Description
You have always bought hot popcorn from the market, right? If you haven’t thought of making it at home, this is your time to grab chili powder, paprika, salt, and cheese powder and pop them at home. These hot and spicy popcorn are great for late-night cravings, party snacks, appetizers, sports, or an exciting movie night.
Imagine you have a movie night with your people, and you get drinks, snacks, and candies, but still, it feels empty because popcorn is not on the list. Don’t worry; just keep some ingredients on hand and pop the fiery kernels without wasting a second. I Believe that movie nights feel special with popcorn, but they feel extraordinarily special with some spicy seasoned popcorn.
You have spent many dollars on store-bought hot and spicy flavored popcorn. You will be amazed that you can make them at home with minimal effort and many variations. I like spicy popcorn seasoning with chili powder, paprika, salt, and cheese powder.
I mostly made my popcorn in a Whirley Pop because I have never been a fan of the microwave method, plus it never leaves the old maids. The chemicals present in paper bags have many health issues. I have already explained the Whirley Pop method, so I will make it on the stovetop for your convenience.
Ingredients
- ½ cup / 75g popcorn kernels, or a bag of microwave popcorn
- 2 tablespoons coconut or avocado oil, for popping popcorn
- 2 tbsp butter, melted and unsalted
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 tsp cheese powder (optional)
Instructions
- Pop Two Kernels: Add coconut or avocado oil to the saucepan and set the heat high. Add two to three kernels into the pan and cover the pan. Wait until these kernels pop. Once they all pop, remove the pot from the heat and scoop out these two kernels.
- Let the Remaining Kernels Sit: Add the remaining unpopped kernels to the pan and put the lid back on. Shake the pan back and forth. Let it sit for 1 minute to help the kernels heat up evenly; otherwise, they will pop too early or burn easily.
- Pop The Rest of the Kernels: After a full minute, turn the heat to high and return the pot to the stove. Give the pan a shake to ensure the kernels heat up evenly. There is no need to shake it continuously, but occasionally. After just a few minutes, you hear the popping sound of kernels. The popping starts slowly and then ferociously after some time. After some time, the popping again becomes slow. When the popping is at a standstill or you can count three between consecutive pops, it means it’s time to remove the pan from the heat.
- Don’t Open Immediately: Let the popcorn sit for a minute to give the stubborn kernels a final chance to pop. When everything is calm, open the lid and put the popcorn in a large serving bowl.
- Make the Seasoning: Mix the melted butter, salt, chili powder, paprika powder, and cheese powder. Pour the seasoning on the popcorn and stir it to coat all the cloud-shaped popcorn evenly. Once coated, serve immediately. Enjoy it while watching television, a fiery sports match, or between Netflix episodes.
Notes
You can use a variety of spices like cayenne pepper, dried thyme, turmeric powder, or even mint powder. If you like extra heat, sprinkle a quarter cup of finely crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. You can drizzle a teaspoon of hot sauce while making the seasoning. Nowadays, many flavorings are used in making popcorn, especially theater caramel popcorn. I don’t like the idea of overloading them with a lot of sugar, so it’s not my thing. To level the spiciness, add a teaspoon of sugar to the seasoning.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizers
- Method: Stovetop (Whirley Pop / Saucepan)
- Cuisine: American, Mexican-Inspired