Chili-lime stovetop popcorn
Stovetop popcorn with lime zest, chili powder and a little smoked paprika, tangy, warm, hard to stop eating, and vegan with no butter needed.
- 10 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $0.48 a serving
- 310 calories
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: It’s ready in 10 minutes, start to finish.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 lime, zested, then cut into wedges
- ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
From your pantry
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Each serving has about 310 calories, 4 g protein, 27 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $0.48 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No limes? Lemons work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the lime , chili powder, paprika and salt together in a small bowl.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Put the vegetable oil and 3 of the popcorn kernels in a large pot with a lid and set it over medium-high heat.
Medium-high heat
When all 3 kernels pop, take the pot off the heat, add the rest of the kernels in one layer, cover, and wait 30 seconds.
Timer: 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: This short rest brings every kernel up to the same heat, so they pop together.Put the pot back over medium-high heat with the lid on and cook 2 to 3 minutes, shaking it often, until there are 2 seconds between pops.
Medium-high heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: When the popping slows, get it out of the pot. A few unpopped kernels are better than burnt popcorn.Tip the popcorn into a big bowl, with the olive oil, and .
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sprinkle on the chili-lime mix, again, and squeeze a lime wedge over the top just before you eat it.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: Add the lime juice last. It makes popcorn soggy if it sits.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop plans snacks along with the week’s dinners, puts what you need on the same grocery list, and walks you through each step.
