It’s time to get that Instant Pot out of the box to make some popcorn in it! You should try Instant Pot Popcorn.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Have you tried making Instant Pot popcorn? It is so easy to do. The Instant Pot is such a versatile cooking gadget. You can make just about anything you want in one. I have made instant macaroni and cheese, Instant Pot roast beef, best ever beef stew, and much more.
For this recipe, you really only need a few simple ingredients. I use coconut oil, but you can use vegetable oil. You will also need popcorn, and I use popcorn seasoned salt. It costs so much less when you make it like this instead of those expensive microwavable packages.
There is one thing I like to do. I like to add my seasoned salt in the popcorn while it pops. This way the salt coats all of the popcorn. In movie theaters, they add the salt to the popcorn. I like to use the Flavacol brand, it is what is used in most commercial popcorn machines.
If you don’t have the glass lid for the Instant Pot, dig around in your cabinet, I bet you have another lid that you can use. You will need to use a lid to keep the popcorn from going all over the place.
I hope you try making popcorn in your Instant Pot. You’ll enjoy how easy it is to make a light and healthy snack.
Be sure to check out my latest Instant Pot recipes
- Best Ever Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Italian Beef Pepperoncini
- Sausage Pasta
- Yellow Curry Chicken Recipe
- Apple Cider Pork Roast
- French Onion Rice Instant Pot
- Corned Beef Instant Pot
Use Instant Pot Popcorn for these recipes
Be sure to check out all my easy Instant Pot recipes and the best homemade snacks.
How to Make Popcorn in an Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup popcorn
- 1/2 teaspoon popcorn seasoned salt
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot, push the saute button, and then the adjust button, this should set your Instant Pot to a higher saute setting. Wait for 2 to 3 minutes until the pot heats up. Add the coconut oil, and when it melts add the popcorn. Add seasoned salt, and stir around to make sure the popcorn is coated with oil and salt. Put a lid on the pot, and once it 2/3rd's of the popcorn turn off the Instant Pot.
Kim
I have the small Instant Pot. I cut the recipe in half using reasonably old Kroger popcorn kernels and canola oil. I used a metal pot lid upside down. It took a little longer than my old popcorn maker, but it popped more kernels. No burning of oil. I could probably try the whole recipe, but it would be a very full pot.
Kaitlin Johnson
To those of you having problems I can relate and think I have sorted it out. I would use an olive oil or coconut oil as it has a higher burning points and I found that using vegetable oil I didn’t work as well as the kernels need a significant amount of oil to get hot enough to burn in the vegetable oil seemed to burn off too quickly so it was only popping a little bit. If I went back and added more oil more with pop so on and so forth. So try using an olive oil and coconut oil and possibly adding even a little bit extra as it burns up quickly in the instant pot.
Dua Pui Heng
Great recipe
Bonnye M.
Tried this twice. Both times I followed instructions to the tee, neither time did more than 15-20 kernels pop and then it just stopped…I thought maybe it was still heating so I let it go for a little longer and it just burnt the kernels…Can you give me more ideas of what might have gone wrong…It would have been great if it had worked…
Stephanie
I am really sorry you didn’t have excellent results. It could be the popcorn wasn’t the freshest, and it was slower to pop.
Lici
This worked great for me! Enjoying some amazing popcorn right now!
Meghan
No matter what I did, had the same issue. This recipe is consistent every time. Perfect popcorn and hardly any unpopped kernels
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bO1WgcjF8SA
S. Chapman
Sane for me, Bonnye. Used coconut oil and hot about 1/3 of the corn popped. Made a batch with the same oil and corn on the stove and it turned out great. 🤔
Bonnie Eschbach
Stephanie,
Could I use butter in place of the oil? I love lots of butter on my popcorn. If so, how much butter will I be able to use? Thank you. Keep the great recipes flowing.
Stephanie
I would not, butter’s smoke point is low. I think the butter would burn, and it would be a mess.
MARYANN
You can always used butter flavored olive oil – Veronica’s is very good and readily bailable on Amazon
Stephanie
That’s a great idea.
Eric
Butter no due to the smoke point, but you can use clarified butter no problem. I do it that way all the time.
