Who doesn’t love popcorn by the campfire? Next to S’mores, it’s an awesome snack to enjoy by the light of the full moon. Even better, you can put the leftovers—if there are any—in a Ziploc bag and take it on your 3-mile hike the next day to devour as an afternoon snack! Yet sometimes you want something entirely different from the standard butter, cheddar and caramel flavors—you love spicy foods and want to wake up your taste buds. Well, these spicy popcorn recipes deliver! But be careful because these savory recipes are highly addictive!
First, let’s go over some popping instructions:
- In a large pot suitable for camping, heat 1 tbsp. of canola oil over the fire or medium heat on a camp stove. Put 3-5 kernels in the pot and cover. When you hear a kernel pop add the popcorn kernels and cover again. To spread the kernels evenly, shake the pot.
- Allow the kernels to pop for a few minutes, shaking often.
- When the popping almost stops—3-4 seconds between each pop—the pot should be removed from the fire or camp stove. Pour the popcorn into a big bowl with a lid.
Note: If you’d rather use 1 tbsp. of vegetable or grapeseed oil for popping the popcorn, that’s fine. But don’t use olive oil as it’ll burn easily. Although not stated in the Coconut Curry Popcorn recipe, using coconut oil is best.
Buffalo Ranch Popcorn
This flavorful dish gives you tang and spice all in one scrumptious mouthful!
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. of dried ranch seasoning
- 2 tbsp. of butter, melted
- 2 tbsp. of buffalo wing sauce
- ½ c. of popcorn kernels, unpopped
Instructions:
Scatter the Ranch dry seasoning mix over the top of the popped popcorn, put the bowl’s lid on tightly and shake to coat evenly.
In a small bowl blend the buffalo sauce and melted butter; mix thoroughly. Drizzle the mixture over the popcorn, cover with the lid and shake again to coat evenly.
Tasty Cilantro Lime Popcorn
No doubt you’ve heard of a rice dish by the same name. Well, this is a more nutritious snack version that doesn’t use a ton of oil but has the same yummy flavors.
Ingredients:
- ½ c. of popcorn kernels, unpopped
- 1 tbsp. of lime juice
- 1 tsp. of kosher salt
- 2 tsp. of garlic powder
- ½ tsp. of cumin
- ½ tsp. of cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp. of butter
- ½ c. of cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions:
In a little saucepan, melt the butter. Pour in the lime juice, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and cilantro; mix well.
Drizzle half of the butter/lime mixture on the already popped popcorn in the big bowl; cover with the lid and shake to coat evenly. Uncover, add the rest of the mixture, cover, shake again; then add the kosher salt and shake until thoroughly blended.
Sriracha Popcorn
This popcorn is so good you may just want to keep it for yourself!
Ingredients:
- ½ c. of popcorn kernels, unpopped
- 2-3 tbsp. of Sriracha chili sauce
- ¼ c. of butter, melted
- ½ tsp. of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. of kosher salt
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix the Sriracha sauce, melted butter and garlic.
Add the mix to the already popped popcorn, cover with the lid and shake to coat evenly; then add the kosher salt and shake until completely blended.
Hot Mustard Popcorn
For those who can’t get enough mustard, this simple snack should satisfy your taste buds—and give you a kick too!
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. of dry mustard
- ¼ tsp. of black pepper, ground
- ½ tsp. of thyme
- 1 or 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
- ½ c. of popcorn kernels, unpopped
- ¼ tsp. of salt, optional
Instructions:
While someone is popping the popcorn, blend all the spices together in a small bowl.
Add immediately to warm popcorn, cover with the lid and shake to completely coat.
Coconut Curry Popcorn
The crunchiness blended with the silky coating of this popcorn will definitely appease your yearning for Thai food!
Ingredients:
- 3-4 tbsp. of melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp. of ginger powder
- ¼ c. of coconut flakes (unsweetened), toasted
- 1 tbsp. of curry powder
- ½ tsp. of sea salt (only if curry powder is salt-free)
- ½ c. of popcorn kernels, unpopped
Instructions:
In a small bowl blend the ginger, coconut flakes, curry powder and melted coconut oil.
Pour the mixture over the popped popcorn; snap the lid on the bowl and shake until the popcorn is completely coated.
Chili-Cheese Popcorn
If your family members love spicy food but just feel that no popcorn bowl is complete without cheese, this recipe will please both of those cravings.
Ingredients:
- ¾ tbsp. of margarine
- ¼ tsp. of garlic salt
- ¼ tsp. of chili powder
- ¼ cup of American cheese, grated
- ½ c. of popcorn kernels, unpopped
Instructions:
In a small pot, melt the margarine. Then withdraw from the heat and add in the spices; mix well.
Drizzle the spiced margarine over the hot popcorn, toss in the grated cheese, cover with the bowl’s lid and shake thoroughly so it’s evenly coated.
Serve the popcorn at room temperature or hot.
Tangy Tequila Popcorn
After the kids have gone to bed, bring out this adults-only popcorn! This spicy popcorn has a little bit of a sweet side to it but it’ll still be enjoyed by all. You’ll need an oven for this recipe—or you can just put a baking sheet over your campfire. You can even serve this tasty snack with margaritas!
Ingredients:
- ½ – ¾ c. of popcorn kernels, unpopped
- 2 tsp. of lime juice, fresh
- 2 tsp. of brown sugar, light
- ½ tsp. of ground cumin
- 2 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. of black pepper, ground
- 1 tsp. of tequila
- 3 tbsp. of butter, melted
Instructions:
Cover a big baking sheet with wax paper and set aside; if using an oven pre-heat it to 300˚ F.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the brown sugar, lime juice, ground cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, tequila and butter; whisk together well.
Drizzle the mixture over the hot popcorn; cover with the bowl’s lid and shake thoroughly so it’s evenly coated.
Spread the popcorn out in a single layer on the lined baking sheet; bake in the preheated oven (or over a fire) until the popcorn is dry, about 5-7 minutes.
All of these delicious recipes can be adjusted to your family’s taste preference. Likewise, it’s easy to double the recipes to share your popcorn with a bunch of new (or old) friends as you swap ghost stories in front of your tents or RVs.
