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butter herb popcorn in a bowl on table.
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4.93 from 14 votes

Herb Popcorn (3-Min Savory Snack or Appetizer)

Need a super quick and easy appetizer or snack for movie night? Give this deliciously spiced herb popcorn made with a herby, lemony, garlicky, smoky, spicy seasoning blend a try. Crave-worthy!
Total Time3 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings (change as needed): 8 cups
Author: Cheryl Avrich
US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

  • 8 cups plain popcorn, Note 1 (try to buy no salt or lightly salted)

Herb seasoning blend

  • 3 tablespoon butter (or neutral tasting olive oil)
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or1 tsp granulated garlic powder)
  • 1 tablespoon dried herbs any combination of rosemary, thyme, basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (skip if popcorn or butter is salted)
  • optional: pinch of chili powder or cumin PLUS extra fresh finely chopped herbs to add at the end.
US Measures - Metric

Instructions

  • MAKE HERB SEASONING BLEND: Place seasonings, herbs and butter in a microwavable small bowl. Skip the salt if your popcorn or butter is salted. Microwave for 25 seconds or until butter mixture is melted. Stir.
    3 tablespoon butter , zest of one lemon, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon dried herbs , 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ADD MIXTURE TO POPCORN: Place popcorn in a large bowl. Pour over melted butter mixture and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add fresh chopped herbs if you like.

Notes

  1. Popcorn:
    • How much? A standard regular bag of microwave popcorn will make 10-12 cups (80-96 grams) popped popcorn. This recipe uses 8 cups (64 grams).
    • To make your own popcorn: Place 1 tablespoon oil in pot with a lid and heat to medium. Add 2-3 popcorn kernels and cover pot. When kernels pop, add the rest of the kernels and cover. Continue popping, shaking regularly, until popping stops and all (or most) of kernels are popped. Transfer to large bowl. Alternatively, pop kernels in an air popper if you have one.
  2. Variations: Use whatever herb blend you like - rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, sage, and parsely are all good choices. I would not skip the lemon zest and smoked paprika - they both add great flavor. 
  3. Make ahead and store: This herb popcorn recipe is best served fresh. If serving to company, I make the butter and seasoning mixture ahead, then pour it on just before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag for a day or two. 
 
Nutritional information is estimated for 1 cup (8 grams) of popcorn.
Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg