Make Your Popcorn Taste Like Heaven With One Simple Swap

From making popcorn taste cheesy without using actual cheese to Ina Garten's elevated truffle butter popcorn, the world has seen its fair share of tips and tricks surrounding the popular movie theater snack. But one unexpected flavor hack is to combine this buttery fan-favorite treat with an equally loved breakfast food — bacon. It might seem bizarre to pair these two items in any way, but doing so is actually an extremely simple way to upgrade your popcorn-eating experience.

All it takes is swapping out the vegetable oil typically used when popping corn for some bacon fat. We didn't claim it'd be a healthy substitution, but boy is it a tasty one. As expected when you're reusing oil, the popcorn will take on a bit of that residual bacon flavor. It won't be overpowering or overwhelming, though; it just adds a bit of smokiness to each bite. And the best part is that you're not letting any of that leftover grease from breakfast go to waste, making bacon popcorn both a delicious and cost-effective indulgence you have to try out.

To try this finger-licking good crossover, start by making bacon as you normally would. Though the best and easiest way to cook bacon is by placing it into the oven, as it's a mess-free, hands-free alternative, it would probably be better to fry those strips in a pan this time. This method will leave you with a bigger pool of that yummy oil your popcorn is going to take a swim in. From there, simply toss your uncooked kernels into the pan with the grease and shake it up. And just like that, you have your bacon popcorn!

The bacon fat is already enough to make a change in how your popcorn tastes, but you can take it a step further with just a few more simple additives for a more filling, enhanced treat. Give your snack a delectable balance between sweet and salty by sprinkling brown sugar into the oil before putting your kernels in. When it's all finished cooking and you take the popcorn out, add some salt and even some crumbled bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese. Pretty much anything else goes, too, such as incorporating seasonings like onion and garlic powder. The crunchy, savory combination of everything provides you with an addicting end product. You won't want to do popcorn any other way.