How to make your microwave popcorn really pop with flavor

One of the best things about microwave popcorn is how little you have to do to it. Pull a bag out of the package, toss it in the microwave, wait just long enough to not scald your fingers (been there), tear open the bag and eat. You don’t even have to pour it into a bowl if your impatience won’t allow it.

So do you need to improve on microwave popcorn? No. But should you open up your pantry and give it a try? Yes.

Microwave popcorn flavors typically revolve around varying degrees of butter and salt. That’s only the tip of the iceberg, though, when it comes to flavors and additions that can take this snack aisle staple to the next level.

“It’s a blank canvas, and it’s fun to experiment,” says Karen Brittain, owner of Vermont-based Karen’s Artisan Popcorn, whose line includes such wide-ranging ingredients as chipotle, maple, rosemary and cardamom.

Whether you start with a bag out of the microwave or pop your own corn, it doesn’t take much in the way of effort or ingredients to whip up your own custom batch. Here’s how.

Pick the right popcorn

There’s no denying that the very best popcorn is one you pop yourself. If you go that route, Brittain recommends mixing a few heirloom varieties (blue, red, yellow) for a range of sizes and textures. If you want to take the microwave shortcut, give yourself a leg up by picking the best grocery store option. In our blind taste test, Jolly Time Simply Popped Butter took top honors, followed closely by Orville Redenbacher’s Butter. Go for the regular butter option over “movie” butter so your additions aren’t overpowered, recommends Madison Paap, owner of Popcorn Monkey in Manassas, Virginia. Lightly salted selections are a good alternative, too.

Apply the toppings evenly

Most of the time, simply dumping your flavorings of choice on top of a bowl of popcorn isn’t going to cut it. You may end up with bits that fall to the bottom of the bowl, only a superficial layer on top, uneven pockets of seasoning or a combination thereof. In some cases, the tackiness of hot popcorn might be enough to get things to stick, Paap says, but the safest option is to use a small amount of neutral oil. She prefers a two-pronged approach, tossing the popcorn first with some of the dry seasoning, then combining a bit more with oil and tossing that mixture in, as well. If you’re feeling extra fancy, briefly heat your oil (or butter) with your spices or herbs to bloom their flavors. You’ll find that strategy in this Herbed Popcorn. Brittain likes misting the popcorn with oil (olive, neutral or coconut), too.

Give yourself plenty of room to toss and stir the popcorn without making a mess. A large bowl is ideal. Brittain recommends using a wide, flexible utensil to stir things together to avoid crushing the kernels. A pancake or silicone spatula works well, she says. Or go right in there with your (clean) hands.

As to how much seasoning to apply, it depends on what you’re using and your personal preference. Paap suggests starting with 1 tablespoon seasoning per bag of popped popcorn (about 11 cups), while Brittain recommends closer to 1 teaspoon for that amount. Still, both agree on the most important part: You can always add more seasoning, but you can’t take it away, so start conservatively and go from there.

Add some (but not too much) salt

While salt is already in many microwave popcorn options, there’s a decent chance you will want to add a little more to round out your custom flavor. Before you start, taste the popcorn as is so you can make an informed decision about how much, if any, to supplement with. Table salt works well, Paap says, but she likes extra-fine popcorn salt for the most even coverage. Larger-grain salt may more readily fall to the bottom of the bowl and can overpower the other flavors in a single bite.

If you have swankier options such as smoked, black lava or pink Himalayan salts, now’s the time to bust them out, Brittain says. They’ll add color and multidimensional flavor, though it’s best to grind or crush them to a finer powder so they adhere better to the popcorn.

Create your custom flavor

To season your popcorn, you can go sweet, savory or somewhere in between. “Don’t be afraid to raid your spice cabinet,” Paap says. Even the “weird flavors … work great,” she says, noting that some of Popcorn Monkey’s most eclectic, popular flavors (“swamp venom,” ghost pepper) actually started off as rib rubs. Spice-and-herb blends, such as furikake, za’atar and everything-bagel spice, are great ready-made possibilities that can add both flavor and texture. Old Bay is a Mid-Atlantic classic.

While mixing-and-matching dried herbs and spices is always a good way to go, don’t overlook the more esoteric options lurking in your pantry or on store shelves. Mustard powder stars in one of Brittain’s customer favorites, while cheese powder (typically cheddar) can pair especially well with buttered popcorn, Paap says. (Nutritional yeast is a common vegan alternative.) Tomato powder, made from dehydrated and ground tomatoes, can deliver enticing tang.

As to sweet, you can toss the popcorn with your choice of sugar, though, again, more finely ground options, such as superfine or confectioners’, are preferable. Naturally, Vermont resident Brittain is inclined to maple sugar. Ellie Krieger’s recipe for Maple Peanuts and Popcorn tosses the popped kernels with a hot mix of peanuts and maple syrup for a lovely, crackling glaze. Brown sugar and coconut sugar — Brittain likes to combine the latter with a bit of cocoa powder — are nice, as well. A drizzle of chocolate or caramel (or both!) can add instant flair.

A combination of sweet and heat makes a fine addition. Pair chocolate or caramel with a pinch of chile flakes, splash of sriracha or other hot sauce, or dab of gochujang, all of which can be combined with whatever oil you’re tossing the popcorn with.

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Maple Peanuts and Popcorn

4 cups lightly salted popcorn, either home-popped or packaged

½ cup (2½ ounces) unsalted peanuts

2 tablespoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

Place the popcorn in a large bowl.

In a medium, nonstick skillet, stir together the peanuts and maple syrup until combined. Add the salt and set the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the syrup has formed a thick, deeply caramelized coating for the peanuts, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the maple-glazed peanuts on top of the popcorn in the bowl. Using a large spoon, toss well to combine, then let cool completely. The popcorn will be flecked with the maple glaze and some clumps of peanuts and popcorn will form. The nuts will become crunchier as they cool.

Makes 2-3 servings; about 4½ cups.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Nutrition per serving (1½ cups), based on 3 | 208 calories, 6 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 225 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar

— From cookbook author and registered nutritionist Ellie Krieger