If you are a pickle lover, you have to try this homemade Dill Pickle Popcorn! It's the best popcorn and a simple snack ready in 10 minutes and making popcorn on the stovetop is so fun! All you need is a few ingredients and a heavy bottomed pot.
As a dietitian, savory popcorn is my all-time favorite easy snack. Whether I'm having movie night or want a little something between meals or after dinner, this dill pickle popcorn recipe is one that has such a great taste. And there's no need for artificial flavor - the perfect pickle flavor comes from dill weed, a little garlic powder, and pickle juice.
If you like this recipe, you might enjoy my Dill Pickle Egg Salad made with dill seasoning, my Chickpea Cucumber Salad with fresh dill, or another crunchy snack - my oven roasted chickpeas!
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Key Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
This Dill Pickle Popcorn is made with simple ingredients. Check the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
Base Ingredients for Stovetop Popcorn
- Popcorn Kernels - popcorn is a whole grain maize product and you can use either yellow or white popcorn kernels. I use Bob’s Red Mill White Popping Corn.
- Oil - I use extra virgin olive oil for my stovetop popcorn because it contains oleic acids which have been shown to support brain health and heart health. You could also use avocado oil or refined coconut oil.
Dill Pickle Seasoning Ingredients
Make your own dill pickle seasoning using natural flavors with no additives.
- Dried Dill Weed - dried dill adds tons of flavor and a little goes a long way.
- Garlic Powder - for more flavor. Garlic powder also contains compounds that may reduce inflammation in the body.
- Onion Powder - perfect paired with the garlic powder to enhance the dill weed.
- Kosher Salt - to tie all the flavors together..
- Pickle Juice - added at the end to give this dill pickle popcorn for the best flavor.
How to Make Dill Pickle Popcorn
Below are the instructions for how to make this easy recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1 - Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and 2-3 kernels of the popcorn kernels to the pan and cover with the lid. Let it heat until the kernels pop. This is how you will know the oil is hot enough to pop the popcorn.
Step 2 - While waiting for the oil to heat, make the dill pickle seasoning by mixing the dill weed, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Step 3 - When the 2-3 kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels to the pot, cover, and remove the pot from the heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute while gently shaking the pot to distribute the popcorn kernels.
Step 4 - Place the pot back on the burner (still over medium heat). You will hear the popcorn start to pop. When about half of the popcorn has popped, loosen the lid of the pan to let some of the steam out (as pictured above) and continue to let the popcorn pop. Gently shake the pot as needed to make sure all the kernels get to the bottom of the pot to pop.
Step 5 - Listen! The popcorn is done popping when there is about 2-3 seconds between pops. When popcorn is done popping, transfer it immediately to large bowl or popcorn tin to avoid burning it. Sprinkle the homemade dill pickle seasoning on top of the popcorn.
Step 6: Add pickle juice at the end right before eating the popcorn! The easiest way to evenly distribute the pickle juice on the popcorn is to use a spray bottle like this one. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can use a spoon to pour the pickle juice over the popcorn. Mix well and enjoy!
Hint: To make sure all the kernels pop, gently shimmy the pot while the popcorn is over the heat.
Dietitian Tip
Popcorn is a relatively low calorie snack and a source of fiber and other nutrients including folate and iron. And making popcorn on the stovetop is worth it for the money you save alone. It costs so much less than buying a bag of popcorn or microwave popcorn!
Variations
One of the great things about this dill pickle stovetop popcorn is you can mix up the seasoning for your taste buds. Below are a couple of ideas.
- Cheese Popcorn - if you're a fan of cheddar cheese popcorn, use Better Cheddar seasoning or Nutritional Yeast to add a cheesy flavor to this fresh homemade popcorn.
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper for a little kick!
- Sweet - add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup at the end to sweeten it up.
Storage for Dill Pickle Popcorn
- Store leftover popcorn in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days if unseasoned. After seasoning is added, it can be stored for 1-2 days. Store in a cool, dark place.
