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Did you know you can make popcorn in the air fryer? Healthy and low calorie, Air Frier Popcorn is the perfect lazy snack for movie nights and salty cravings. 10 minute healthy recipe with just 2 ingredients!
Together with air fryer sweet potato fries and air fryer tortilla chips, air puffed popcorn is one of my favorite salty snacks to make at home. We’ve started cooking popcorn in air fryer only recently, and ever since then it has become our to-go cooking method. It’s so quick and easy, with just 2 ingredients and no oil.
Why you will love air fryer popcorn?
If you aren’t cooking popcorn the air fryer, this is your sign. It’s one of those recipes that you’ve always wanted, but never thought it was possible. Quick, easy, tasty and so healthy, there are so many reasons to love air puffed popcorn.
- Quick and easy – You only need 2 ingredients and 10 minutes of your day. Place popcorn kernels in the basket of your air fryer, and cook for about 8 minutes. In the blink of an eye you will have a salty munch to satisfy your cravings.
- Healthy and low calorie – With under 50 calories per serving, air fried popcorn is the perfect low calorie snack for your diet. Further, there’s no oil or butter in this recipe. The perfect alternative to chips!
- Tasty and crunchy – Cook popcorn in air fryer and you’ll be amazed at the result. They’re as tasty and crunchy as if they were cooked on the stove or in the microwave (even better actually), but without the hassle of cleaning up the entire kitchen.
- Customizable and versatile – Add garlic and Parmesan for a salty snack, or satisfy your late-night cravings for sweets with a bag of cinnamon sugar air fryer popcorn. There are so many ways how you can personalize this simple recipe.
2 ingredient popcorn
You only need 2 ingredients to make pop corn in air fryer: popcorn kernels and sea salt. In addition, you may want to add optional ingredients such as olive oil and seasonings to enhance flavors. Here are some more details.
- Popcorn kernels. You’ll need a bag of popcorn kernels, which can easily be found in the grocery store close to boxed popcorn.
- Sea salt. Mix about half teaspoon of sea salt on top of your air puffed popcorn to give it more taste.
How to make popcorn in the air fryer
Preheat your air fryer to (395°F) 200°C for about 3 to 5 minutes. In the meanwhile, you can place the kernels to a bowl and coat with 1 teaspoon of oil. The oil is not necessary, but it makes popcorn lighter and tastier.
Line the base of the air fryer basket with aluminum foil, then add popcorn kernels and spread out in a single layer for even cooking. Do not overcrowd the basket.
Air fry popcorn for 8 to 10 minutes. Once the popping slows down to about 1 second, your snack is ready. Turn off the air fryer and wait about a minute before removing the basket. This prevents the popcorn from popping out of the air fryer.
Remove the basket and add popcorn to a bowl with salt and seasonings of choice. You can serve immediately, or let the popcorn cool and store in an airtight food container at room temperature for up to a week.
Storage directions
Air fried popcorn can be served immediately, or they can be stored for later. To store, first let it cool completely. Once it has cooled, place leftovers in an airtight container sealed with lid or in zipper bags and store at room temperature. In the cupboard or on the counter, air fryer pop corn will last for up to 1 week. Do not freeze air fried popcorn, or it will get stale, soft and soggy.
The best popcorn flavors
- Salt and butter- There’s nothing more classic than salted butter popcorn, just like at the movie theatre. Toss in a sprinkle of salt and some melted butter, enjoy.
- Garlicky – Season airfryer popcorn with galric powder and some melted butter for a garlic bread experience.
- Parmesan or nutritional yeast – Coat popcorn with olive oil, season with salt and then season with a touch of Parmesan cheese, white cheddar or nutritional yeast.
- Pizzaiola?- Air fry popcorn and then season with dried oregano, grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika and salt. It will taste like pizza popcorn.
- Spicy – Add some fire to your popcorn with spicy chili powder or Italian peperoncino. You can also add a drop or two of chili powder or sriricha for a spicier kick.
- Salted caramel – Drizzle some caramel sauce or keto caramel sauce all over popcorn, add a pinch of salt and you’ll get the perfect low calorie snack for your sweet tooth.
- Chocolate chip? – Once it is ready, add air fried popcorn to a large bowl and mix in a tablespoon or two of chocolate chips. Ooey gooey chocolate chip popcorn waiting to be devoured!
- Cinnamon sugar – In a small bowl, mix ground cinnamon together with brown sugar or calorie-free sweetener and then add it to your cooked popcorn.
- Peanut butter – Add one to two tablespoons of peanut butter to air puffed popcorn and give it a good stir. Try it with chocolate chips for a cookie dough flavor.
Success tips
- Line just the base of your air fryer basket with aluminum foil, but don’t cover the entire basket. This simple trick will help the air circulate better and the corn kernels will pop nicely.
- Don’t overfill the air fryer basket, or your popcorn won’t pop well. Using ¼ cup (50 g) kernels will allow the air to circulate and your kernels to pop better. This is a good quantity for my Ninja foodi popcorn, but it may vary based on the size of your machine.
- Add salt and seasonings only after air frying, not before. If you season it before cooking, the popcorn kernels won’t “absorb” all the good flavors and you will likely need to salt them again.
- Experiment with additional ingredients such as garlic powder, nutritional yeast or cinnamon sugar. I highly suggest fine tuning this recipe to your preferences for a snack that you won’t be able to resist.
- Don’t open air fryer immediately, as soon as it is ready. Let the air fried popcorn sit in the basket, inside the machine, for 30 seconds to 1 minute before taking it out. This will prevent popcorn from popping out all over the kitchen.
No, microwave popcorn in a package or box are not suitable for air frying. These products often contain other ingredients such as oil and flavorings, which may burn while air frying.
Don’t worry if some corn kernels haven’t popped. Just as it may happen when you cook it on the stove or in the microwave, it is completely normal for popcorn not to pop completely.
If most of it hasn’t popped, however, the reason may be that you overcrowded the air fried basket.
One serving of popcorn made in the air fryer provides about 46.9 calories. Estimated nutrition fact per serving are: 1.4 g protein, 9.3 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fat. Please note that nutritional values may vary based on the ingredients used.
More air fryer recipes
- Air fryer sweet potato fries
- Healthy zucchini fries
- Air fryer tofu
- Air fryer corn on the cob
- Air fryer salmon bites
- Air fryer tortilla chips
- Frozen broccoli in air fryer
- Air fryer chickpeas
Air Fryer Popcorn
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50 g) popcorn kernels
- ⅓ to ½ tsp salt, to taste
- 1 tsp olive oil, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (390°F) for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- If desired, place popcorn kernels to a bowl and coat with 1 teaspoon of oil. The oil is not necessary, but it makes popcorn lighter and tastier.
- Line the base of the air fryer basket with aluminum foil, then add popcorn kernels and spread out in a single layer for even cooking. Do not overcrowd the basket.
- Air fry popcorn for 8 to 10 minutes. Once the popping slows down to about 1 second, the popcorn is ready. Turn off the air fryer and wait about a minute before removing the basket. This prevents the popcorn from popping out of the air fryer.
- Remove the basket and add popcorn to a bowl with salt and seasonings of choice. You can serve immediately, or let the popcorn cool and store in an airtight food container at room temperature for up to a week.
My favorite is the popcorn caramelized!
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Hey dear Liza,
thanks a lot for your feedback!! Omg I completely agree, caramelized air fryer popcorn are so delicious and satisfying for the sweet tooth 😉
Have a fantastic day,
Matteo