The Oscars are this weekend, and your friends are coming over. You’ve all watched every single nominated film and have taken bets on who and which film will win. And you’re pumped to fill up bowls and bowls of popcorn for the full experience.

But if you’ve opted for regular microwave popcorn, stop.

Let’s be honest, microwave popcorn sucks. It’s stale and unevenly distributed, and who actually wants to sit through half a bag of wet popcorn drenched in fake butter. You won’t appreciate, and your guests certainly won’t appreciate it.

The only way to make movie-theatre quality popcorn at home is to pop it fresh, like on a stovetop. But if you’re looking to emulate movie-theatre quality and really impress your guests, you have to try this brown butter rosemary lemon popcorn.

If you’ve ever tried, you know that brown butter can easily elevate a dish from dining to fine dining. While it can be rich, the refreshing notes of rosemary and lemon in this recipe will cut through the grease and have you reaching for the bowl incessantly. Just don’t forget to share.

Brown Butter Rosemary Lemon Popcorn Recipe

Remember, a little kernel can actually go a long way. Depending on how many people you are entertaining, the recipe will vary. But for most pans, I would recommend starting with 1/2 cup or less as you don’t want kernels to sit on top of each other. Even heat!

Before you get started, read on how to perfectly churn up some brown butter with our previous blog post. It’s super quick and easy.

What you need:

1/2 cup kernels

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons brown butter

2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary leaves

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (you can also use lemon juice, but zest is much easier to distribute without splatters!)

Salt and pepper to taste

How to prepare:

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan or pot over medium-high heat for a minute before adding the popcorn kernels. As the kernels begin to pop, cover the pot, leaving the pot slightly ajar—this is crucial as if your lid is tightly sealed the entire time, your popcorn can get chewy. Shake the pot occasionally as you allow the kernels to pop for the next few minutes to avoid burning. Move into a large bowl when done.

2. As the kernels work their magic, heat up your brown butter. Once it’s all melted, add the chopped rosemary and allow the flavour to infuse with the butter. Drizzle the mixture into the large bowl of popcorn, shaking it to ensure that it is evenly distributed. Then add the salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and give it another good shake.

And there you have it, the Oscar-winning popcorn recipe. Let us know what your favourite popcorn recipe is. And while we’re at it, which film and actor are you rooting for this year?