The 'World’s Best' Way to Make Buttered Popcorn, According to Andrew Zimmern (and His Son)

Justine Lee

2 October 2024 at 7:30 pm·2-min read

I love popcorn and who can blame me? The crunchy, corny snack is a great foil for whatever tasty fixings you put on it. At my local theater, my go-to move is to mix popcorn with Reese's Pieces. When I'm on the road, I always pick up a big bag of kettle corn to munch on messily in the car. When I'm home watching my favorite fall films? I go all in on classic butter popcorn.

There are many great ways to make buttered popcorn at home—whether you have the microwaveable stuff or make it from scratch and pour butter on it—but celeb chef Andrew Zimmern may have just taught us the best way and most creative way to make the simple snack.

In a video from 2016, Zimmern and his son, Noah, took a salad spinner out and used it to evenly distribute melted butter on microwave popcorn. I call my salad spinner one of my holy grail kitchen tools, but I had never considered using it for my popcorn. And Zimmern makes a similar confession, saying in the caption that this was "all Noah's idea. Seriously... I saw him take out my salad spinner and almost had a heart attack."

How Do You Make Buttered Popcorn in a Salad Spinner?

In the video, Zimmern (ahem, more like his sous chef Noah) adds microwave popcorn to the salad spinner, followed by a healthy drizzle of melted butter. He put the lid on and gets it spinning. This method, according to Zimmern, "combines the popcorn [with the butter] and it cools it to just the right temperature." Transfer the popcorn into a big serving bowl and you'll now be left with popcorn that's evenly coated with rich, fragrant butter.

Using a salad spinner to make popcorn is rather novel to me, but now that I've been inspired by Noah I could see myself spinning french fries with seasonings or maybe mixing together pasta with olive oil. Maybe a salad spinner isn't a one-trick pony after all!

But for now, I think we can all agree with one commenter's sentiments: "Watch out. Soon we will be seeing these relabeled as popcorn spinners!"

Up Next:

BuzzFeed
21 Poor Souls Who Woke Up One Morning Over The Last Week And Promptly Destroyed Their Entire Lives
Regrets... I've had a few.
HuffPost UK
Mary Berry's 15-Minute Secret To The Juiciest, Crispiest Turkey
It's easy-peasy, lemon squeezy.
HuffPost UK
I'm A Chef — 1 Secret Ingredient Makes Roast Potatoes Golden And Crispy
You deserve better than pale, soft spuds.
allrecipes
Meet Millionaire’s Shortbread: The Homemade Dessert Bar That Tastes Better Than a Twix
It’s the only dessert bar you need this holiday season.
Evening Standard
How to have a healthier Christmas: Melissa Hemsley's top tips and recipes
The chef shares her tips and tricks for the festive period — and her crowd-pleasing healthy recipe for the Big Day
HuffPost UK
Why You Should Never Roast Carrots In Olive Oil
Rosemary Gill, director of Milk Street Cooking School, shares why.
HuffPost UK
I’m A Chef — This Simple Recipe Will Level Up Your Carrots On Christmas Day
Carrots will be the star of the show with this festive recipe.
Country Living
A Trip to Buc-ee's Isn't Complete Without These 10 Snacks and Bites
For travelers hitting the road this holiday season, our Food Director shares the best foods and snacks to try at the popular convenience store Buc-ees.
Food & Wine
When to Use a Stand Mixer vs. a Hand Mixer (and When You Can Use Either)
They each have their place in the kitchen.
HuffPost UK
I’m A Coffee Expert – This Easy Gingerbread Latte Recipe Is Your New Festive Fave
If you love a flavoured coffee, this one is for you.
allrecipes
The 2-Ingredient Dollar Store Dinner I Make When I'm Too Tired to Cook
It couldn't be easier.
NewsWire
Major plea over crippling Aussie beer tax
Aussie brewers are calling on the government to follow their UK counterparts and slash a controversial tax they say is crippling the industry.
Sky News
How to cook Christmas dinner, by the UK's top chefs - including recipe that might change how you do roasties forever
If Christmas dinner in your house means soggy Brussels sprouts, desiccated turkey and gloopy gravy that's gone cold while you've waited for everything else to cook, you're not alone. This is key, says two-Michelin star chef Alex Dilling: "Any step you can do days ahead will help not only the time with your family but also there will be far less washing up." For TV regular and one-starred Tom Shepherd, this means doing the Yorkshire pudding batter and cauliflower cheese the night before, and prepping all the veg.
HuffPost UK
3 Signs Your Turkey's Cooked If You Don't Have A Meat Thermometer
It's alright, I don't either.
allrecipes
Ocean Spray Has a New First-Of-Its-Kind Product That ‘Sounds Perfect’
"I'm on my way to the store right now."
allrecipes
Costco's New Bakery Item Will Make Your 'Jaw Drop'
As one fan described it, it's "impeccable."
Simply Recipes
The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Mac and Cheese (It’s Already in Your Fridge)
Upgrade any mac and cheese recipe.
allrecipes
My Grandpa’s 100-Year-Old Milk Punch Is Always the Highlight of Christmas Morning
But it does have one modern twist.
allrecipes
The Simple Step Keeps Sprinkles from Falling Off Cookies
It’s probably already in your pantry.
Simply Recipes
This New ALDI Find Makes My Weeknight Dinners So Much Easier
It's a main dish that requires zero prep.

How Do You Make Buttered Popcorn in a Salad Spinner?

Latest stories