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Best BBQ Popcorn

The Best BBQ Popcorn

Tess Ciarloni
Popcorn designed to taste like a slightly healthier version of your favourite BBQ chips.
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Course Snacks
Servings 1 large bowl

Ingredients
  

  • Spice Mix
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar Ideally dried out brown sugar so that it grinds easily
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked salt use regular salt if you don't have
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • a pinch of cayenne optional
  • Popcorn
  • 1/4 cup salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup popcorn kernels

Instructions
 

  • Add your brown sugar and smoked salt to a mortar and pestle and grind until you have a fairly fine powder.
  • Transfer this to a small bowl and add the remaining spices to create your BBQ spice mix.
  • Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Set aside once melted.
  • Meanwhile, in a large pot heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add 3-4 kernels to the oil.
  • Once those kernels pop, you know your oil is hot enough to cook the popcorn, so add the remaining kernels to the pot and cover leaving the lid slightly askew for steam to escape
  • Move your pot back and forth over the element as the kernels pop.
  • It should only take about 30 seconds or so for all your kernels to pop. Once the rate of popping has gone down and you only hear about 2 every second, you can take the popcorn off the heat.
  • Immediately dump the popcorn into a large bowl.
  • Start by drizzling 1/3 of the butter over the top of the popcorn followed by about 1/3 of your BBQ spice mix
  • Hold your bowl with both hands and gently toss the popcorn so that you have a fresh layer on top. Repeat the butter/bbq spice mix process.
  • Toss the popcorn again using your last 3rd of butter and the last bit of your spice mix
  • Enjoy!