Since most of us either just heat up a bag of popcorn in the microwave or only eat it at the movies, it’s easy to forget how much we can do with popcorn besides simply buttering it. Explore other options and add some new flavors into your next batch with these 12 different ideas for salty, spicy, savory and sweet popcorn recipes.
All these recipes call for popcorn of some sort, so the choice is yours to heat up a bag of microwave popcorn, or make your own popcorn on a skillet. I suggest using plain popcorn without butter for the following recipes. For an even better experience, play the 1972 classic “Hot Butter” by Popcorn while testing these out.
Salty
Movie Theater Style Popcorn: OK, so I know I made a point to try something new with your popcorn. But let’s be real, it’s hard to beat a classic. Since popcorn at home never tastes the same as at the movies; I had to find a way to replicate it. No surprises here, this recipe calls for a stick of butter. Melt it in a small saucepan on low heat, drizzle over popcorn and sprinkle enough salt to your heart’s desire.
Ranch: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter with a 1 ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix; toss into popcorn with 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Season with salt.
Salt and Vinegar: Combine 1/4 cup malt vinegar and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a small spray bottle; shake to dissolve the salt.
Spicy
Sriracha: Mix 4 tablespoons of melted butter with 5 tablespoons of Sriracha sauce; toss into popcorn. For an added bite, squeeze half of a lime over the popcorn and enjoy.
Lemon and Lime: Mix 4 tablespoons of melted butter with 2 tablespoons of garlic salt, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Drizzle over hot popcorn.
Wasabi: Mix 4 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of wasabi and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Drizzle over hot popcorn and toss in 2 teaspoons of salt.
Savory
BBQ: In a small saucepan melt a stick of butter with 3 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce, continuously stir until sauce becomes thick (about 3 minutes) remove from heat and drizzle over hot popcorn. Top it off with bleu cheese crumbles.
Cheese: Toss hot popcorn with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup of grated parmesan; spread on baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 minutes and season with salt.
Sweet
Cinnamon Sugar: Drizzle 3 tablespoons of melted butter over hot popcorn; toss with 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Peanut Butter: Heat 4 tablespoons of honey and 1/4 cup of sugar over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Next, stir in a 1/4 cup of peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Pour over hot popcorn. For extra crunch add 1 cup of peanuts and toss.
Chocolate: Melt a stick of butter in saucepan at low heat. Add 1/4 cup of Hershey’s chocolate sauce and stir until smooth. Drizzle over hot popcorn.
S’mores: Follow the above chocolate recipe and add mini marshmallows and crumbled graham crackers.
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