Sam Tarley
I gotta say it worked, not as quick as a popcorn popper but it was fun to try.
happy wheels
Gosh, I really liked having popped popcorn in my Instant Pot. My popcorn maker was on the fritz.
color switch
wow, corn biscuits are delicious, thank you for sharing.
Emilia
I have the same question??
Stephanie
I am sorry I don’t know what your question is.
Caroline
I looked up the Favacol you suggested and discovered in contains salt, artificial flavor, FD&C Yellow #5, Lake (E108) and FD&C #6 Lake (E110).
No, I do not want to put all this artificial flavor and colorings on food that me and my family will eat!
I did sprinkle a little Sari Foods Nutriitional Yeast flakes on the popcorn and it was great; gluten Free and Dairy Free! I have no affiliation with the company, just like the product.
Stephanie
I am glad you found something you enjoyed on the popcorn.
Donna Ricks
I enjoy favacol. A little goes a long way and you can skip regular salt.
Kit
I tried to do this once before with a lid from a pot and it was an epic fail. I recently purchased a glass lid made for the IP and gave it another try. It was a success (even though my kernels were expired). Started popping before I got the lid on, really fast method. Thank you!
Stephanie G
Can it be made without oil? I’m super sensitive to oils but LOVE popcorn. I’ve been using the brown bag method for years but not loving the results and waisted unpopped kernels.
Stephanie
I don’t know, I haven’t tried to make it without out oil before. You may want to use your brown bag method instead.
Paula Tamburro
I love to find different uses for my IP. I have made quite a selection from pot roast to cheesecake. I’m seeing a few different posts about success here. I think I will stick with my method of 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels in a paper lunch bag and stick in microwave for about 2 minutes. This is a non fat way to make popcorn and works really well.
Stephanie
I have to give that a try sometime.
Patricia
So why doesn’t the pot have to be shaken as with stovetop popcorn??
Stephanie
My guess is that the heat is radiated better through the pot due the structure of the pot, as opposed to the way it is in a pot on the stove top.
Nancy Feverstonq
Do you seal the paper bag?
vicki
Works great if a person follows directions.
The oil must be hot before adding popcorn.
Alice C Austin
Can the lid that came with the 7-1 be used to pop corn or must I have the glass lid?
Allison
I don’t think my slow cook feature gets hot enough to bring the food to a safe temperature, and maybe sauté isn’t suitable for popcorn either?.
Stephanie
You need to use the saute feature but you need to make sure you reset it from it’s default setting to high. Is it the most ideal way to make popcorn? no. Is it fun to try? Yes.
mark
I must be doing something wrong !? I tried this TWO times; the first time exactly per directions & less than HALF of the kernels popped. Second attempt I followed the popcorn vendors directions & increased the oil to 3 tablespoons, this time I got about ⅔ popped max. The popcorn is Orville’s finest & has a best-by date of nearly 10 more months. Pls lmk if theres another setting I can try – it seems to take forever for the corn to pop …..thanks!
Ilend
I tried it also and was g successful. Perhaps this is a ploy to entice people that might not otherwise have an instant pot, to purchase one. My hot air popper does a much better job. I add a mild flavored olive oil, for the health benefits. And easy on the salt but do use sea salt and sometimes other seasonings depending on my mood. It’s no fail and much friendlier than the movie popcorn.
Stephanie
Thank you for your comment. This wasn’t a ploy to make people purchase an Instant Pot. Rather, for me, it was a way to demonstrate its diversity. Some people who use these don’t have kitchens, are truckers, and what not. So for them, it is a good way for them to make popcorn. I understand for you your way is far superior, and I am glad you have found a method of making healthy popcorn for you. I hope others have learned from you and the way you make popcorn.
Anne
The popcorn started to pop for me, but quit before it finished. We waited, but nothing happened and we turned the stove on and made it the good old fashioned quick way. I did not wait for the oil to melt, would that have been the problem? This is only the third time Inhave used my instant pot, so new at this game. Appreciate yiur thoughts.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
Hi Stephanie, Happy New Year. I will be trying this very soon. Thanks for the information. It looks like your glass lid has a vent hole. Is that important to make popcorn in the Instant Pot?