Butter Up Buffalo Sauce For A Spicy Popcorn Topping

Movie night's scheduled, the movie already picked, but unsure of what to do on the snacking front since you're so fed up with plain buttered or caramel popcorn every week? No sweat, here's an easy idea that'll be a nice upgrade to your snack bowl: Buttered Buffalo popcorn! At the core of this sauce is the tangy and slight spice of Buffalo sauce. Beneath it is the familiar richness of melted butter. When combined and drizzled on top of fresh popcorn, you'll have a pretty indulgent treat reminiscent of Buffalo wings, just in a popcorn format!

Start with your favorite popcorn — it doesn't matter what method you use to pop it — grab a bowlful, and then you can mix the sauce as the popcorn cools. In a separate bowl, mix one part Buffalo sauce (any hot sauce brand works, but Frank's RedHot is preferred for the most authentic Buffalo flavor) with two parts melted butter.

Try to stick to this proportion, as it strikes a nice balance between flavors and consistency (neither too moist that the popcorn will turn soggy nor too thick from the fat that the sauce will thicken and can't coat the popcorn evenly). Drizzle the mix over your popcorn, give it a good toss, and voila! You've got a flavor-packed snack that will keep you munching through hours of whatever new show you've picked up or the next movie in the queue on your watchlist!

While the basic buttered Buffalo sauce popcorn is a hit on its own, you're welcome to spice it up a bit more with some extra seasonings. If the basic sauce doesn't carry enough heat for your liking, you can amp up the spiciness by adding a blend of paprika and cayenne pepper to the sauce. Mixing a teaspoon of paprika and a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper for every two tablespoons of hot sauce should give it a nice kick. However, feel free to experiment with the proportions if you prefer it hotter or milder.

To make the popcorn richer in flavor, you can incorporate a packet of ranch seasoning into the mix, introducing a savory, herby taste. Make sure to use the powdered ranch seasoning rather than the bottled condiment, though. The powdered ranch contains only the spice and herb mix without the mayo and milk, which can ruin the sauce's consistency. Just add a tablespoon of the dry powdered ranch, mix well, and that's all it takes to get an extra dimension of flavor in your Buffalo popcorn.

Lastly, for an even more indulgent treat, after drizzling the Buffalo sauce over the popcorn, you can sprinkle some blue cheese crumbles on top. The earthy tone of the cheese will beautifully complement the spiciness and tanginess of the Buffalo sauce, as well as the hints of ranch if you decide to add it. Bon appétit!