Go Back
Overhead view of elote popcorn served in small white bowls on a black-and-white kitchen towel, seasoned with butter, Parmesan cheese, and chili spices.

Elote Popcorn

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Popcorn kernels 1/3 cup
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, avocado oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 –3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 –3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
  • ¼ –½ teaspoon salt to taste
  • A light sprinkle of Tajín seasoning optional
  • A squeeze of fresh lime juice after seasoning optional

Method
 

  1. Heat a large pot over medium heat with 1–2 tablespoons oil (up to 3 tbsp if you like it richer).
  2. Add ½ cup unpopped kernels, cover, and shake occasionally until popping slows to about 2 seconds between pops.
  3. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl.
  4. Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons melted butter over the warm popcorn and toss well so it’s evenly coated.
  5. Sprinkle half of the elote seasoning over the popcorn and toss.
  6. Add 2–3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese and toss again.
  7. Finish with the remaining seasoning.
  8. add more salt, chili powder, or a light squeeze of lime juice if desired.
  9. Elote popcorn tastes best fresh while the butter is warm and the cheese lightly melts into the popcorn.

Notes

We tested this elote popcorn using several popping methods, including stovetop, air-popped, and microwave popcorn. The stovetop method consistently produced the best results, with crisp popcorn that held onto the butter, Parmesan, and seasoning without becoming soggy.
Air-popped popcorn also worked, but required extra butter to help the seasoning stick. Microwave popcorn was the least consistent and tended to soften once seasoned, so it’s not recommended for this recipe.