Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Perfect popcorn at home starts with a plain brown paper bag

By

Popcorn is a go-to snack for some people and a movie theater treat for others. If you’re the latter and you’re craving popcorn due to the lack of movie theater popcorn available over the past year or so, you may want to check out this super-simple method of popping corn at home. With no special equipment or tools needed, this method turns out perfectly-popped corn in just minutes. The best part is, there are no chemical-stained, store-bought bags involved, so it’s better for you, too!

f

Microwave popcorn with real butter

Try this recipe for your next movie night. (Makes six cups.)

Recommended Videos

A few rules

  1. Use a plain paper bag with no writing or ink (the ink may not be microwave-safe).
  2. Listen carefully. All microwaves cook at different strengths, so don’t watch the clock; listen for popping sounds. When the popping slows down, the popcorn is ready. 
  3. Be careful when removing the bag from the microwave and when opening the bag. There is a lot of steam in the bag that can burn anything it comes in contact with. 

Ingredients and supplies

  • ¼ cup popcorn kernels
  • ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Clean brown paper lunch bag
  • Large microwave-safe plate
  • Oven mitts
  • Large microwave-safe bowl
  • Rubber spatula

Directions

  1. Place popcorn in a paper bag and drizzle with vegetable oil. Fold over the top of the bag three times so it is sealed tightly.
  2. Shake the bag to coat all of the kernels with oil before placing the bag on its side on the large microwave-safe plate. Shake the plate so the kernels sort into an even layer in the bag.
  3. Place the plate in the microwave and cook until the popping slows to one or two pops at a time. This should take around three to five minutes.
  4. Use oven mitts to remove the plate from the oven (the plate will be very hot). Set aside to cool slightly.
  5. Melt butter in the large microwave-safe bowl (big enough for the popcorn), cover, and heat in the microwave until melted.
  6. Use oven mitts to remove the bowl from the microwave. Carefully open the paper bag and pour the popcorn into the bowl with the butter.
  7. Use a rubber spatula to toss the popcorn and evenly coat it with butter. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tips

All you really need to make paper bag popcorn is kernels and oil, but you can subtract, substitute, and add ingredients once you get the hang of it.

  • If you don’t want to use oil or butter, you don’t have to. You can pop the corn in the bag dry and eat it as is. 
  • Sprinkle the popcorn with cinnamon and sugar after tossing it with butter to make a sweet and salty snack.
  • Toss popcorn with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and dried herbs for a savory snack without the extra calories of butter.
  • Use ranch seasoning or cheddar cheese seasoning to mix up the flavors of your popcorn. 
  • Toss popcorn with peanuts and chocolate (or caramel) chips for a quick dessert. 

If you weren’t craving popcorn before you read this, you probably are now. Give this simple method a try, and you’ll be serving up perfect homemade popcorn in no time.

Editors’ Recommendations

21Oak Contributor
21Oak Contributor
Former Digital Trends Contributor
How to make the perfect breakfast burrito at home
The breakfast burrito: Everyone's favorite grab-and-go breakfast is easier to make than you think
Breakfast burrito

Is there anyone who doesn't love a good, hearty breakfast burrito? These satisfying little bundles are an easy, delicious, hearty yet simple way to start any day. Or, for that matter, end any day. Breakfast burritos make for a divine dinner that absolutely everyone, including the kids, will love.

As popular as they are, though, breakfast burritos aren't necessarily something we often think to make for ourselves. We usually think of them as a grab-one-with-your-morning-latte-at-the-corner-store kind of food. But if you know how to make a breakfast burrito, you possess a skill that will make you pretty popular. And you'll probably save a ton when you're not dropping six bucks every morning for the corner store version.

Read more
This secret to a perfectly browned steak is almost impossible to believe
This counterintuitive method will give you a beautifully browned steak every time
Porter house steak

Every once in a while, a new piece of information goes against everything we've been taught, and it's pretty mind-blowing. It turns out, cursive is useless, Pluto isn't a planet, and we do carry around a calculator with us all the time (sorry, 1990s-era teachers). From time to time, these new truths also hit the food world, and when they do, it's pretty exciting.

For as long as we can remember, the key to a good sear on steak has been fat and fast, high heat. Anything else would create a grayish, lackluster piece of meat that was hardly appetizing. But there's a new trick in town about cooking steak — water. While cooking a steak in water sounds counterintuitive when it comes to proper searing, if done correctly, this technique can create a beautifully browned, perfectly seared, deliciously juicy piece of meat. So, how is this possibly the best way to cook steak, you ask?
Different types of browning in food
The science behind this new cooking method is pretty interesting. In cooking, there are two types of browning — caramelization and Maillard. Caramelization happens when sugars in certain foods are heated past 300 degrees Fahrenheit. When these sugars break down, we get browned, flavorful, sometimes jammy and sweet foods like caramelized onions. Maillard browning occurs when sugars and amino acids break down and reform in proteins like beef, pork, or chicken.
Why water works
Water has traditionally been the enemy of good browning because water turns to steam, which prevents pan heat from getting hot enough to create a proper sear, and that's where colorless meat comes from. If you cook your meat thoroughly this way, it will end up sear-less and gray, which is just gross, any way you slice it.

Read more
The 7 Best Popcorn Makers for Your At-Home Enjoyment

Sometimes all you want to do is kick back at home and binge your favorite Netflix series and movies. A high-quality surround sound system and comfortable couch are two essentials that make your home theater more inviting, but you'll need one more thing: Popcorn, of course. Whether you’re watching your favorite movie or series by yourself or you have company over, a popcorn maker can recreate the warm and welcoming movie theater experience. Plus, who doesn't like popcorn?

High-quality popcorn makers can generate delicious popcorn in just a few minutes. The result is much tastier (and healthier) than your everyday bagged kernels. You may be surprised, but sometimes it can be just as easy as tossing a bag of popcorn in the microwave, too.

Read more