Food and Recipes Kitchen Assistant How To Make Popcorn On The Stove 5.0 (1) 1 Review Leave behind the bag, and learn how to make popcorn on the stove for the freshest possible pop. By Elizabeth Nelson Elizabeth Nelson Elizabeth Nelson is a professional recipe developer, writer, and recipe editor with over 10 years of experience. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on June 8, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 4 Making popcorn at home is an easy upgrade for movie night. It's just as easy to make popcorn on the stove as it is in the microwave, and it's cheaper as well. Once you learn how to make popcorn on the stove, you won’t go back to the bag. Ingredients for Stovetop Popcorn You need just three ingredients to make stovetop popcorn. From there, you can get creative with seasonings and other ingredients. Neutral oil: We recommend using vegetable or canola oil for popping popcorn for its higher smoke point.Popcorn: You can use any variety of popcorn kernels you like. Yellow popcorn is the most common variety you’ll see at the grocery store.Salt: A sprinkle of salt helps enhance the flavor of the popcorn.Toppings: Entirely optional, but you can choose to stay classic or get creative with different flavor combinations. We have a few ideas below. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox How To Make Stovetop Popcorn It takes about 10 minutes to make popcorn on the stove. Here's a brief outline of the process; the full recipe is further below. Step 1. Warm oil: Add the oil and a few popcorn kernels to the pan. Cover, and heat over medium (moving the pan constantly), until you hear the pieces of popcorn in your pan pop.Step 2. Pop kernels: Pour the rest of the popcorn kernels into the pan, and keep the pan moving constantly while the popcorn pops. Keep the pan moving over the heat until the popping sound slows to 1 to 2 seconds in between pops. For best results, crack the lid slightly as you’re making the popcorn to let the steam escape.Step 3. Add seasonings: When finished, pour the popcorn into a serving bowl, and add any toppings you like. Popcorn Toppings We love popcorn with just a little salt, but there are so many other creative ways to season popcorn. Here are a few of our favorites: Ghee or clarified butter: Ghee is a type of clarified butter, and it's perfect for popcorn because it has less water than regular butter. Using ghee instead of regular melted butter helps keep the popcorn crispy. If you’d like to make your own clarified butter, follow our how-to guide. Flavored salt: Anything from seasoned salt, smoked salt, Tajin, or fancy flavored salts from the farmers' market can make a fun topping for popcorn. Bacon: Follow our bacon popcorn recipe to learn how to use bacon grease in place of oil to pop popcorn. Salt-free seasoning blends: If you’re looking to reduce sodium in your diet, you can add plenty of flavor to your popcorn by using a salt-free seasoning blend or adding ingredients like smoked paprika or dried dill to your popcorn. Our Tips for the Best Stovetop Popcorn It doesn't take a lot of time to make stovetop popcorn, but it does take some skill. Here are our best tips for perfect stovetop popcorn every time: Store your unpopped popcorn properly. Keep the kernels in a tightly sealed container (or bag) in a cool, dry place. Don’t store them in the refrigerator, as it’s too humid.Use a large enough pan. The kernels may not seem like much when they go into the pan, but popcorn expands a lot in size once it’s been popped. Choose your pan based on the amount the popcorn will make after it’s popped.Keep the pan moving. Swirl and shake the pan as it’s over the heat so the popcorn will be less likely to burn.Don’t turn up the heat too high. Heating the oil and popping the popcorn over medium heat helps keep it from burning.Crack the lid a little bit to let the steam escape while cooking. As steam builds in the pot while the popcorn pops, it can make your popcorn soggy. Cracking the lid a bit can help let the steam out, keeping your popcorn crisp. Ingredients 3 Tbsp. neutral oil (such as vegetable oil or canola oil) 1/2 cup popcorn kernels 1 tsp. kosher salt Melted ghee or butter (optional) Directions Warm oil: Add oil and three of the popcorn kernels to a 4 quart, heavy-bottomed pan covered with a lid. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Add remaining kernels: Heat over medium, keeping the pan moving, until you hear the popcorn pop. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Add the remaining kernels and continue to swirl or shake the pan to keep everything moving. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Pop kernels: When the popping sound slows to 1-2 seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat and pour the popped popcorn into a serving bowl. Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Toss with salt and melted ghee (if using). Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Frequently Asked Questions What kind of oil is best for popping popcorn? The best oil for popping popcorn has a neutral flavor with a higher smoke point, like vegetable or canola oil. You can also use coconut oil, but it will impart a bit of flavor to the popcorn. Olive oil can be used, but you’ll need to watch your heat carefully to keep it from burning. What is the difference between yellow and white popcorn? There are several heirloom popcorn varieties on the market, but you're most likely to see yellow popcorn at the grocery store. The kernels are larger (and pop larger) and have a bit of a yellow tint once popped. White popcorn kernels are smaller and more tender than yellow. Once popped, though, they taste fairly similar to one another. Rate It Print