Free Recipe · Stovetop Popcorn from Scratch
Three ingredients, one saucepan, and a trick that means you never burn a batch again.
Popcorn from scratch takes three ingredients and about 15 minutes on the stovetop, and the trick to getting it right every time is to drop in three kernels first: once those three pop, the oil is at the perfect temperature for the rest.
Who needs microwavable bags when you can make the most DELICIOUS popcorn from scratch? I promise, once you have tried my stovetop method you will never look back.
The key to perfect popcorn is getting the temperature of the oil jussst right. Not too hot, not too cool. But I never bother with thermometers and the like, I just do my three kernel trick. Once those three kernels have popped, you know the oil is ready. Works every time.
Then comes the part that makes people ask what you did to it. Seasoning it with my No-Chicken Chicken Salt is the whole difference between plain popcorn and the bowl that disappears in ten minutes. It is the perfect blend of salty, slightly sweet and full of flavour, and it is made entirely from wholesome organic plant-based ingredients. Give it a go, and let me know what you think.
Meet the seasoning
Takeaway flavour, no nasties in sight
No-Chicken Chicken Salt
Pink salt, organic rapadura sugar, organic garlic, organic onion, organic nutritional yeast flakes, organic sesame seeds and organic celery seed. No MSG, nothing artificial, completely vegan.
Shop now →Watch
Watch me make it, three kernel trick and all
If you would rather see it than read it, here is the whole thing start to finish, including the moment those first three kernels go in.
Alyce's Perfect Popcorn
Serves 6 · Prep 5 min · Cook 10 min
Ingredients
The Tools
Does all the flavour work, straight from the bag, no heat needed.
Shop now →Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish (one with a lid) over medium heat.
- Once hot, add 3 popcorn kernels and put the lid on. Once those 3 kernels have popped, the oil is at the right temperature, so add the remaining kernels.
- Shake the saucepan gently with the lid slightly ajar so steam can escape. Keep shaking gently every minute or so while the popping continues. Once the popping slows to one every couple of seconds, remove from the heat.
- Tip the popcorn into a large mixing bowl and discard any unpopped or burnt kernels. Add the No-Chicken Chicken Salt and toss to combine.
To finish
Best enjoyed warm, straight away, tipped into the biggest bowl you own with an extra pinch of salt over the top.
Notes and tips
With this method there should not be too many unpopped or burnt kernels left in the bottom of the pan. If there are, the oil was probably a little too hot when the rest of the kernels went in.
Grapeseed oil is my pick for flavour and price, but you can use literally any oil you like here. They all work. It is just about the flavour you want to be left with.
To keep leftovers, let the popcorn cool completely first, then store it in an airtight container. Warm popcorn in a sealed container goes soft.
Popcorn questions, answered
How do I know when the oil is hot enough for popcorn?
Use the three kernel trick. Drop exactly three kernels into the hot oil and put the lid on. When those three pop, the oil is at the right temperature and the rest can go in. No thermometer needed.
Why do you leave the lid slightly ajar?
So the steam can escape while the kernels pop. A sealed lid traps the steam and softens the popcorn.
How do I know when the popcorn is done?
Listen rather than look. Once the popping slows to about one every couple of seconds, take the pan off the heat. Waiting for the popping to stop completely is how you end up with burnt kernels.
What oil is best for stovetop popcorn?
Grapeseed oil is my pick, for flavour and for price. It is neutral, so it gets out of the way and lets the seasoning be the thing you actually taste, and it is affordable enough that I never think twice about using a cup of it.
If price were no obstacle, I would use macadamia oil. And if you are choosing on health grounds, a neutral-tasting or deodorised coconut oil is another one I would happily reach for.
But honestly, you can use literally any oil you like. The choice is entirely up to you. They all work. It is just about the flavour you want to be left with at the end.
How do I store leftover popcorn?
Let it cool completely, then put it in an airtight container. It is genuinely best warm and fresh, so make it when you want to eat it.
Which blend to reach for
No-Chicken Chicken Salt is my pick, and it is the one in the recipe above. It is savoury with that faint sweet edge that makes chicken salt what it is, which is exactly what a hot bowl of popcorn wants.
If you want something really different, go the Instant Italian Salt. It is basically what you would get if pizza shapes and popcorn had a baby, and it is the one that surprises people most.
And then there is Bolognese Boost Salt, which is Chef Joel's pick. Joel helps Mum and me make the salts, he has worked in some seriously fancy restaurants, and Bolognese Boost on popcorn is the one he swears by. Worth a try on his say-so alone.
No-Bacon Bacon Salt is smoky with just enough sweetness behind it, and The Original Flavour Bomb Salt is the big umami all-rounder. Honestly, all five work. Half the fun is working out which one is yours.
Which salt goes on your popcorn?
No-Chicken Chicken Salt is my pick, but every one of the five blends works on a hot bowl of popcorn. The Starter Pack is the easiest way to try them all and settle it for yourself.
