Do you love popcorn, but hate the residue and chemicals from microwave popcorn bags? Love spicy food? Then you will love this easy spicy air popped popcorn recipe! It’s a delicious, healthy, guilt-free snack — perfect for kids, grown ups and everyone in between. 🙂
Among all the nicknames my husband has given me, “Popcorn Monster,” might be the most accurate. I blame my dad (who is probably reading this up in heaven, as he munches on a big tub of popcorn). 🙂
Anyway, to say I LOVE popcorn is an understatement. I inhale it so quickly that if you share a bowl of popcorn with me, you won’t get to eat a fair share of the bowl (hence, the nickname). Although I love popcorn, I really don’t like the microwave bagged stuff. Most of it leaves a nasty film on the roof of my mouth.
Investing in some sort of air-popped popcorn option is a good idea if you’re a popcorn lover and/or have popcorn lovers in the house. Options include electric air poppers, popcorn microwave bowls (used in this recipe), stove top methods or, my childhood favorite, campfire popcorn poppers. Years ago, I discovered the Presto Powerpop Popcorn Popper. It’s been so long that I can’t remember when or where I found it, but I do know that when my daughter went off to college not long ago, I bought her one of her own, for fear she’d sneak ours into her bag (she’s a popcorn monster too).
We have made popcorn the same way in our house for at least a decade. We just put some olive oil in the bottom of our microwave bowl (on top of the “power concentrator” disc), add whole popcorn kernels and some salt, microwave for 2 minutes (longer in our old microwave) and voila – yummy, relatively healthy popcorn, with no chemicals or weird film on the roof of your mouth! Every friend my daughter had growing up tasted our popcorn and went home asking their parents to switch from bagged microwave popcorn …
Recently, I learned of Just Spices, and when they offered to send me a sample of their Spicy Popcorn Seasoning, this popcorn monster said YES, I would love that! Typically, I shy away from popcorn seasoning mixes (I read labels, and I don’t like what I read on most). But Just Spices is exactly what they say in their name: just spices (no chemicals and/or flavor enhancers). And most of their ingredients are organic.
I also love spicy food … especially spicy snack food. Spicy potato chips have been my weakness lately, and even thought I eat the healthier kind, they’re still not something I want to reach for when the spicy snack attack hits.
In the realm of snack foods, air popped popcorn is relatively healthy. It’s high in fiber, gluten-free and is a low glycemic-index food (albeit at the high end of the low-GI foods). Popcorn is also a whole-grain food and contains a number of vitamins: folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6, A, E and K. A serving of popcorn contains about 8 percent of the daily value of iron, with lesser amounts of calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
According to the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (AGS): “The popcorn hull is the source of much of the food’s nutritional value. Hulls contain beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin that are important in maintaining eye health. They also contain polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties believed to protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the University of Scranton, PA, recently reported that popcorn contains up to 300 mg polyphenols per serving which is more than 60 percent of the polyphenols provided by fruits and vegetables in the average American diet.”
The AGS also points out that the above health benefits get diminished if you heap loads of salt, butter and/or margarine on your popcorn and recommends using olive oil, spices and herbs. Perfect! Because this tasty recipe does all of that. 🙂 Ok, so it would be healthier without the 1 Tbsp of olive oil, I’m sure, but it wouldn’t taste near as good (and spices would have a hard time sticking to it).
Here’s how I make my Spicy Popcorn:
- Pour in 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Add 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
- Microwave for 2 minutes (my old microwave took 2 1/2, so adjust for your microwave)
- Add 1/2 to 1 Tbsp Just Spices spicy popcorn seasoning while the popcorn is still hot and mix well (it depends how spicy you like it – I use 1 Tbsp)
- (optional) Sometimes, I like to add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of sugar to get a spicy/sweet combo
| Prep Time | 4 minutes |
| Servings |
large bowl
|
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup whole kernel popcorn
- 1/2 to 1 Tbsp Just Spices Spicy Popcorn Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
Ingredients
|
|
- Using a microwave popcorn bowl, insert the "power concentrator" disc into the bottom of the bowl (or follow whatever instructions required for your bowl).
- Pour 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil into the bottom of the bowl (on top of the disc)
- Put 1/3 cup whole kernel popcorn on top of the oil, making sure the kernels are spread evenly (they should do this naturally)
- Microwave for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, depending on your microwave (until all the popcorn is almost done popping - be careful not to let it burn in the middle)
- Remove from microwave and immediately remove the lid
- Add the popcorn seasoning and mix well - I like to add half the mixture while in the microwave bowl, then transfer it to a larger bowl and add the rest, so it's easier to mix it up. Important - add the seasoning while the popcorn is still hot so it sticks to the popcorn better.
- If desired, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp white sugar and mix.
- Enjoy!
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