Stovetop popcorn is, was, and will always be one of my favorite budget-friendly snacks. It takes only minutes to make, can be flavored with hundreds of different ingredients, both sweet and savory, and it is shelf stable. Really, what more could you want in a snack?? And if you’ve only experienced microwave popcorn, hold onto your seat. Stovetop popcorn is a whole different beast! The kernels are fluffier, have a better texture, and a more intense corn flavor. Once you go stovetop, you’ll never go back.
What Makes Popcorn Pop?
To understand how to make stovetop popcorn, it can help to understand what makes popcorn pop to begin with. Every dried kernel of corn still contains a small amount of moisture in the center. When that moisture heats up rapidly and turns into steam, pressure builds within the kernel until it eventually pops. To get the best pop you want the hottest oil and the fastest increase in temperature (which is why I don’t add the kernels until the oil is already hot).
What Oil Should You Use to Make Stovetop Popcorn?
Stovetop popcorn is all about the oil. The hot oil is what causes the kernels to pop into a big, fluffy, crunchy cloud and it’s important that you use an oil that can withstand a very high heat. If you use a lower heat oil, you risk the oil reaching its smoke point and then flash point, which will cause the oil to burst into flames (not good). To avoid this, make sure to use a “high heat” oil, or an oil that has a smoke point of 400ºF or higher. Some oils that have a high smoke point include (but are not limited to): vegetable, canola, corn, grapeseed, avocado, safflower, and sunflower oil.
Why is My Popcorn Always Small and Hard?
There are a few things that can cause popcorn to not pop into big fluffy pieces. Here are the most common reasons:
- Old kernels – if your popcorn kernels are very old, they won’t contain as much moisture in the center and therefor won’t pop as big.
- Not enough oil – if you don’t use enough oil, there won’t be enough to heat the kernels quickly and evenly, and you’ll get a lot of half-pops and small pops.
- Adding kernels to cold oil – When kernels heat up slowly with the oil the pop will be less dramatic and the pieces will be smaller.
How to Season Popcorn
My favorite part about popcorn is that you can literally add anything to it. My favorite go-to seasoning is Tony Cachere’s, but I also love plain salt and freshly cracked pepper. A little sprinkle of grated Parmesan is great, as is sriracha, truffle oil, nutritional yeast, or garlic herb seasoning. Oh, and butter. OMG butter.
And if you’re into sweet popcorn, butter, sugar, and cinnamon!
Share your favorite popcorn topping with me (and the rest of us) in the comments below!
How to Make Stovetop Popcorn for One
The recipe below makes about 8 cups, but you can also make a smaller 2-4 cup batch for one person. I usually do 1 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp corn kernels, making sure to use a very small sauce pot.
Easy Stovetop Popcorn Recipe
Servings 4 2 cups eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp high heat cooking oil* ($0.04)
- 1/3 cup popcorn kernels ($0.19)
- 2 Tbsp butter (optional) ($0.26)
- 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (optional) ($0.05)
Instructions
- Add the oil and one kernel to a large sauce pot. Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat onto medium-high. Wait for the test kernel to pop.
- Once the kernel pops, add the rest of the kernels, replace the lid, and give the pot a swirl to coat the kernels in the hot oil. Wait for the kernels to begin to pop. You can swirl again to redistribute the hot oil, if needed.
- Once the kernels begin to pop rapidly, crack the lid a little bit to allow excess steam to escape. Make sure it’s only open a little to keep the pot hot enough to continue popping the corn.
- When the popping slows to about one pop per second, turn off the heat. Wait a few extra seconds for the last few pops, then remove the lid and pour the popcorn into a bowl.
- Let the pot cool for two minutes or so, then add the butter to the still hot pot. Allow the residual heat in the pot to melt the butter, swirling the butter to maximize the contact with the hot pan. Drizzle the melted butter over the popcorn bowl, then sprinkle with seasoning salt or your favorite herbs and spices.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Do you love homemade popcorn recipes? Try this fun & easy Popcorn Balls recipe next!
How to Make Stovetop Popcorn – Step by Step Photos
Add 2 Tbsp high heat cooking oil to a medium sauce pot. Examples of high heat cooking oils include (but are not limited to): vegetable, canola, corn, grapeseed, avocado, safflower, and sunflower oil.
Add one “test” kernel to the pot. This kernel will be the indicator for when the oil is hot enough to add the rest of the kernels. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat onto medium-high. Wait for the test kernel to pop.
When the test kernel pops, remove the lid and add ⅓ cup of popcorn kernels. Replace the lid and swirl the pot a bit to coat the kernels in oil.
As the popcorn begins to pop, crack the lid on the pot just slightly to allow excess steam to escape (otherwise it will collect on the lid and drip down onto the popcorn). When the popping slows to about one pop per second, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit a few seconds more until the popping stops all together.
At this point you have a big pot full of fluffy popcorn, but it needs to be seasoned. Pour the popcorn off into a large bowl.
