How to Pop Microwave Popcorn On The Stove

Those who love popcorn will understand when I say that I go to great lengths to make popcorn, especially on movie night. I have cooked microwave popcorn with a microwave and without.

The thing is, I do a lot of traveling on the road and staying in bed and breakfast hotels that sometimes provide you with every possible amenity except, you guessed it, a microwave.

As a popcorn lover, I know you won’t find it strange when I tell you that I do pack my own microwaveable popcorn to cook whenever the mood hits me, which is often. The latest bed and breakfast I stayed in did not have a microwave but did have a stove.

This is how I found out that it is possible to cook microwave popcorn on a stove. And quite successfully, I might add. When it comes to how to pop microwave popcorn on the stove, knowledge really is power.

If you think about it, microwave popcorn contains seasoning, oil, and popcorn. These are the same ingredients you need for cooking regular popcorn on a stove, and here’s how you do it.

Empty the microwave popcorn bag into a pot on a regular stove, add the seasoning and add extra oil. Turn up the heat on the stove until you hear all the popcorn pop. Don’t forget the put the lid on.

See?

Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy

When you get the hang of this, you will soon realize that there really isn’t anything out of the ordinary about cooking pre-packed popcorn meant for the microwave or the stove.

It isn’t really much different from regular, store-bought, non-microwavable popcorn, other than the fact that it comes packed with butter flavoring, salt, and oil, whereas in the store, you need to purchase all these ingredients separately.

Thus, when all you have is a stove to work with, all you need to do is to pretend that your microwaveable popcorn is regular popcorn and act accordingly.

popcorn in microwave

How To Use The Stove To Pop Microwave Popcorn?

Pop microwave popcorn on the stove by treating the microwave popcorn like a regular bag of popcorn and using the stove like you normally would.

Basically, most people who have a bag of microwave popcorn with them on vacation expecting every rental they find to have a microwave could be wrong, just as I was.

Thus, when you know how to cook every type of popcorn on the stove or any other device other than a microwave, your travel buddies will treat you like a hero.

I would even go as far as to call this a life skill.

Being in total control no matter what device you have for cooking a microwave-only popcorn bag will enable you to enjoy popcorn no matter what the situation is and whenever you feel a craving for popcorn.

It also saves you from having to go to the store just to buy everything separately.  You can even get creative and mix in various seasonings when you use a stovetop, including sugar and cinnamon!

There are endless ways you can creatively cook popcorn on a stove. Your friends won’t get over how skilled you are as a human.

Cooking Popcorn On The Stove in 5 Steps

The steps for cooking microwaveable popcorn on the stove are quick and easy. Once you follow all the steps for how to pop microwave popcorn on the stove, you should be good to go.

1. Get a lidded pot the same size you would cook spaghetti in.  Remember, kernels need room to pop evenly throughout the pot.

2. On the bottom of the pot, put a tablespoon of oil and turn the stove on and set it to medium. Microwave popcorn comes with a butter pack, so you won’t need much oil. Of course, you can add more oil if you feel like it.  You can add any oil that is available. This includes corn oil, vegetable oil, palm oil, or coconut oil. You can even add flavorings such as herbs, salt, or pepper if you prefer.

3. Open the microwave using scissors and pour out the kernels into the pot. Use a spoon if it has been pre-coated with oil or better. Scoop extra butter off the bag sides and add this in, as well.

4.  Once you have covered the pot, you will hear the kernels begin to pop after a few seconds.  Over the burner, gently shake the pot to distribute and turn the kernels over without actually having to open the lid. Tempted as it may be, do not open the pot’s lid to give it a stir.

5. When you hear the pops beginning to slow down, turn off the flame and check the popcorn by smelling them or looking at them. A transparent lid would actually help you see what is going on within the pot. When kernels look somewhat beige or brownish, then you can take these out and keep popping the rest. 

You will soon get the hang of it once you are familiar with this process. Knowing how your stove burns or which temperature gives optimal popping without burning should come with time.

Becoming familiar with the stove you are using, whether it is an electric or a regular flame burner, will enable you to determine which temperature works best at popping corn without burning the kernels.

