How To Make Popcorn In An Air Fryer

There are quite a few different ways to make popcorn. The microwave has become one of the most popular ways to get that corn to pop. Having air-popped popcorn is more of a modern way and one that is becoming increasingly common where the hot air will circulate around the popcorn kernels.

To make popcorn in an air fryer is simple and easy, place 2 tablespoons of oil in the base and put in the popcorn kernels in the tray, cook for 8-10 minutes with 5 minutes preheating time.

In this article, we are going to talk about how to make popcorn in an airy fryer, the advantages and disadvantages and what you would need.

Can You Make Popcorn In An Air Fryer?

To do it perfectly, you might need a bit of trial and error before getting it right. Popcorn making depends on the specific make and model of the air fryer. It’s always best to check the instructions to ensure that you’re not making any key mistakes.

While using an air fryer is a simple method, you can still get it wrong if you’re not attentive enough. The advantages of using an air fryer are clear. It’s able to make tasty popcorn but in a way that isn’t going to be as messy or unhealthy.

You can definitely make popcorn in an air fryer and you can even experiment with adding your own tastes to it. All that’s left for you to do is getting cooking and enjoy one of the tastiest snacks there is!

You don’t need cooking expertise to make popcorn because it’s convenient and easy. If you’re not confident about how this works, then trying to make popcorn in an air fryer will work easily for you. The most important thing is keeping the kernels from burning.

The microwave is still the fastest way to make popcorn but it does have its downsides. An air fryer can be less messy and will give you a lower chance of overcooking or burning the popcorn. Due to this, you may even view an air fryer as being the easiest method to make popcorn.

If you’re a health buff, then using an air fryer is the best option, because you can use less oil without compromising the taste of the popcorn. Since air fryers are powerful, you have to use the pouch method, by pouching the aluminum foil where you will put the kernels together. Inside the aluminum foil pouch, you have to add a little oil and then position it well inside the air fryer under 400ºF degrees.

Air-Popped Popcorn Difference From The Microwave Popcorn

These two devices use two very different heating methods. The air fryer uses hot air to heat the kernels, while the microwave sends microwaves through the kernels. The kernels are kept in its bag to trap the heat to make the popcorn pop.

As mentioned above, with an air fryer it’s best to use aluminum foil as a pouch to prevent the kernels from flying around but this isn’t strictly needed. It may take some time to cook air fryer popcorn but it’s less messy compared to cooking it in the microwave.

Advantages Of Using Air Fryer

Using an air fryer is advantageous, especially for the weight-watcher, health-conscious or those who simply don’t like making a lot of mess. Here we look at some of the key advantages of using an air fryer.

1. Less Oil

2 tablespoons of oil are more than enough to make a good popcorn using the air fryer. The advantages of this are clear as cooking oil contains plenty of unsaturated fats.

This is unhealthy and you want as little of it as possible which is perhaps the biggest advantage of an air fryer, for any foods.

2. Less Calorie Intake

The main reason why people loved using an air fryer is that their calorie intake will dramatically reduce. As many air fryer users would say, you can make anything in an air fryer in less time compared to an oven. Cleaning it is also easier.

Some people are also using this to make vegetables more interesting, especially for the kids. Air-frying vegetables can be a great method to make them crispy. Lastly, air-frying won’t make the whole house smell as other cooking methods can.

3. Other Foods that You Can Air-Fry

Aside from making popcorn, sweet potatoes can be tasty when being air fried. It might be hard to make home-made sweet potato fries, however, an air fryer can make itself as a conventional oven, where you can only sprinkle less seasoning.

At the same time, you can also try cooking chicken, pork, and beef meats in an air fryer, where you don’t need oil anymore.

Disadvantages of Using Air Fryer

While looking at the advantages of using an air fryer, we also wanted to see if there were any disadvantages to give a balanced view.

1. More Expensive

Most air fryers are a little more expensive than other methods such as using a stove or an oven so you may be wondering whether you should bother at all?

Well, the advantages of using an air fryer are clear which makes it a worthwhile investment. Also, you can cook a lot more than popcorn in them.

2. Longer Cooking Time

Cooking popcorn in an air fryer can take a little longer than other methods. That being said, we are only talking about the difference between around 5 minutes and 10 minutes.

There is also a counterpoint to this as air fryers need less cleaning so the overall time spent can actually be less.

3. Lack Of Capacity

One of the drawbacks to air fryers is that they can lack capacity if you’re trying to cook for a large number of people. While this can potentially be an issue for other types of foods, it’s very unlikely that it’ll be a problem when making popcorn.

What Do You Need To Make Popcorn In An Air Fryer?

Making popcorn in an air fryer is like cooking it on the stove.

You have to prepare the following ingredients:

  • A quarter cup of kernels
  • 2 tablespoons of Oil
  • Butter
  • Aluminium or tin Foil
  • Large bowl

Setting an air fryer to cook popcorn is very easy because you have to preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400ºF/205ºC. As for cooking the actual popcorn, the approximate time would be around 8 to 10 minutes. It’s also easy to determine if the popcorn is done because the popping will eventually stop.

The purpose of having the aluminium foil or tin foil is to stop the kernels from escaping the air fryer. This will also prevent the popcorn from overcooking. With putting in the aluminium or tin foil, you have to put it at the bottom of the air fryer, while avoiding the sides because it might block the airflow.

The powdered cheese or garlic in the ingredients list is just optional for additional flavor. You just have to put the popped popcorn in a large bowl with a lid, and then shake it until the powdered cheese or garlic will equally spread on the popcorn.

With a lot of people becoming more health-conscious, using an air fryer would be a healthier option. First of all, you are only using less oil compared to cooking the popcorn on a stove.

At the same time, the flavour is more consistent because it has less tendency to be burned or overcooked.

What Is The Best Way To Cook The Kernels?

As mentioned above, the best option that you can do is the pouch method, wherein you just have to simply make a pouch out of the aluminium or tin foil into the fryer at 400ºF/205ºC.

Although this method can be less messy, it might a little longer but we think the benefits of doing it outweigh the negative.

How to Make Popcorn In An Air Fryer?

Although a stove or microwave is the traditional method to make popcorn, you still you can accomplish nice homemade popcorn by using an air fryer.

What makes this a great option is the simplicity of its method, while not compromising its taste even though you’re adding less oil.

Making popcorn in an air fryer has never been difficult. First, you have to fill the kernels into the aluminum foil and put it in the basket bottom of the air fryer. Turn on the air fryer with a maximum temperature of 400ºF. Preheat the air fryer for about 5 minutes.

While you’re cooking the popcorn, you have to melt the butter using a microwave oven. Be attentive in cooking popcorn because it’s easily overcooked. Once the popping stops, you should turn off the air fryer. Standby for another minute while letting the air fryer basket sit.

As you put the popped popcorn into a bowl, you should get the melted butter from the microwave and pour it over. Add salt and cover the bowl and toss the bowl, so the ingredients mix.