To all of you who are parents–do you remember what life was like before those little bundles of joy arrived? It wasn’t all that long ago for me, but I still have to squint my eyes and make my brain hurt to remember that at one point in my life, I didn’t have permanent snotty hand prints on the shoulders of every shirt I own. Or that back in the day, a basic trip to the grocery store didn’t involve a major strategic battle plan. In fact, it’s amazing how different life was back then. For me and my husband it involved a lot of kettle corn. When we got married, we received a Whirley-Popper from a good friend (who, ironically, is Kate’s mother-in-law and I didn’t even know Kate back then!) along with a bunch of gourmet popcorn and seasoning mixes. It quickly became our favorite kitchen appliance and just about every single night, we’d sit on our LoveSac (the only piece of furniture that would fit in our tiny apartment living room), watch movies, and chomp on bowls of hot, sweet kettle corn. Those were the days when we didn’t have to pause movies every 12.5 minutes to take turns dragging toddlers back to bed. Ahhh…kettle corn. For the record, as fun and carefree as those kid-less times were, it’s SO much better now, snotty hand prints and all 🙂
For those of you who love to buy bags of this at the fair, get excited because you can make it at home! And you don’t even need the fancy-schmancy popcorn popper. But beware: it’s highly addictive!
Stove Top Kettle Corn
Recipe by Our Best Bites
3 T canola or vegetable oil
1/3 C popcorn kernels
3 T granulated sugar
kosher salt
The recipe for kettle corn isn’t complicated–it’s the little tricks that matter. So I’m going to teach you all of my little tricks!
1. Place a large stock pot on the stove top. Set heat to medium-high. Add oil. While your oil is heating (it won’t take long), measure out your popcorn into a small bowl. Add sugar to the kernels. When it’s time to cook, everything moves very quickly, so it’s important to have it all ready to go.
Now, wait until you see your oil smoke. This is one little trick that a lot of people overlook, but it’s important. The smoke is very faint, but if you just stare at the pot (it helps to get down parallel to it), you’ll see little billows of smoke coming up. That’s your cue!
Pour popcorn kernels and sugar into the pot.
Immediately stir using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scraping sugar from bottom of pan. This step should only take about 10 seconds because I don’t want a lawsuit from someone who got pegged in the eye with a popping kernel. Got that? There’s your disclaimer. 10 seconds people!
Cover pot with lid. You will need to shake the pot with your hands and you’ll want to make sure the lid stays on, so I get a dish towel and drape it over like this:
Of course I had to let go to take the picture, so normally I would be holding the handles so the towel wouldn’t be dangling so dangerously close to the burner. I may be a klutz but I’m not an idiot!
Hold the pot by the handles in a way that you’re securing the lid on as well. Shake the pan side to side in all directions and up and down a few times. Do this every 20 seconds or so. It will keep the sugar from burning on the bottom and help the kernels to be evenly coated.
After a few minutes you should start hearing the pops. (If it doesn’t start popping after a few minutes, crack the lid to let some of the pressure out. Chances are when you put the lid back on, it will pop away). Continue the shaking every 20 second or so until you can tell almost everything is popped. Remove the lid and stir immediately.
Sprinkle Kosher salt to taste and then keep stirring. You can eat it warm right out of the pan (Disclaimer #2: caramelized sugar it HOT so don’t eat it right away.) or let it cool completely. It’s great either way!
Stove Top Kettle Corn
Description
A perfect late-night sweet treat…and fun to make, too!
Ingredients
- 3 T canola or vegetable oil
- 1/3 C popcorn kernels
- 3 T granulated sugar
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Place a large stock pot on the stove top. Set heat to medium-high. Add oil. While your oil is heating (it won’t take long), measure out your popcorn into a small bowl. Add sugar to the kernels.
- Wait until you see your oil smoke. That’s your cue! Pour popcorn kernels and sugar into the pot.
- Immediately stir using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scraping sugar from bottom of pan. This step should only take about 10 seconds. Cover pot with lid. You will need to shake the pot with your hands and you’ll want to make sure the lid stays on, so I get a dish towel and drape it over the top.
- Hold the pot by the handles in a way that you’re securing the lid on as well. Shake the pan side to side in all directions and up and down a few times. Do this every 20 seconds or so. It will keep the sugar from burning on the bottom and help the kernels to be evenly coated.
- After a few minutes you should start hearing the pops. (If it doesn’t start popping after a few minutes, crack the lid to let some of the pressure out. Chances are when you put the lid back on, it will pop away). Continue the shaking every 20 second or so until you can tell almost everything is popped. Remove the lid and stir immediately.
