Sure, it’s quite easy to throw a bag of one of the best brands of microwavable popcorn into the microwave, patiently wait for a couple of minutes, then rip the bag open and start chowing down in front of the television. But any true foodie knows there are almost always rather simple ways to upgrade even the most basic of snacks — popcorn included. So out of all of the ingredients to upgrade a bowl of popcorn, there’s a strong case to use brown butter — which won’t take as long as you might think it will.
If you haven’t had the chance to indulge in brown butter in pan sauces, pastas, or even baked goods like cookies, the technique will make the spread taste rich and nutty. This means that when you toss your popcorn in the brown butter, it will taste even richer and slightly sweeter than what even that magical liquid butter at the movie theater can achieve. And it only takes around five to seven minutes to brown butter, especially with the small amount that you’ll need for a single bowl of popcorn.
How to amp up the flavor of popcorn with brown butter
It takes about four tablespoons of butter for every ½ cup of unpopped kernels, but you can reduce the amount if your go-to is the microwaveable version of the tasty snack. To make brown butter, heat a pan over low heat. Because it only takes a few minutes, especially for this small amount of butter, keep an eye on it and stir occasionally to prevent burning. As the milk solids found in butter separate, you’ll see brown specks start to appear. When the butter is visibly brown and smells nutty, remove it from the burner. Be a little more patient, because it’s best to allow the brown butter to cool for a few minutes before you pour it on the popcorn. Then, all that’s left to do is pour it over the bowl of popcorn and carefully toss to coat every piece.
It’s important to add a dash of salt, especially if you use unsalted butter for this popcorn upgrade. Truffle salt will add a bougie touch, while flaked sea salt will add flavor and crunch to the popcorn. Brown butter is often used in sweets like chocolate chip cookies, so pour on some melted chocolate or toss in some M&Ms if you like it sweet. Or keep it simple with some store-bought popcorn seasoning to enhance the flavor of the popcorn doused in brown butter.