Expert tips
- Don't skip step 3! When the 2-3 "test" kernels have popped to signal that the oil is hot enough, add the rest of the kernels and remove the pot from the heat for about 30 seconds before putting is back on the burner. This will help keep the oil from getting too hot and burning the popcorn.
- Be sure to loosen the lid a crack to let some steam out after you hear the popcorn start popping.
- To make sure all the kernels pop, gently shimmy the pot while the popcorn is over the heat.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, popcorn is a whole grain, naturally gluten free, and when made like this at home it doesn’t contain any additives. Popcorn contains fiber which is important for gut health. It also contains many other nutrients including folate, thiamine, and iron. A cup of popcorn contains about 30-45 calories depending on how much oil is added. You can have around 4 whole cups of popcorn for the same amount of calories as about 12 tortilla chips. Many brands of bagged dill pickle popcorn and dill pickle seasonings contain added ingredients like citric acid, silicon dioxide, monosodium glutamate, buttermilk solids, malic acid and sodium diacetate. Making it homemade is an easy way to avoid additives.
Find popcorn kernels in the snack aisle at most grocery stores.
You can use either yellow or white! Some people think that yellow has a bit more buttery flavor, but I actually prefer the taste of white popcorn.
There's a Mexican myth about how popcorn was discovered. According to Shumway Popcorn, there was a farmer with acres upon acres of corn. He decided to dry some of the corn and feed it to his chickens. But it was so hot outside that the corn popped! Intrigued, the farmer decided to taste it and was pleasantly surprised to discover it was so delicious he had to share it with the world.It wasn’t until the 1930s that popcorn grew in popularity during the Great Depression as a cost-effective way to get a tasty snack.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Homemade Dill Pickle Popcorn Recipe (Healthy Snack)
Equipment
- dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup popcorn kernels I use Bob's Red Mills Whole White Popcorn
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
For Dill Pickle Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- spritz pickle juice
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and 2-3 kernels of the popcorn kernels to the pan and cover with the lid. Let it heat until the kernels pop. This is how you will know the oil is hot enough to pop the popcorn.
- While waiting for the oil to heat, make the dill pickle seasoning by mixing the 1 tablespoon dill weed, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
- When the 2-3 "test" kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels to the pot, cover, and remove the pot from the heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute while gently shaking the pot to distribute the popcorn kernels.
- Place the pot back on the burner (still over medium heat). You will hear the popcorn start to pop. When about half of the popcorn has popped, loosen the lid of the pan to let some of the steam out and continue to let it pop. Gently shake the pot as needed to make sure all the kernels get to the bottom of the pot to pop.
- Listen! The popcorn is done popping when there is about 2-3 seconds between pops. When popcorn is done popping, transfer it immediately to large bowl or popcorn tin to avoid burning it. Sprinkle the homemade dill pickle seasoning on top of the popcorn.
Notes
- Don't skip step 3! When the 2-3 "test" kernels have popped to signal that the oil is hot enough, add the rest of the kernels and remove the pot from the heat for about 30 seconds. This will help keep the oil from getting too hot and burning the popcorn.
- Be sure to loosen the lid a crack to let some steam out after you hear the popcorn start popping.
- To make sure all the kernels pop, gently shimmy the pot while the popcorn is over the heat.
- You can use either Yellow or White Popcorn Kernels for this recipe.
Nutrition
References: Popcorn.org, Shumway Popcorn
Mary
Ok honestly I was super skeptical cause I like pickles and I like popcorn but I never thought of putting the two together. But this turned out soooooo good and the kids loved making popcorn on the stovetop and spraying them with the pickle juice at the end!
Mallory
Hi Mary!! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review. 🙂 I'm so happy to hear that you love the popcorn and especially that your kids got in on the fun!! So happy you are enjoying the blog and please let me know if there are any recipe ideas you want me to post.