The Cheap Pantry Staple This Chef Swears By for the Most Delicious Popcorn (Better Than the Movie Theater!) 

Popcorn is one of the most iconic snacks (it reached emoji status a decade ago), but it’s one I often forget about. I’m not entirely sure why. It’s airy, yet crisp and, when done well, has just the right balance of butter and salt.

Because it’s quite a simple snack, every component counts — even down to the salt. Just ask Karyn Tomlinson, the chef and owner behind Myriel in St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s also a 2025 James Beard Award nominee and huge fan of popcorn (It’s the late-night snack she makes herself after work). 

Actually, you don’t need to, because I already did. I chatted with Tomlinson to learn her secret to an overflowingly delicious bowl of freshly popped kernels. Her answer? Morton’s Popcorn Salt.

You probably know Morton for its big cylindrical tubs of salt that you find in the grocery store (and might even have in your salt shaker right now!). The brand also makes popcorn salt: “It’s really fine salt, and that way it just covers better,” Tomlinson says. “It makes such a big difference.”

Morton Popcorn Salt contains two ingredients: salt and tricalcium phosphate (an anticaking agent). It comes in a much smaller cylinder than the classic table salt (3.75 ounces) and is sold in sets of three on Amazon for $8.98. That’s a lot of popcorn nights! 

There are a bunch of ways to make popcorn, and her preferred method is the stove. After the oil heats and the kernels pop, she adds some Kerrygold butter (a favorite among chefs), and, of course, popcorn salt. A little goes a long way, so start with a sprinkling or two and remember to taste, err, snack as you go. 

Buy: Morton Popcorn Salt, $8.98 (on sale!) for three (3.75-ounce) shakers at Amazon

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: The Cheap Pantry Staple This Chef Swears By for the Most Delicious Popcorn (Better Than the Movie Theater!)