcorn or white cheddar popcorn for a salty snack that's even better than store-bought.
**Popcorn butter: I like to make clarified butter that goes a little further than simple clarification but not quite as far as ghee. These added steps remove the milk solids from the butter, evaporating the water content and leaving a shimmering butter oil behind.
- 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!