Stovetop popcorn is so good and so easy to make that you'll never want to buy the store-bought microwave stuff again.
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Popcorn, Stovetop Popcorn
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 10 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Calories 167kcal
Author Michelle
Ingredients
2tablespoonsolive oil or coconut oil
½cuppopcorn kernels
2tablespoonsbuttermelted (optional)
Salt to taste
Instructions
In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, add oil and 3 popcorn kernels. Wait for kernels to pop (may take a few minutes as the oil needs to heat up). Place a large serving bowl nearby.
Once your three kernels have popped, add the remaining kernels. Cover and gently shake the pot to evenly distribute the kernels and cover them with oil. If your lid does not have a venting hole, tip it slightly so that the steam can be released. If your pot starts overflowing, dump some into a serving bowl and allow the rest to cook.
Continue cooking until the popping slows to about one pop every 3-4 seconds. When done, transfer immediately to the serving bowl.
Toss with butter if desired. Salt to taste.
Video
Notes
Makes about 10 cups (for four 2.5 cup servings).Nutrition facts DO NOT include butter.
Use a large, heavy-bottomed pot. A "too thin" pot won't distribute heat evenly (think dollar store quality). However, it's not a good time to pull out the cast iron either. A thick cast iron will retain too much heat and will fry and burn the popcorn. Also choose a large pot so that all 10 cups of popped popcorn will fit. My well-loved 6-quart ceramic coated pot does the trick every time.
Leave the heat at medium. Oil can burn really easily at higher than medium heat. If the oil smokes, even a bit, the popcorn will also taste burnt.
Start with three popcorn kernels to test the temperature. Once the test kernels pop, the oil is hot enough to pop the remaining popcorn.
Keep the serving bowl nearby. While the oil is heating, get a large bowl to keep nearby. This way you can dump the popcorn in quickly if the pot starts to overflow and when the popcorn is done popping.
Tip the lid to keep the popcorn crisp. If your pot lid does not have a venting hole, tip the lid back just a tiny bit (not enough to let any popcorn escape) to keep the popcorn crisp and prevent it from steaming.
If the popcorn starts overflowing from the pot, quickly remove the lid and dump some into the serving bowl. Then cover again and return to the heat to finish popping the remaining popcorn.
Season with salt carefully. Start with a little and taste test before adding more. You can add more if needed, but you can’t take away too much.
Store popped popcorn in a zip bag or container with a lid at room temperature for up to a week.