Creative Recipe Tips

Butter, sugar, and cinnamon make a great popcorn recipe that very few people will know how to do! Impress your friends with different flavors, both savory and sweet.

For a healthier option, season your popcorn with olive oil and garlic. Everyone knows that garlic is the world’s strongest antibiotic that comes packaged in a delicious little clove you can grate into your popcorn.

Melt caramel on top of your popcorn while it’s still hot to get maximum melted satisfaction in your mouth. Mix in some butter with the caramel for an extra satisfying, gooey dessert.

You can use great ingredients such as the top-of-the-line microwaveable popcorn brand you can find. You will be more pleased with the results, guaranteed. After all, quality does matter, even if it’s just popcorn!

Use cooking oil with a higher smoke point such as peanut oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil for better results.

Party Tips for Large groups

Use five packs of microwaveable popcorn on your stove if you are serving a larger group. DIvide the large batch of popcorn into smaller bowls, each with a different flavor. Get creative with flavor using savory ingredients such as salt, chili, paprika, dried herbs, and Italian seasoning for one batch.

Use sweet dessert ingredients for the other batch, such as butter, sugar, cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, and sugar syrup. You may soon be known as the popcorn king or queen among your friends with your amazing popcorn know-how.

Stove-Top Microwave Popcorn Recipes:

1. Popcorn Trail Mix

When you are traveling or are on a camping trip with a bag of nuts, dried fruit, and microwave popcorn, you can make your own Popcorn Trail Mix right on the stovetop.

The ingredients include:

1 bag Microwave popcorn

1 bag nuts

1pack dried fruit

Make the popcorn on the stovetop and make sure all the kernels are popped. Once all the kernels are cooked, cool the popcorn. Add in the nuts and dried fruit. Mix everything together for a great movie trip or for bonding around the campfire.

2. White Chocolate Popcorn

Nothing can be more delicious than white chocolate popcorn. Remember that when the melted chocolate dries, it hardens. This means that you can form each batch into muffin-sized balls, and the kids can even help! This is a great idea for snack time or for a crafting workshop by the campfire.

You will need:

1 bag of microwave popcorn

1 bar of white chocolate

When all you have is a bar of white chocolate and a few packs of microwavable popcorn, you can make an amazing snack no matter where you are. All you need is a stove or a bonfire.

In the pot, cook the microwave popcorn over the fire. Once all the kernels have popped, add in the pieces of white chocolate from the chocolate bar you brought as a snack. Add in the pieces while the popcorn is hot to melt the chocolate. Add in 2 tablespoons of oil and mix everything together. Enjoy your gooey, deliciously sweet dessert.

3. Marshmallow Popcorn

Marshmallow popcorn is a great way to entertain and feed the kids simultaneously. All you will need are the following ingredients:

1 bag microwave popcorn

1 bag marshmallows

Cook the microwave popcorn on the stove and make sure all the kernels have popped. Shake the pot a few times to make sure. Add in a bag of marshmallows and stir this around until the marshmallows melt. You can form the gooey marshmallow into balls and serve them in cupcake liners, which the kids will love, as well.

The kids can even help you form the marshmallow popcorn into large balls. Remember to make sure that the batch you made has cooled before the kids help you. You can create wonderful memories around the campfire or even just at home with this delicious treat!

Fun Facts About Popcorn

The Popcorn Diet

You might want to experiment with dozens of recipes and go on the popcorn diet as you begin to explore the wonderful world of flavoring popcorn. All you need to do is to replace one meal with popcorn. Combine this with exercise and a healthy diet for the other meals, and you will start to see real change in a week or two. 

A serving of popcorn has almost four grams of fiber, one gram of fat, and around a hundred calories when eaten plain. This varies depending on what flavor you decide to add to your freshly popped corn. Nonetheless, as a snack or a meal replacement, you can’t ask for a more filling, healthy snack food that is also rich in antioxidants.  In fact, it is a powerhouse of nutrition with more polyphenols than veggies and fruit.

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