Kid-Friendly Microwavable Popcorn | America's Test Kitchen Kids

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Cinnamon-Malt Popcorn Parmesan-Herb Popcorn Sriracha-Lime Popcorn

The best microwave popcorn is the kind you make yourself.

Prepare Ingredients

¼ cup

popcorn kernels

½ teaspoon

vegetable oil

1 tablespoon

unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon

salt

Gather Cooking Equipment

Clean brown paper lunch bag

Large microwave-safe plate

Oven mitts

Large microwave-safe bowl

Rubber spatula

1

¼ cup

popcorn kernels

½ teaspoon

vegetable oil

Place popcorn kernels in clean brown paper lunch bag. Drizzle kernels with oil. Fold over top of bag three times to seal (do not tape or staple).

2

Shake bag to coat kernels with oil, place bag on its side on large microwave-safe plate, and shake kernels into even layer in bag.

3

Place plate in microwave and cook until popping slows down to one or two pops at a time, 3 to 5 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove plate from microwave (plate will be very hot, ask an adult to help). Set aside to cool slightly.

4

1 tablespoon

unsalted butter

Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl (big enough to hold popcorn), cover, and heat in microwave at 50 percent power until melted, 30 to 60 seconds. Use oven mitts to remove bowl from microwave.

5

¼ teaspoon

salt

Carefully open paper bag (be careful of hot steam) and pour popcorn into bowl with melted butter. Use rubber spatula to toss popcorn with butter. Sprinkle with salt. Serve.

Food for Thought

Do-It-Yourself Microwave Popcorn

Microwave popcorn is a great idea—in theory. But most packaged options have a long list of unnatural ingredients and don’t taste very good. This fun recipe turns a plain old brown paper bag—the kind you might use to hold your lunch—into a microwave-safe package for popping corn kernels.