This is the real secret to making movie theater popcorn at home (2024)

FAQs

This is the real secret to making movie theater popcorn at home? ›

The trick is to combine your Flavacol seasoning with an oil — coconut oil, vegetable oil or even olive oil — while popping your corn. The oil prevents the powder from burning and distributes it a bit, so you coat all of the kernels with the buttery, salty flavor.

Flavacol is a fine butter-flavored salt. It has a specific orange-yellowish color, which adds that signature buttery flavor and yellow hue to movie popcorn that we all crave. Use this particular salt combined with coconut or olive oil to make popcorn that tastes just like the stuff you get at the movies.

So, what the heck are you made of anyway? Meet movie theater popcorn's three main ingredients: Flavacol, butter flavored topping and, wait for it – buttery flavoring. Yum! Flavacol is a seasoned powder that goes on the corn before it's popped.

Coconut oil: Some movie theaters use coconut oil for their popcorn, so this recipe does too. Clarified butter or ghee: Clarified butter or ghee gives the popcorn a clean, rich, buttery flavor. Salt: Finely ground salt sticks to the kernels best. Use popcorn salt or grind kosher salt into a powder.

It's a personal preference—and there are certainly people who eat both and wouldn't even notice the difference.” AMC, Regal, and Marcus theaters use coconut oil, while Cinemark opts for canola, and other regional chains use a blend.

While butter flavor is involved, there's no actual butter in most movie theater popcorn. Instead, these two key ingredients give movie theater popcorn its signature taste and smell: popcorn popping oil and popcorn seasoning. Yup, it's that simple.

Yellow Popcorn

It is the least expensive type of popcorn available, making it a popular choice for businesses looking to offer a cost-effective snack option without compromising quality or flavor. Because of its appealing appearance and taste, yellow popcorn is commonly used for making movie theater popcorn.

there IS a “secret ingredient”. Or, more precisely, a sort of “trade secret”; and that's Flavacol. What's in it? “Salt, artificial butter flavor, FD&C Yellow #5 Lake (E102) and Yellow #6 Lake (E110)”.

However, many don't know that the main reason for the taste of that movie popcorn is a topping called Flavacol.

You put 1/2 TEAspoon of Flavacol in with 1tablespoon coconut oil (NO MORE than 3/4 TEAspoon of Flavacol & only that much if you like an EXTREME FREAKISH amount of salt), Melt for a few seconds then add 1/3 to 1/2 cup popcorn (if microwave popper hit "popcorn setting" in the microwave & "add 30 seconds").

What butter do theaters use? ›

Movie theaters use butter-flavored oil, which has a lower water content than butter so it makes popcorn less soggy. Real clarified butter has the same effect.

Place a 6-quart or larger stockpot over medium-high heat and melt coconut oil; add popcorn kernels in a single layer and cover with lid. When kernels start popping, start shaking stockpot from side-to-side until the popping nearly ends (slows considerably with long pauses between pops).

In fact, movie theaters use a combination of ingredients you would probably never have in your pantry to create the addictive flavor of their popcorn. The main ingredient used is called Flavacol (via Extra Kripsy). Flavacol is a fine salt that gives movie theater popcorn its yellow color.

They usually pop it using a combination of orange-colored coconut oil and Flavacol seasoning, but regular coconut oil will give you the same results without the fake-looking color. That ingredient is called Flavacol. Flavacol is a super fine, butter-flavored seasoning salt that movie theathers on their popcorn.

Movie theaters make their popcorn different with seasonings and oil. For instance, some use a seasoning called Flavacol made by Gold Medal Products. In fact, they own about 90% of the movie theater popcorn market. You might also find movie theaters using canola or coconut oil for their subtle flavors.