I started out down the road making popcorn using an outdoor griddle thinking it was… well, kinda gimmicky. One of those things you make once. You say to yourself “Well that was kinda neat”. Then you never do it again. Wrong! I made this popcorn 3 days in a row. I shared it with the neighbors. We all agree, it was awesome! The kernels popped up perfectly. The popcorn had a nice extra crunch to it. Fresh. Delicious. All I had to do was toss it with a little salt and serve!
A Man And His Dome
Making popcorn using an outdoor griddle is pretty easy. You start out by heating a little oil for about 10 minutes. Then you add the kernels and cover them with a lid. Now here’s the first important thing. Once things get going, don’t lift the lid. Just don’t. You’ll hear popping. You’ll want to take a look. Don’t. Just don’t. Why? Because if you’re like me you have to do it once and when you do, you quickly learn your lesson. Yep. Popcorn everywhere. All over the griddle. On my deck. In the yard. Happiest day ever for the squirrels. Not so great a moment for me. So keep the lid down.
Less Is More
Here’s a picture of me violating the rule of ‘don’t lift the lid’. I just wanted to show how easy this process is. Not a lot of kernels are needed. Ditto the oil. Don’t overload it. The popcorn only takes a few minutes once it gets going. It’s easier to make another batch than to try and handle one big batch.
Once you hear the kernels pop, move the lid around on the griddle a bit. You don’t have to go nuts with it. You don’t have to shake it like Jiffy Pop popcorn. But move it a bit to keep any popped kernels from burning.
When you no longer hear popping move the lid over to a cooler part of the griddle and lift it up to scoop up the popcorn. I use two big spatulas to do it. It’s a bit of an art. The first time I dropped some popcorn. Second time I had it down and got them all.
Also try my baked Ranch sourdough pretzel bites.
Popcorn using an Outdoor Griddle
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil you might need a bit more
- ¼ cup popcorn
- kosher salt for seasoning
Instructions
- Heat up your griddle on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Drizzle the oil onto the center of your griddle.
- Add the popcorn kernels.
- Let the kernels warm up. Once you start to see the oil sizzle, turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the kernels with the dome.
- Keep cooking until you hear the kernels start to pop. Using a grill mitt, grab the dome and slowly keep it moving in circles so that the popped kernels do not burn. Do not lift the dome while doing this.
- Keep moving and cooking until the kernels go for 1-2 seconds without anything popping.
- Slide the dome to a cooler area of the grill if possible. Remove the lid. Using a spatula, transfer the cooked popcorn to a medium bowl.
- Sprinkle the popcorn with salt, toss, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
