The Oil Swap You Need For Extra Savory Popcorn

While the easiest way to make popcorn is to throw a bag into the microwave, there's a certain retro charm to doing it the old fashioned way, with a frying pan. (In fact, you can even pop microwave popcorn on the stovetop, if you want to give it a try). Not only is it a fun way to make the snack, but it can be an economical choice, since bags of popping corn tend to be quite cheap. What's more, you can also save on oil and make your popcorn super savory by using leftover bacon grease as a popping medium.

To make popcorn with bacon grease, you'll use one part fat to two parts popcorn. Heat the fat in a dutch oven or deep, heavy, lidded frying pan over a burner set to medium-high, then add the corn kernels. Give the pan a shake — don't pick it up off the stove, just shake it back and forth like you're Julia Child making an omelet, since the pan needs to remain in contact with the heat. Then let it sit until you hear the corn begin to pop. At this point, start shaking it again, and keep shaking until the popping dies down.

By the way, this same method will also work with beef tallow and chicken or duck fat, if you've got any of these kicking around the fridge. These ingredients all have a smoke point high enough to withstand the medium-high heat necessary to get popcorn to pop.

Once you've cooked your bacon-flavored popcorn, it will be tasty with no more than a sprinkling of salt, but you can always lean into that meaty flavor profile by pouring more bacon grease over the top in lieu of butter, or using a product like J&D's Bacon Salt. There are lots of other popcorn seasoning flavors that would work with bacon as well, like nacho cheddar or cheesy jalapeno — or you could even scour your pantry for powdered mixes to season your popcorn. Taco or fajita seasoning would fit the flavor profile, as would sloppy joe mix.

Of course, popcorn can be sweet as well as savory. Bacon and maple is a classic flavor pairing, so you could sprinkle your popcorn with powdered maple seasoning or drizzle it with maple syrup. Chopped pecans or walnuts could also be added to the mix, as could bacon bits. If you don't have maple syrup or seasoning on hand, you can melt some butter, then mix in a generous amount of brown or white sugar to make a sweet coating that will make your snack taste like a bacony popcorn ball.