Ever wonder what makes “movie theater” popcorn taste so good? If you’re wondering if a special ingredient is used…you are right.

The Super Bowl is right around the corner. I want to share this concoction with you in case you are planning to host friends and family at your home and want to surprise them with an authentic treat.

My husband, recently hosted a guys night at our home, and he wanted to make real “movie theater” popcorn to enjoy for a big fight on Pay Per View. He set out to discover the secret of “theater popcorn” and what makes it taste so good and be so addictive. He discovered that the recipe is pretty easy, if you have the right ingredients.

Watch a Video on Making Movie Theater Popcorn on YouTube

You can also check out my Youtube Video for making authentic style “movie theater” popcorn HERE.

You will also want to know how to clean the machine, so you can view that HERE!

New video released August 2022 How to Make Kettle Corn at Home Using the Secret Ingredients! or read blog post HERE.

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Sure, it’s easier to prepare popcorn in a microwave but it’s so fun to use a popcorn machine and serve yourself anytime during a game..instead of going to the microwave to pop more corn….it’s just not the same experience..and of course kids love it too! We reserve our popcorn machine for bigger events, as there is a cleaning up factor involved.

We own this Popcorn Machine which sits on a Popcorn Trolley. We bought ours many years ago and purchased the pieces separately but it’s more economical to buy the machine and trolley together. There are several other ways to make popcorn, such as using a popcorn popper or a smaller tabletop version of a popcorn machine.

How to Make “Movie Theater” Popcorn

Whatever machine or method you decide to use to make your popcorn, the recipe is the same.

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil with beta carotene
• 1/2 cup high quality popcorn
• 1/4 tsp “secret ingredient”
• Butter Topping (optional)
• Popcorn Seasoning (optional)
• Popcorn Bags (optional)
• Butter Flavor Popping Oil (optional)

It is important to use high quality popcorn to get the best result. We used Pop Secret, but Orville Redenbacher is also wonderful.

Begin by heating up the popcorn machine for a few minutes. Once it’s warm, add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to the popper. The beta carotene in the coconut oil adds to the yellow coloring of the popcorn (secret number one).

Also add in 1/4 teaspoon of the secret ingredient. This ingredient seals the deal and is what the theaters use to make their popcorn (secret number two).

My husband likes to add a bit of butter flavored popping oil to the popper as well, maybe half a tablespoon, to give the popcorn an added buttery taste..but this step is optional (secret number three). The popcorn will still taste great without this oil.

Add a few kernels to the popper and wait for them to pop. Once they have popped, you know the canister is sufficiently hot and ready to add the remainder of the popcorn.

Add 1/2 cup of kernels to the canister. They will start popping quickly. When you notice the time interval between the popping has slowed, that means your popcorn is ready. It will burn if you keep it in the canister too long. Better to take it out and have a few kernels that are not popped than leave in too long and cause burning. The stench of burning popcorn is not a smell you want in your home 🤭

Notice the rich yellow color of the popcorn? If you are feeding a large crowd, you will want to make several batches to have on hand before your guests arrive. To keep the popcorn warm, remember to leave the light on, in the machine.

Top with butter topping and a variety of seasonings to fit your taste, like cheese and bacon 🙂

Lastly, Enjoy your authentic style movie popcorn!

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I’d love to hear from you, if you try one of my recipes drop me a line!

Denise

XO

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