Let the pot cool for about two minutes, then add the butter. The pot should still be plenty hot enough to melt the butter. Swirl the butter to help it melt in the hot pot.
Drizzle the melted butter onto the popcorn.
Then sprinkle seasoning salt or your favorite seasoning blend onto the buttered popcorn.
Dig in!
I just made this for the first time about 15 minutes ago. It was so much fun to watch the kernels pop instead of just watching a bag expand! I have some lemon infused olive oil, so I’m going to try popping the kernels in that and adding some cracked black pepper to see if I can get a lemon pepper thing going on. Thanks for posting this!
Tried. Failed. Set a pot on fire. True story. I’m going back to my Whirley-Pop.
…and the rating thing won’t let me one star this.
That sounds like you had too much heat going on. Make sure the oil you are using is safe for high temperatures. I never walk away from my stove top popcorn. . I burnt everything my first try, but it seems to work best if I heat everything up on medium and then lower to medium/low.
Your method is the way that my father and I always used to do it, until I left home and we both independently discovered a superior way:
Put the kernels in with the cold oil, and turn the heat to medium-high. Then when the popping starts, shake the pot back and forth gently.
Doing it this way will result in far fewer unpopped kernels because they’re all arriving near the popping point together gradually as the oil heats. I think the idea of putting them in hot oil comes from traditional frying techniques where putting food in cold oil will make the food absorb the oil and be great and gross. But because popcorn kernels have a thick husk around them this is unnecessary.
I use olive oil to pop it. I’ve tried a few different ways to season now but my favorite has to be with butter and the buttermilk Ranch dressing base from Penzey’s Spices. I can’t wait to try their other dressing bases, but I was not a fan of the Italian dressing base on the popcorn because it’s got sugar in it, which isn’t a problem when you’re actually making dressing because you mix it with vinegar. I’d like to try a Caesar-ish one too. I also made one with butter, parmesan, and rosemary and another with butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
I got a whirley pop a few years ago and this is a staple in my home. I use it to make kettle corn (better than any of that microwave stuff) and garlic popcorn using fresh garlic in the oil. So many ways you can do popcorn and definitely so inexpensive. We have movie nights all the time and popcorn is definitely a need when watching a movie. Best of all, you can make many flavors and batches. I would definitely suggest using a whirley pop though if you can afford to get one (http://whirleypopshop.com/).
This is the only way I make popcorn nowadays. I like it with LOL butter and salt. What’s funny is everyone raves about it and tells me I “have to make it!” when they come over. For whatever reason, they all consider too much work to make it at home.
I love stovetop popcorn! I substitute the oil for coconut oil. Gives it a slightly different taste. :)
The perfect ingredient to add to homemade pop-corn is nutritionnal yeast. Yes. It has a super-buttery flavour (no need to add butter), and it is much healthier than pre-made seasoning mixes. Just add salt with it. You should really try it, even though it sounds weird.
It never occurred to me no special stirring pot or air machine was needed to enjoy popcorn! This was on par with the best movie theater popcorn i’ve ever had – and I made it! My boyfriend wasn’t even hungry and was stuffing this popcorn in his face! I love how the more I read your blog, the more uncomplicated cooking seems.
I hadn’t made popcorn in so years but couldn’t get it out of my mind since reading this recipe a couple of weeks ago so I finally made some today. It was wonderful, thanks Beth! 2 tbsp is the perfect portion size. Now to figure out how my grandma made her sweet caramel popcorn…
A co-worker gave me a recipe that included 100 mini marshmallows, a cup of brown sugar, and a stick of butter. You microwave the ingredients for a minute, stir, and then microwave again for another minute. After that you pour the mixture on top of the popcorn and voila, you have something akin to caramel popcorn. It was so good but also so bad for you.
I freeze blue cheese and grate it on top of the popcorn. My other favorite is combining sriracha and softened butter. then freeze and grate!
Ooh, and I wanted to share a story: when we first moved to Canada, our neighbour gave my brother a HUGE bag of popcorn kernels as a welcome-to-the-neighbourhood gift and my father made him give it back because we didn’t have a popcorn machine.
Fast forward to when I entered university, I relayed this story to my boyfriend who laughed and made me a stove-top popcorn for me. I told my parents what he did and I don’t think they believed me until I made stove-top popcorn for them today.
Hahah, that’s awesome! (And sad that he had to give the popcorn back!)
We were indeed very sad. :)
Just made some with grape seed oil topped with chili powder. Next time, coconut oil and more chili powder!
As a special treat, try making stove-top popcorn with ghee (clarified butter). Ghee can handle the high temperature and imparts a buttery flavor that is delicious!
If you get unsalted butter on sale or at Aldi, you can make your own ghee relatively economically, although it will still be more expensive than (but also much more tastier than) canola oil.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I have always wanted to make non-microwave popcorn but didn’t want to have to spend money on a popcorn maker. You have changed my life forever, Beth!