Garlic Butter Popcorn

Everybody I know likes popcorn. What’s not to like? Salt, butter, crunch. Yum. Alex and I added a twist to the classic popcorn recipe using garlic butter.

Our salty, buttery popcorn is much tastier with a hint of garlic. It’s subtle but you will taste it. I promise you.

Every time we make it, I keep scooping handful after handful. Before I know it, I’m already at the bottom of the bowl.

The garlic pulp that is leftover from this recipe is a nice bonus for adding to steamed vegetables. I have yet to smear it on toast so I’ll report back when I try it.

Ingredients

Garlic Butter Popcorn ingredients

I like to use grass-fed butter. I buy Kerrygold in bulk from Costco because it’s easy. On our trip to Ohio during the summer, my friend Becky’s neighbor, Scott gifted us with raw butter from his Jerseys. That butter was such a rich, deep creamy flavor I wish I had some to add to this popcorn. It reminded me of home.

A sprinkling of salt from our salt grinder helps give us very fine-grained salt. Recently, I learned from my boss, Matt, that there’s such a thing as popcorn salt. It’s especially finely ground as large grains of salt (like kosher salt) don’t distribute easily in popcorn. I’ve never tried popcorn salt but I should give it a shot one time to see whether it is as powdered as salt from the grinder.

Hope you enjoy this popcorn with a good movie or Youtube binge.

Garlic Butter Popcorn

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For a twist on the classic popcorn recipe, this buttery popcorn carries a hint of garlic. It's subtle and sure to delight garlic lovers.  
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 10 ingredients or less, 5-minute recipe, gluten-free
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 261kcal
Author: Anna Rider

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) butter, Salted, preferably grass fed
  • 1/2 cup (82 g) popcorn kernels
  • 1/3 cup (45.33 g) garlic, Approximately 15 cloves
  • 3 tablespoon (3 tablespoon) canola oil
  • paprika
  • Salt

Instructions

Garlic butter

  • Heat butter in a tiny saucepan on medium-low heat. 
    Heat butter in pan
  • Squeeze all the garlic through the garlic press and add directly into the saucepan. Once the butter begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low. Stir periodically.
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-garlic through the garlic press
  • Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the butter into a small container. I use a tiny strainer.
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-drain the butter into a small container
  • Use a spatula to extract any remaining butter from the garlic pulp. Set the pulp aside. I like to spread it on bread like a jam or smear it on steamed vegetables. 
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-squeeze out all extra butter

Popcorn

  • Heat the canola oil in a giant pot on extra high heat. Get some oven mitts ready! Place a few corn kernels into the hot oil and cover with the lid. When the test kernels pop, the oil is hot enough. Carefully pour the rest of the corn kernels into the pan. 
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-corn kernels in hot oil in pot
  • Swirl the kernels in the hot oil. Pop the lid back on and put those oven mitts on.  
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-all kernels in the hot oil
  • Wait for the kernels to begin popping. Lift the pot with the lid on and shake the pot to ensure the kernels don't burn.
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-Garlic Butter Popcorn-watch popcorn pop
  • As the popcorn increases its popping tempo, continue to shake the pot. Be careful not to burn yourself! Once the popping slows down or stops entirely, turn the heat off immediately. 
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-shake the pot
  • Remove the pot lid and pour the popcorn into an extra large bowl. 
    Pour popcorn out
  • Pour the butter over the popcorn.
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-Pour butter over the popcorn
  • Sprinkle salt over the popcorn. Alex likes to use a salt grinder because it gets the salt very finely ground compared to regular table salt. The finer the grains, the better. Salt it to your taste. 
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-sprinkle salt on popcorn
  • Toss the popcorn to distribute the butter and salt evenly. Putting the butter on first helps the salt stick to the popcorn and not fall to the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika for extra flavor and color. 
  • Enjoy the garlic butter popcorn!
    Garlic Butter Popcorn-sprinkle paprika

Notes

The strainer I use to strain the garlic butter pulp is designed to strain tea leaves. You could use a bigger strainer or cheesecloth if you don't have a tiny strainer. 

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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What do you think? Do you like garlic butter popcorn better than the classic butter popcorn?

Anna looking down chopping vegetables
About Anna Rider

Hi! I'm Anna, a food writer who documents kitchen experiments on GarlicDelight.com with the help of my physicist and taste-testing husband, Alex. I have an insatiable appetite for noodles 🍜 and believe in "improv cooking".

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