- Sprinkle Kosher salt to taste and then keep stirring. You can eat it warm right out of the pan (Disclaimer #2: caramelized sugar it HOT so don’t eat it right away.) or let it cool completely. It’s great either way!
Notes
- Great tip: Be sure to wait until you see your oil smoke. This is one little trick that a lot of people overlook, but it’s important. The smoke is very faint, but if you just stare at the pot (it helps to get down parallel to it), you’ll see little billows of smoke coming up. That’s your cue!
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Questions & Reviews
This is so good and easy to make! We love it and make it at least weekly
Nice Recipe! Will have to try them out tonight! Best kettle corn gourmet for sure.
Use coconut oil! My friend used it and it it sooooooo good!
This is still my go to recipe for movie night! Always a big hit. Thank you ladies for sharing!
I have a Whirly Gig and love it but I was wondering if you had any recipes for fruity flavored popcorns that I could make in it. Kinda like those Jell-o recipes that can be baked in the oven. Thanks!
hi, when do you turn the heat off?
When you’re done cooking it.
This is AMAZING! I thank you and my husband thanks you a thousand times over. I have one question: Have you ever tried making one batch right after another without washing the pot? I’m wondering if it will work without burning the sugar spots that are stuck to the sides….
I’m not really sure!
yes, i have tried it before you will just get specks of burnt sugar in your popcorn but nothing to worry about:)
I like the 1st step of heat up the oil completely is essential, this will ensure popcorns are crunchy.
I just made this and it was fantastic!!! Thanks for adding your special tips too.
My family loves kettle corn. It is always our special treat at the farmers market each week, but I never would have thought I could try it at home. Thanks so much for the recipe, we’ll be trying it soon!
I was thinking of doing “pink” kettle corn for my daughters Valentine’s party tomorrow, do you think I should add the red food coloring with the oil? Have you ever colored your popcorn? Hmm..
I found my way over here from Pinterest while looking for something easy for a Halloween party. And yes, I decided that stove-top popcorn was easy! It’s also cheap, which as a college student is probably the most important thing. Anywho, I experimented/practiced tonight and this is delicious! I didn’t have kosher salt on hand, but it still turned out great! Thanks for the easy and wonderful recipe! Your site is now in my favorites.
This is also really good with about 1 Tb of cinnamon added to it.
I love this one! I have made it twice in the last 3 days! I found it was easy to cut in half so I don’t feel as guilty when I eat the entire batch 🙂
Aaaaawesome! …in my Oprah voice I love kettle corn thanks!
Oh my Yum! My husband LOVES Kettle Corn. He is so happy right now!
This recipe is awesome. I have a son who loves kettle corn. He is now in 7th heaven now that we can make it ourselves. Thanks for the recipe.
Awesome! I just finished eating my bowl of popcorn and it was perfect. I have been buying bags of kettle corn in the chip isle for $3-4 a bag. Yikes! This is cheaper and does not have all the preservatives for shelf life. THANKS!!!!
Can you make it using one of those stir-crazy popcorn poppers? Just wondering if it is okay to put sugar in one of those poppers. If so, would you add it at the beginning, along with the popcorn? I’m curious to try it. I’ve done it on the stove top once and it got a little burnt on the bottom. Maybe it was because I didn’t stir it at the beginning.
Yep, you can for sure use that! In fact, it works way better than just in a regular pot. You’ll just want to start cranking right when it goes in and don’t stop until it finishes popping.
Great recipe. Have made kettle corn this way for years. Try brown sugar – it tastes like caramel corn!
Just wanted to let you know I made this today and followed your directions to the tee. I used a dutch oven. It turned out FABULOUS!! We usually buy a large bag at the craft fairs every fall and spend some big $$$….and this recipe tastes just like it!! Thank you so much for an awesome recipe!!
I have a question : I don’t have any popcorn kernels like that , but i do have bags of unpopped popcorn. Could i use that instead of the kernels like she used?
I’m not sure what you’re asking Haley- popcorn kernels are unpopped popcorn.
I mean ones that are in the bag with the butter on them , as compared to yours which don’t have butter .
Lol, so you’re talking about microwave popcorn? Should have said that! haha. I can’t say how that would turn out since those have oils, seasonings, and other substances in them. You’d have to experiment, but your best bet would be to just buy a bag of plain popcorn.
We love this stuff!!! My husband requests it all the time now and it is so easy! Thanks!
I am so excited to make this! I tried a kettle corn recipe a while back, and it just didn’t work. I’m positive yours will be great. I love that you have so many popcorn variations too. 🙂
It helps if you use a pot that has a see-through lid, that way you know when it’s done. Hope this helps!