How to Make Popcorn

A white plate full of stovetop popcorn surrounded by flowers and leaves.

5 from 39 votes

An easy guide explaining How to Make Popcorn perfectly every time, including the most common mistakes rookies make. Featuring a nutritious, delicious and healthy stovetop popcorn recipe which requires no fancy equipment, is lots of fun and is done in under 15 minutes!

Prep Time1

Cook Time9

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Zen

Equipment

Heavy pot with deep bottom and lid Preferably a glass lid so you can see what's happening in the pot!
heat proof spatula
Food thermometer (optional) You can add a few kernels to the hot oil to test the temperature instead- if they pop, the oil is good to go.
Spice grinder Optional: if your salt isn't finely milled, give it a whizz in the grinder

Ingredients

2 T Oil Use ones with high smoking points, not olive oil. If you want a buttery flavor, ghee or clarified butter works better than regular butter.
½ Cup Corn kernels Don't wash them!! Even if your kernels are old, try popping a few before soaking (only soak if they're super old and the test kernels didn't pop- they might need a bit more moisture in that case.)
Finely milled salt, to taste You don't need to waste money on special popcorn salt, just break yours down in the spice grinder!

Instructions

Turn on the heat to medium-high (I use 7 on an induction cooker). Add the oil and let it heat up- it will take a few minutes. Either use a thermometer to check that the oil is 190C (380F) or toss a few kernels in to check that they pop. (If they burn the oil is obviously too hot- Popcorn burns easily FYI) (I have no food thermometer so I use the latter method)
Once the oil is hot enough, turn off the heat and remove the popped corn.
Put the rest of the kernels in and CLOSE THE POT, placing it back on the stove (so you don't get hit in the face by a flying kernel or oil).
Turn the heat back to medium. Leave the lid a little ajar so the steam can escape, if not you get soggy popcorn. I like to have the gap facing the side (and not facing me) to minimise the risk of getting spattered by oil. Give the pot a gentle shake to make sure the kernels are nicely distributed.
You'll hear the kernels start popping, which is great fun! Shake the pot slightly again to make sure all the kernels are getting heated up evenly. Keep the heat on till the popping slows to 1 pop every 2-3 seconds.
Uncover, pour out the popcorn into a heat-proof bowl, sprinkle with salt and seasoning (see post above for seasoning ideas) to taste and give it a stir with the spatula to make sure all the kernels are coated. (Don't season in the hot pot or you'll season the pot not the popcorn)
Best eaten right away but I've kept it for several days in an air-tight container.

Notes

Tip

If you find some oil still makes it out of the semi-closed lid when popping the corn, cover the gap with a tea towel only if using an induction stove. There is a risk of the tea towel catching fire if you are using a gas stove so I don't recommend doing so!)

Seasoning

You can also sprinkle the stovetop popcorn with black pepper, shichimi powder etc. See the post above for more ideas

Serving Sizes

I say this is for 6 but that is a generous estimate- I could probably finish everything myself in 1 sitting!

Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.

Nutrition