Craving salty, fluffy, warm popcorn? You can quickly enjoy delicious homemade stovetop popcorn using these simple directions.

Easy Homemade Popcorn in a white popcorn bowl.

Homemade Popcorn is one of my all-time favorite healthy snacks.

When I am making popcorn for just myself, I often use my super fast method for microwave popcorn. But when I want to enjoy a large batch of popcorn with my family for a game night or movie night, making popcorn on the stove is the way to go!

Reasons to Love Stovetop Popcorn

Wholesome. Popcorn gets a bad rap for being super high in sodium and fat, but popcorn kernels themselves are high in fiber, gluten-free, 100% whole grain, and low in fat. Stovetop Popcorn delivers all the benefits that popcorn has to offer and the taste you crave, without the abundance of salt and butter or additives found in store-bought popcorn.
Irresistibly Good. Making popcorn on the stove delivers fluffy, crispy, delicious popcorn with just the right amount of oil and salt.
Endless Variations. Start with this delicious version of salted stovetop popcorn and change the seasonings to your heart's content.
Affordable. You only need 3 affordable ingredients, popcorn kernels, oil, and salt to enjoy this homemade snack.

What You Need to Make Popcorn on the Stove

Popcorn kernels, oil, and popcorn salt on counter.

Oil: You want to use an oil with a high smoking point, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or coconut oil. I strongly suggest using coconut oil for making stovetop popcorn, as it has a high smoking point and it tastes like what you purchase at movie theaters.
Popcorn Kernels: Use yellow or white popcorn kernels for this recipe. As for what brand of popcorn kernels are best, I do have an opinion. My son once did a science fair project on which popcorn kernels are best. We tested every brand of popcorn we could get our hands on at least 10 times per brand of each popcorn. Orville Redenbacher Kernels pop up the fluffiest and leave the fewest unpopped kernels. However, if you consider the price per ounce, Wal-Mart store brand kernels were best. They left behind more kernels than Orville, but there was a cost-saving at the end of the day.
Salt: The best salt to use for homemade popcorn is table salt, super-fine salt, or salt labeled Popcorn Salt. The finer the salt, the better it will stick to the popcorn. Do not use kosher salt to season your popcorn.
Pan: Use a large 6 to 8-quart heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot with a well-fitting lid or a metal popcorn pan.

∗ Tips for Making Stovetop Popcorn∗

The process of making stovetop popcorn is incredibly easy, but I do have a few tips to keep in mind to ensure perfectly pillowy popcorn.

Start with a few kernels. It is best to start with only 3-5 kernels. Once a single kernel pops, you will know the oil has heated to the right temperature and can add in the remaining kernels.
Don't overfill the pan. For best results, only add enough popcorn kernels to cover the bottom of your pan. If you add more than that, the kernels are likely to heat unevenly, and you will be left with a lot of unpopped or burnt kernels.
Shake, shake, shake! Pick up your pan and give it a good shake every 30 seconds to mix the popcorn kernels. I strongly recommend picking up the pan to shake, so you don't scratch up your stove. This is especially crucial on an electric stovetop.
Listen closely. Once the popcorn kernels begin to pop, listen closely. When 2 to 3 seconds go by without hearing kernels popping, it is time to remove the pot from the stove.
Remove the lid immediately. It is essential to remove the lid immediately from the pan after popping the popcorn on the stove, so that the condensation that has formed from the heat will not drip down into the pan, making your popcorn soggy.
Season and serve. Immediately after popping the popcorn season it with salt and any additional seasonings, like melted butter, and enjoy the popcorn warm.

Stovetop popcorn in a white bowl that says popcorn with kernels and stovetop popper in background.

Seasoning Options

The options for how you season your homemade popcorn are endless. You can keep it simple by just finishing with salt, or you can opt to get a bit more creative with your popcorn seasonings.

Cinnamon Sugar: Combine 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar with ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and sprinkle over the popcorn after it has popped.
Parmesan: Grate parmesan cheese over freshly popped popcorn. While you can use parmesan from a canister, grating a wedge of Parmesan directly over your freshly popped popcorn will yield an insanely delicious snack.
Taco Seasoning: Add 2 teaspoons of homemade taco seasoning to the popped corn.
Italian Seasoning: Add 1-½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning along with ½ teaspoon of salt to the popcorn and toss together before serving.
Chocolate: Add mini chocolate chips to the popcorn after popping, and watch the chocolate melt into the popcorn, leaving you with a sweet and salty snack.

More Wholesome Snack Recipes

If you gave this stovetop popcorn a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Homemade Stovetop Popcorn

You can quickly enjoy delicious homemade stovetop popcorn using these simple directions.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 10

Servings:

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

▢ 2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil
▢ ½ cup popcorn kernels white or yellow
▢ 1 teaspoon popcorn salt or table salt

Instructions

Pour the oil into the bottom of a heavy 6-quart stainless steel pot that can be fitted with a lid or metal popcorn pot.
Add 2 to 5 kernels of popcorn to the pot and cover the pan with a lid. Heat over medium-high heat, shaking occasionally until you hear one kernel pop.
Once you hear a kernel pop, remove the lid, and in the remaining popcorn kernels.
Cover the pan and every 30 seconds, pick up the pan to shake up the popcorn kernels. I strongly recommend picking up the pan to shake, so you don't scratch up your stove. (If you have a metal popcorn pan, turn the handle continually while the popcorn is popping.)
Once the popcorn kernels begin to pop, listen closely. When 2 to 3 seconds go by without hearing kernels popping, it is time to remove the pot from the stove.
Remove the lid from the pan immediately. Season with salt and stir or shake to coat. Serve immediately.

Equipment Needed

Stovetop Popcorn Popper

Notes

Not all kernels will pop. That's okay. Simply discard those kernels. Don't try to continue cooking to get them to pop, as that will cause the popcorn to burn.

Storage: Let the popcorn cool to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container for up to 24 hours at room temperature. While safe to enjoy well past 24 hours, I find that the popcorn will begin to taste stale and past that point.

Buttered Popcorn: Drizzle the popped popcorn with up to 4 tablespoons of melted butter before serving.

Salt: Use table salt if you don't have iodized salt. And adjust according to your preference.

Nutrition

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