Yes, You Can (And Should) Cook Popcorn On The Grill

If you're in charge of the grill and have hungry mouths eager to chomp down on hot food, consider heating up popcorn as you wait for those juicy steaks to cook to perfection. Though cooking popcorn on the grill may not be the first instinct of many backyard chefs, the lightly smoked notes of the flames will kiss each kernel to a delicious, mouth-watering finish.

Simply place kernels into a pouch made with aluminum foil, or use an aluminum pan loosely covered with foil to form a makeshift container that will keep the kernel pieces in place as they roast. You can also buy pre-made foil bags that you can easily pour popcorn kernels into. Season the popcorn as you wish — smoked paprika and garlic salt or cinnamon and sea salt are great starting points — then add a bit of your preferred cooking oil or flavor-enhanced butter. Place the seasoned, popcorn-filled packages onto the grill and use tongs to agitate the foil pouch over the heat as the popcorn pops into fluffy morsels. Once the sound of the pops grows less frequent, you can remove the foil from the grill and serve your quickly-made snack to the hungry guests at your gathering. 

This easy popcorn-making technique can be used both over campsite fires and backyard grills. Once you've mastered the cooking technique, you can have fun experimenting by adding flavors and seasonings to your culinary creations. Sprinkle DIY everything bagel seasoning over the kernels or take your snack into a spicier lane with pulverized ancho chile, garlic and onion powders, and cayenne. Dump truffle zest, ranch seasoning, or elote seasoning into separate popcorn packets for guests to pick and choose flavors, and pop a batch of plain popcorn for your friends to season with the ingredients of their choosing.

While you're standing at the grill, you may want to make an extra batch of popcorn to set aside in air-tight containers to store as a convenient snack to munch on during movie night later in the week. Popcorn roasted over an actual fire is a tough act to top when it comes to satisfying dishes served out of a bowl.