I use blue popcorn. This will work with any variety of popcorn!
Measure out 1/3 c of popcorn kernels into a large microwave-safe bowl. I just use a glass mixing bowl, probably with a 1 gallon capacity. You may want to vary the amount of corn you use depending on the size of your bowl or the size of your microwave.
If you just want to make a single serving, use 2 Tb corn in a large soup bowl. This has been great for when my kids want to snack on some popcorn. I can make exactly as much as we want with really no hassle.
We've always popped our popcorn on its own, and then added seasonings after popping, but based on reader suggestions (thanks, guys!) after publishing this article, I've started adding oil & salt before popping. I use about 2 Tb oil and several grinds of sea salt, stir it into the kernels, and then pop as normal. I think it gives the popcorn a great texture to pre-season it, but it works both ways.
Whatever size bowl you use, just make sure you have a microwave safe plate that fits over the top. The plate will keep the popcorn in while letting steam out.
Microwave, covered with the plate, for about 3 to 4 1/2 minutes. Stay within earshot of the microwave during the last couple minutes, and pull it out as soon as the pops reduce in frequency to about 1 every 3 seconds. If you've ever made microwave popcorn before, it's the same thing here. If you let it go too long, it will burn, but you'll have a lot of unpopped kernels if you pull it out too soon.
Our favorite way to dress popcorn is with melted butter or olive oil, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce or Bragg liquid aminos. Add whatever you like to your popcorn and enjoy!
We buy our bulk organic popcorn from Azure Standard, a natural foods distributor. Below are Amazon Affiliate Ads. Any purchase made through them helps support our family. Thanks in advance!
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How to Make Microwave Popcorn in a Bowl
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Oleh
Mellow
41 comments
Write commentsHad to try it this morning! Worked fine, but in my micro, considerably longer than 3-1/3 minutes. May have been the microwave, or may have been lower moisture content in the corn. I'll be making it this way again. Thanks!
ReplyThanks for letting me know, Annie! I'll update the post- you're right, microwaves really vary in how long they can take.
ReplyI like this! I have got to try this! Easy peasy! :) Making me hungry! :) Thanks for kicking off a great party this week! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :)
ReplyThanks for linking back to the Gluten Free Fridays post!
We have a giveaway next week!!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
Thank you Cindy!
ReplyYikes! Why in the world would you want to nuke a perfectly good snack food????? Microwaves are so bad! This is so easy to do on the stove.
ReplyWe don't use the microwave for much, but I think it works great for popcorn!
Replyyou just rocked my world. i hardly use my microwave either, but i agree, there is a time and a place! like a craving for popcorn at 11:36pm! thanks!
ReplyThis my fave wAY TO MAKE POPCORN! aND WHY WOULDN'T YOU USE THE MICROWAVE? uSES MUCH LESS ENERGY THAN A STOVE BURNER.
ReplyCan you add oil and salt before popping?
ReplyThanks,
Kimberly in NC
You are brilliant, Kimberly. I'll make popcorn tomorrow and give that a try!
ReplyWe have a stovetop popper that we use almost every day. When my oldest son went away to college last fall popcorn was something he wanted but isn't allowed to have a hotplate in the dorms. So I found an older glass bowl and lid at a thrift store for him to take. He puts the oil and salt in before he pops the corn. We actually use a couple of chopsticks to prop up the lid for ventilation, http://www.schneiderpeeps.com/2012/08/preparing-for-college.html
ReplyThat's great! I do notice steam builds up in under the plate/lid, but it's not super tight fitting so it still can breathe a bit while it's cooking. I'll definitely try adding oil and salt before cooking next time! Maybe right now... ;)
ReplyI'm a new follower. This is so cool! I'll have to try it sometime. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyLynn
Popcorn is a weekly staple at our house, you are right, it is not complicated and serves as a healthy snack when its not cooked in bad oils. Thanks for sharing on Hearth & Soul Hop. :)
ReplyWhat a great idea! I am featuring it on the Hearth and Soul Hop this week.
ReplyThanks for the feature, Alea!
ReplyI'm going to have to try this. I LOVE popcorn.
ReplyAwesome! I personally hate using the stove because it makes the fire alarms go off EVERY SINGLE TIME we turn it on. I would rather use the microwave, but I like the healthier popcorn instead of the kind you buy in bags.
