Nigella Lawson’s Party Popcorn

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

Say goodbye to boring plain popcorn and hello to a flavor explosion with Nigella Lawson’s party popcorn recipe!

nigella's party popcorn

Leave it to Nigella Lawson. I was once content to eat my popcorn with just butter and salt, but after trying her party popcorn recipe, there’s no going back. A delightful mix of sweet and savory flavors—think cinnamon, cumin, and paprika—this stuff is downright habit-forming. Adapted from Nigella Express, one of my go-to cookbooks, this snack is a breeze to whip up in less than fifteen minutes. While it’s named “party popcorn,” don’t reserve it just for entertaining—it’s equally delicious for family movie nights or anytime snacking.

“Delicious! We keep saying that we need to step away from the bowl, but it’s impossible! Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe—I never would have thought to combine those spices with popcorn, but it totally works. 🙂”

Kelly

What you’ll need to make Party Popcorn

Popcorn ingredients including vegetable oil, paprika, and cumin.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by heating the oil and popping corn in a large pot. Don’t be tempted to increase the quantities — the kernels should be in a single layer to ensure even popping.

Popcorn kernels in a pot.

Cover the pot with a lid and wait for the kernels to start popping. As it pops, shake the pan gently now and then to keep the kernels moving. When the popping slows to 2-3 seconds apart, remove the pan from the heat.

Pot of popped popcorn.

Next, melt the butter in a small bowl and add the spices, sugar, and salt.

Bowl of unmixed spices and butter.

Stir to combine.

Spoon in a bowl with a spice and butter mixture.

Then drizzle the mixture over the popcorn, stirring as you go so that it coats the popcorn evenly. It will clump in some spots — that’s okay.

Spice mixture pouring over a pot of popcorn.

Continue tossing the popcorn until it’s well coated.

Pot of Nigella Lawson\'s party popcorn.

Then transfer to serving bowls or popcorn bags and enjoy.

Containers of Nigella Lawson\'s party popcorn.

Note: The original recipe, as published here, calls for 4 teaspoons of salt. That’s way too much salt (and possibly a typo) so I reduced the amount significantly here.

You may also like

Nigella's Party Popcorn

Say goodbye to boring plain popcorn and hello to a flavor explosion with Nigella Lawson’s party popcorn recipe!

Servings: About 20 cups
Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup popcorn kernels (I like Pop Secret Jumbo Popping Corn)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Pour the vegetable oil into a very large pan over medium-high heat. Add the kernels, then set the lid on top.
  2. Wait for the kernels to start popping, then shake the pan gently now and then to keep the kernels moving. When the popping slows to 2-3 seconds apart, remove the pan from the heat.
  3. In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the cinnamon, paprika, cumin, sugar and salt. Use a spoon to drizzle the mixture over the popcorn, stirring as you go so that it coats the everything evenly. Pour into bowls or popcorn bags and serve.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (10 servings)
  • Serving size: 2 cups
  • Calories: 109
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 46 mg
  • Cholesterol: 9 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • pretty good!! would agree about adding some cayenne.. about half a teaspoon.. a bit more butter.. and no salt if your butter is salted!

    • — Damian on August 25, 2024
    • Reply
  • So, so amazingly good!

    • — Dana on November 23, 2023
    • Reply

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.