Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn

Offer your guests a bowl of Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn. It’s popcorn coated with garlic-infused butter and tossed with herbs and celery seed.
I love popcorn. It’s almost always the snack I reach for first. And for just about any time of day. Afternoons, evenings, while watching television, or while playing a game with the grandkids. More often than not, it’s just good old popped corn with butter and salt. But every once in awhile I like to fancy it up a little bit like I did with this Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn.

I read somewhere recently that popcorn is the new cupcakes. In other words, the up and coming hot new trend in the food world. I think that’s funny. I’d call it a good old staple that’s enjoying a revival.
I’ve seen all kinds of spiced, sweetened, caramelized, candied popcorn on the internet recently. Those all sound good, but this Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn is my favorite. It’s coated with a garlic-infused butter and sprinkled with a blend of dried herbs, celery seed, and salt. Besides being a tasty snack, it’s an interesting and slightly quirky item to offer guests with a cocktail.
How to Make Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn
Start out with a large pan that has a tightly fitting lid. Melt the butter along with the garlic over barely medium heat. Allow the garlic to infuse into the butter for 3-4 minutes or longer being careful not to let the garlic start to burn. Remove the garlic from the pan and discard it.
Add the oil and popcorn and increase the heat to medium-high. Shake the pan occasionally while the corn is popping to distribute the butter throughout the kernels and to prevent the corn from scorching.
When most of the kernels have popped, remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the herbs, celery seed, and salt. Put the lid back on and shake the pan vigorously to distribute the herbs throughout the popcorn.
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HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
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Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed and peeled
- 1 cup popcorn kernels
- 2 tablespoons herbes de Provence or dried herbs of your choice
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Choose a large pan with a tight fitting lid. Over medium heat, melt the butter with the garlic cloves. Allow the garlic to cook slowly with the butter for 3-4 minutes until the butter is infused with the garlic. Remove the garlic cloves and discard.
- Add the oil and increase the heat to medium high.
- Add the popcorn and cover the pan. As the popcorn pops, shake the pan occasionally to distribute the butter and to prevent the popcorn from burning.
- When most of the kernels have popped, remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with herbs, celery seed, and salt. Replace the top and shake vigorously to distribute the herbs, celery seed, and salt throughout the popped corn.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
This looks really good – but i never eat popcorn, i am not sure why :) Maybe i have just heard that it is really bad to eat them from the microwave bags and i am too lazy to make them from scratch in an hot oil pot :)
I could eat the whole bowl full… yum!
The next new thing? Really? Says who? I mean why wasn’t it the next new thing when I added sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Now all of those ‘next new thingers’ will RUIN a favorite treat. Please…no kale popcorn!! :)
I linked to your Sugar and Spice Popcorn recipe, too, Barb. It’s delicious! I was just as incredulous when pimiento cheese became a hot new thing. Who’d have thought it? I posted my recipe for it years ago but everyone is just now “discovering” it. Ha…I’ve been eating it for 57 years.
Looks and sounds wonderful. Remind folks that if they are not completely attentive during this process, a perfectly good pan can be ruined forever. Voice of experience here.
Miss P
Oh, yes! Be sure to use a really heavy bottomed pan and keep it moving around!
I agree: popcorn is my go-to food all the time when I need a nosh or want something to nibble on when I read or watch a movie. I usually toss it with finely grated parmesan (okay, I use the powdery parmesan that comes in sacks already grated) but I’m loving your garlicky recipe! I am also dumb-founded with the idea that it is “the new cupcake”??? First, the cupcake should not have been a fad but popcorn is indeed that old-fashioned simple homey treat of our childhood. No trend needed!
Just amazing how food trends come and go, isn’t it? Who’d have ever thought that popcorn would be “trendy?”
So crazy that popcorn is the new cupcakes! I’m totally in though. This one sounds pretty awesome and perfect for Friday night movie watching :)
I know – isn’t that crazy? You never know what the next trend is going to be!