Hot Honey Butter Popcorn (Printable)

Crispy popcorn mixed with a blend of honey, butter, and chili for a sweet and spicy treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Popcorn

01 - 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
02 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)

→ Hot Honey Butter

03 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 3 tablespoons honey
05 - 1 to 1.5 teaspoons hot sauce (e.g., Sriracha, Franks RedHot), to taste
06 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add a few popcorn kernels and cover.
02 - Once the initial kernels pop, add the remaining kernels evenly. Cover the pot with lid slightly ajar to let steam escape and shake the pot occasionally until popping slows to 2-3 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and transfer popcorn to a large bowl.
03 - Melt unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in honey, hot sauce, and chili flakes if using, until fully combined and warmed through.
04 - Pour the hot honey butter evenly over the popcorn. Toss thoroughly to coat all kernels. Sprinkle sea salt and toss again.
05 - Serve immediately, adjusting seasoning or heat preference as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in 15 minutes and requires almost nothing—just one pot and the courage to let it get loud.
  • That sweet-spicy-salty combination is impossibly addictive, hitting all the cravings at once.
  • People actually stop what they're doing to ask for the recipe, and it feels like you've shared a secret.
02 -
  • The honey butter needs to go on while the popcorn is still warm, or it won't coat evenly and will just sit on top in clumps.
  • If your popcorn turns out greasy instead of crispy, you've either used too much oil in the pot or the butter mixture was too heavy—next time, use slightly less oil when popping.
03 -
  • Let the honey butter cool for exactly 30 seconds before pouring—warm but not steaming hot means it clings instead of pooling.
  • If you're making this for a party, do the tossing in stages so the coating stays even and nothing gets soggy from sitting at the bottom of a big bowl.
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