Matcha Popcorn

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Add a green tea twist to your popcorn with this matcha stovetop popcorn recipe. If you’ve never made stovetop popcorn at home, you’re missing out!

Matcha popcorn in paper popcorn containers.

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Recipe Highlights

  • This recipe shows you step-by-step, how to make freshly made popcorn that’s then coated with buttery matcha. It’s the perfect snack.
  • It’s quick and easy to make at home, you’ll always want to make popcorn on the stovetop. Once you’ve had a taste of stovetop popcorn, you’ll have a hard time going back to store-bought bags.
  • My secret to making the perfect buttery toppings for popcorn (that doesn’t get soggy) is to use clarified butter, or ghee, which is sold in most supermarkets. I get mine from Trader Joes.

Love matcha? Try making my Matcha Milkshake, Matcha Ice Cubes, Matchamisu (Matcha Tiramisu), and layered Iced Matcha Latte.

Ingredient Notes

Matcha popcorn ingredients.
  • Matcha
    You want good quality but not the most expensive matcha. Get the brightest green in the $15-$30 range.
  • Clarified butter (ghee)
    My secret ingredient to perfect popcorn. It has a high smoke point so you can cook on high heat without burning AND because there is no water content, it works amazingly well for popcorn toppings since it doesn’t make the popped kernels soggy.
  • Popcorn kernels
    Get unpopped popcorn kernels.
  • Sugar
    Just plain white granulated sugar is what you need.
  • Sea salt
    Matcha popcorn tastes great when it’s a little sweet and salty. This sea salt is the absolute best.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Four photo collage showing steps to make matcha popcorn on the stovetop.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  1. Combine clarified butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Sift in matcha and mix. Set aside.
    Sifting the matcha using a mesh strainer will prevent clumping and make it easier to mix all the ingredients together.
  2. Put clarified butter and 3 kernels into a pot and close the lid. Turn heat to medium-high and wait for a kernel to pop.
  3. Once you hear a kernel pop, add in the rest of the kernels and close the lid. Shake the pot every few seconds.
    Give the pot a shake and a swirl so the clarified butter can coat the kernels. (Don’t forget to use oven mitts since the handles will be hot!) When the popping sound slows down between pops, you can turn off the heat.
  4. Coat the popcorn with the matcha butter topping and serve immediately.
    Pour popcorn a cup at a time into the large bowl with the matcha topping and coat popped kernels evenly.

Expert Tips

  • Use a pot that can hold at least 2 quarts. A pot with a glass lid is even better since you can see the popcorn as it pops.
  • Mixing the popcorn with the matcha topping can get VERY messy. I used my bare hands since it was hard to get it to mix using anything else. So just be prepared to get green, delicious buttery hands if you do the same.
  • Don’t leave the popcorn on the heat unattended. It can burn quickly if you’re not moving the popcorn around in the pot.

Questions You May Have

What’s clarified butter?

Butter is made up of butterfat, milk solids, and water. Clarified butter is the butterfat you’re left with after simmering butter on low heat.

Can I use regular butter instead of clarified butter?

Using clarified butter is what keeps the popcorn from getting soggy from the topping so make sure you use that instead of regular butter.

What kind of matcha should I use?

It doesn’t matter if it’s culinary or ceremonial grade, just use the brightest green you can find in the $20-$30 range.

Matcha popcorn in striped popcorn boxes.

Did you make this and love it? Please leave a 5-star rating below or a review in the comments section!

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4.87 from 15 votes

Matcha Popcorn

By: Jee Choe
Add a green tea twist to your popcorn with this matcha stovetop popcorn recipe.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 9 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients 

Stovetop Popcorn

Matcha Butter Topping

  • cup clarified butter (ghee)
  • 2 teaspoons matcha
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions 

MAKE MATCHA BUTTER

  • Combine 1/3 cup clarified butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Sift in matcha and mix. Set aside.
    Sifting the matcha using a mesh strainer will prevent clumping and make it easier to mix all the ingredients together.

MAKE STOVETOP POPCORN

  • Put 1 ½ tablespoons clarified butter and 3 kernels into a pot and close the lid. Turn heat to medium-high and wait for a kernel to pop.
  • Once you hear a kernel pop, add in the rest of the kernels and close the lid. Shake the pot every few seconds.
    Every 20-30 seconds give the pot a shake until the popping slows down to 4-5 seconds between pops. (Don't forget to use oven mitts since the handles will be hot!) When the popping sound slows down to 4-5 seconds between pops, you can turn off the heat.
  • Coat the popcorn with the matcha butter topping and serve immediately.
    After turning off the heat, slowly open lid to let steam escape. Pour popcorn a cup at a time into the large bowl with the matcha topping and coat popped kernels evenly.

Notes

  • Don’t dump the entire pot of popcorn into the mixing bowl because it’ll be hard to get an even matcha coating since you won’t have enough room in the bowl. Add in scoopfuls at a time.
  • Use a pot that can hold at least 2 quarts. A pot with a glass lid is even better since you can see the popcorn as it pops.
  • Mixing the popcorn with the matcha topping can get VERY messy. I used my bare hands since it was hard to get it to mix using anything else. So just be prepared to get green, delicious buttery hands if you do the same.
  • Using clarified butter is what keeps the popcorn from getting soggy from the topping so make sure you use that instead of regular butter.
  • Don’t leave the popcorn on the heat unattended. It can burn quickly if you’re not moving the popcorn around in the pot.
  • Use good quality but not the most expensive matcha. Get the brightest green in the $15-$30 range.

Nutrition

Calories: 233Carbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 1164mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 100IUCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @ohhowcivilized or tag #ohhowcivilized!

About Jee Choe

Welcome! I'm a certified Tea Sommelier and a self-proclaimed bubble tea and iced tea master. I'm all about making tea EASY and DELICIOUS.

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3 Comments

  1. I’ve been making popcorn in a glass pitcher for that purpose so I will have to try this. It won’t be as good but it might be close.

  2. I really enjoy making stovetop popcorn with ghee because it gives it a really yummy taste and it is so easy to make! This matcha idea sounds great, thank you for the idea 🙂
    xx Gabriela