Movie theater popcorn, but make it at home! Now you can get all the buttery goodness of movie theater popcorn in the comfort of your own home in just 10 minutes!

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This stovetop spiced butter popcorn combines the movie-theater butter vibes with a Mexican spice for a surprisingly satisfying flavor pairing. 

Who else is sick of buying overly-priced and overly-processed popcorn? A microwave bag of popcorn usually contains bad-for-you oils and dyes that we just do not need to be consuming! And don’t even get me started on the price of a bag of popcorn at the movie theater, it’s robbery! 

This stovetop spiced butter popcorn recipe will achieve the movie-theater popcorn of your dreams AND because it’s made with clarified butter (ghee) it will last for days. Whether you’re staying at home or venturing into a movie theater, you’ll want this popcorn recipe by your side.

How does the popcorn not get soggy? Like I mentioned above, it’s all about the ghee, a type of clarified butter. Ghee is just melted butter that has been simmered to the point where it’s pure butter fat. All the water in the butter has evaporated, so when you pour it over the popcorn, because there isn’t any moisture, it will stay crisp and not get soggy! 

Have I convinced you yet to make this popcorn? If I were you I would consider smuggling it into the theater with you the next time you go! ;)

Ingredients in Stovetop Spiced Butter Popcorn

Popcorn Kernels: Unpopped, whole popcorn kernels. 

Everything but the Elote Seasoning: Found at Trader Joe’s or can be made from a combination of salt, chili powder, cayenne powder, dried cilantro, and ground cumin.

Ghee: Clarified butter is key to this recipe. Don’t try popping your kernels with regular butter. A cooking oil or clarified butter is needed because they have a higher smoke point, meaning you can cook the kernels at a high temperature on the stove and they won’t burn. Ghee is shelf stable so you'll find it in the condiments aisle of the grocery store or here on Amazon.

Kitchen Tools Needed for this Recipe

• Deep pan with a lid
• Large bowl and small microwave safe bowl 
• Kitchen timer

 

How to Make Stovetop Spiced Butter Popcorn

Step One: In a large and deep pot, melt 2 tbsp ghee on medium heat. Add 3-4 test popcorn kernels to the pot and cover it with a lid. When the test kernels pop, turn the burner off and remove the pot from the heat.

Step Two: Add remaining ½ cup of popcorn kernels to the pot, cover it with a lid, and shake the kernels to distribute them evenly. Let the kernels rest in the melted ghee for 1 minute.

Step Three: After 1 minute is up, return the pot back to the burner on medium heat. Let the kernels cook, occasionally shaking the pot to distribute the heat evenly across the kernels. When the kernels begin to pop, let some air out of the pot by tilting the lid slightly ajar.

Step Four: You will know when the popcorn has completed cooking with the pops slow down to one every ~10 seconds. Remove popcorn from the heat and dump into a large bowl. Set aside.

Step Five: In your microwave, melt 2 tbsp of ghee in a small bowl for 30 seconds. Stir in 2 teaspoons of elote seasoning and ¼ salt and pour over the popped popcorn. Serve and enjoy!