This Mexican Popcorn Seasoning Mix 🍿 combines chile de árbol, cumin, oregano, garlic, and a touch of sugar for a spicy, savory topping. Sprinkle it over freshly popped palomitas (popcorn) for an easy snack with a Mexican twist.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Easy to make: Mix a few pantry spices together in minutes.
- Spicy and savory: Chile de árbol, cumin, garlic, and oregano give popcorn a bold flavor, balanced with a little sugar.
- Adjustable heat: Use less chile for a milder seasoning or add chipotle for extra kick.
- Great for snacking: Sprinkle it over popcorn for movie night, game day, or an afternoon treat.
-Maggie
Ingredients
- Popcorn – Pop some fresh from kernels, in the microwave, or pick up a bag from the grocery store.
- Salt enhances the flavors of the popcorn and other spices.
- Sugar for balance
- Oregano adds a robust herby taste.
- Cumin is earthy and warm.
- Garlic Powder is pungent and tasty.
- Chile de Arbol is spicy. Swap out for paprika if you’re not into really spicy food.
- Red Cayenne Pepper – Either flakes, crushed, ground, or look for red chili powder or ground cayenne.
Want to spice it up even more? Try adding ½ teaspoon more of the chile de arbol or add ½ teaspoon of ground chipotle.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chile de árbol, and red pepper flakes or powder.
- Place the freshly popped popcorn in a large bowl.
- Lightly spray the popped popcorn with oil, or drizzle with the melted butter.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the popcorn a little at a time, tossing to coat evenly.
- Taste and add more seasoning as desired. Serve immediately.
Popcorn is best when it is freshly popped. Bagged popcorn doesn’t last more than a few days.
I suggest adding a little of the seasoning mix at a time. Add more or less depending on personal taste.
This is a working recipe, a starting point. Adjust as you see fit.
Double the batch and save some for later. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
In Mexico, popcorn is often served with some fun and unexpected toppings.
🇲🇽 Mexican Toppings for Popcorn
- A very popular topping is hot sauce like Valentina or Tapatio.
- Pickled jalapenos are tangy and sweet.
- Ketchup. Yes, ketchup, the same red tomato sauce used on top of hot dogs.
- Mayonnaise. Or, a mixture of mayonnaise with ketchup.
- Tajin is tangy, sweet and a little spicy.
- Lime juice makes popcorn zesty and bright.
- Chamoy is syrupy and spicy, often paired with candy and other antojitos.
- Butter. A classic that is enjoyed all around the world.
Not all of these are found at movie concession stands, but you will find some, if not several. Don’t knock them til you try ‘em.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Palomitas is the Spanish word for popcorn. In Mexico, popcorn is often enjoyed with toppings like hot sauce, lime juice, chile powder, and Tajín.
This spicy popcorn seasoning uses salt, sugar, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chile de árbol, and red pepper flakes or powder. Butter or butter spray helps the seasoning stick to the popcorn.
Lightly spray freshly popped popcorn with butter spray or drizzle it with melted butter before adding the seasoning. Sprinkle a little at a time and toss well to coat.
This mix has a noticeable kick from the chile de árbol and red cayenne pepper. For a milder version, replace the chile de árbol with paprika and reduce the red pepper to taste.
Store the dry seasoning mixture in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to four months. For the best flavor, keep it dry and add it to popcorn just before serving.
Other Mexican Snacks
This Mexican Popcorn Seasoning Mix is an easy way to add spicy, savory flavor to your favorite snack. Adjust the heat to your liking and serve it with freshly popped palomitas for your next movie night!
Mexican Popcorn Seasoning (Spicy Palomitas Mix)
Ingredients
- 6 cups popcorn (already popped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground chile de arbol
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (or ground red cayenne pepper)
- butter spray (or melted butter)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chile de árbol, and red pepper flakes or powder.
- Place the freshly popped popcorn in a large bowl.
- Lightly spray the popped popcorn with oil, or drizzle with the melted butter.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the popcorn a little at a time, tossing to coat evenly.
- Taste and add more seasoning as desired. Serve immediately.
I love savory popcorn and have never had this kind of popcorn before and am looking forward to trying it.
Hope you could make this recipe soon.