Buttery popcorn made in the air fryer in minutes. Made without oil and no big pot to clean up, air fryer popcorn is a healthy snack made in under 15 minutes from start to finish.
What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
Popcorn kernels – You can use kernels from a bag or buy a big jar of them!
Butter – For drizzling over after popping to mimic that delicious movie theater flavor.
Salt – For seasoning your healthy snack!
How To Make Popcorn in the Air Fryer
Line the air fryer basket bottom with a piece of foil. Pour in the kernels in single layer.
Turn on the air fryer and preheat to 400º F for 5 minutes before cooking.
Cook the popcorn until the popping stops. While it’s cooking, melt the butter in the microwave.
Let the air fryer basket sit in the air fryer for another minute or so after the cooking finishes (or pieces of popcorn might pop in your face).
Put the popped popcorn into a bowl and pour melted butter over. Add the salt and cover the bowl (we like using a big bowl with a lid). Toss the popcorn to coat it.
Top Tips For Making
- This method for making popcorn is pretty finicky and will probably take some trial and error to get right with your specific air fryer (since they really vary by make and model). The problem is that air fryers are not CLOSED. The fan and vent are right above the cooking basket, and the popcorn shoots all sorts of little bits around. However, our method is the BEST we’ve tried (and we tried many!). It’s easier to pop on the stovetop, but this method can be great, too!
- It can be hard to get all the kernels to pop at the same time. We like to take the popped corn out and put the unpopped kernels back in the air fryer. If you leave it until they ALL pop, the ones that popped early on will burn.
- Make sure not to make a bowl out of your tinfoil. You just want a flat piece lining the bottom. If the sides are high, they will block air flow and keep the popcorn from cooking correctly!
What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”
Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.
Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!
More Air Fryer Recipes
We hope you loved this recipe as much as we did! We’d love for you to give us a star ★ rating below, and follow us on Instagram! For more delicious, healthy recipes, be sure to check out 40 Aprons.
Air Fryer Popcorn
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line the air fryer basket bottom with a piece of foil. Pour in kernels in single layer. Turn on air fryer and preheat to 400º F for 5 minutes before cooking.
- Cook kernels for 7 minutes or until popping stops. While popcorn is cooking, melt butter in the microwave. Let basket sit in air fryer a minute or 2 after cooking finishes. The popping of the kernels will stop when they are done. Put into a bowl with a lid and pour melted butter over and add salt. Cover bowl and toss to coat.
Notes
- Cooking notes: This method for making popcorn is pretty finicky and will probably take some trial and error to get right with your specific air fryer. It can be hard to get all the kernels to pop at the same time. We like to take the popped corn out and put the unpopped kernels back in the air fryer. If you leave it until they ALL pop, the ones that popped early on will burn.
- Tinfoil: Make sure not to make a bowl out of your tinfoil. You just want a flat piece lining the bottom.