ReplyHa, yeah, that sounds like a good reason not to use the stove for popcorn! ;)
ReplyWow, this is so easy! Why did I think it was more complicated than this? We will definitely be giving this a try soon! Thank you!
ReplyI think my jaw dropped when I saw this after searching for microwave popcorn... Delicious!
ReplyOne comment is that my bowl gets really, really hot after microwaving for so long. Any thoughts on why? It's a ceramic bowl.
I've noticed some dishes just do that, I don't know why some get hot in the microwave and some don't. My glass bowl/ceramic plate combo also get really hot, enough that I need to use hotpads to get it out of the microwave, but it cools off quickly. I think it's just all that steam in there from the popping corn.
ReplySo glad I found your blog.Its exactly what I've been looking for and I will be back often!I'm going some of this popcorn right now!
ReplyI love this! We also have been making popped corn in the bowl we eat it in, but we've been using a large microwave bowl - I would MUCH rather use glass. Thanks so much for sharing. (visiting from What I Am Eating hop)
Reply~Taylor-Made Ranch~
Wolfe City, Texas
Love it!! I've got to pin this, if that's OK with you!
ReplyBut of course!
ReplyI'm going to have to try this! I've used a paper bag before (carefully watching so it doesn't burst into flame!), this seems much easier! Thanks so much for sharing on the Home Acre Hop! Nancy - http://homefront.prudentliving.com
ReplyMellow,
ReplyWanted to let you know I will be featuring this post on the Home Acre Hop tomorrow! Stop by and pick up your featured button!
Nancy On The Home Front
Thank you Nancy, that's lovely!
ReplyI saw this tip on FB about a month ago and I don't feel like my life has been the same since! We eat SOOOO much popcorn now. Looks like we have the same bowl & plate! LOL!
ReplyPopcorn is one of my favorite snacks, this is a great tip. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
ReplyHave a great weekend!
Miz Helen
This is ingenious! What a great idea...I had no idea that making fresh popcorn could be so quick and easy! Thanks for sharing... :)
ReplyGreat idea! We gave up our microwave a few years ago, but will pass this along to other folks who still have one. Thanks for sharing on Tuesday Greens!
ReplyTried this in a glass bowl and the bowl cracked into two giant pieces. I suspect the oil got to hot for it. I know my microwave is not that powerful, so I don't think it was the wattage or the time. Quite disappointing...
ReplyI'm sorry about your bowl! It's been fine with our glass bowl- or I wouldn't have written the article. Some dishes do heat up more in the microwave than others, for some reason. I would think all glass is microwave safe though, so that surprises me.
ReplyWhat oil do you recommend? Olive? Grape seed? Is butter ok?
ReplyI think organic pastured butter is the tastiest, and second best is coconut oil. As far as health, I believe those two plus olive & grape seed, as you mentioned, are the best for you.
ReplySo glad I found this! My friend from Russia tells me there is no microwave popcorn in her part of the county. This will be a great novelty to share when she gets home!
ReplyWorked great for me.. I was a little afraid, because putting 2 tbsp of popcorn in the microwave is about as close as one can get to putting nothing in the microwave.. Everyone knows you don't run a microwave with nothing in it... All kernels popped except for 1,, and it was light and fluffy.... In my hot air popper 70 percent did not pop, of the Orville Red brand.. And stove-top made them too tough to eat........
ReplyMy popcorn wouldn't pop all the way. Most kernels did but they were like 1/2 to 1/4 the size the should be. Then it also took 4 mins before 3 popped and then they mostly burned soon after that. Any reason why it wouldn't work for me? Maybe because I'm at a high altitude or the kernals could be old? Burnt popcorn is one of the most disgusting smells to me... Especially since I don't like popcorn that much in the first place lol
ReplyWeird! I do make popcorn this way all the time, and have very few unpopped kernels. I think yours must have gotten old, or spoiled in some way (moist, maybe?).
ReplyBurnt popcorn is horrid! And sadly a smell that's hard to get rid of. To avoid this next time (with fresh kernels) keep an eye on the bowl as it's microwaving, and listen hard for when the popping slows down. If they're not popping anymore, they're on their way to burning.