Matcha Stovetop Popcorn
on Sep 13, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Add a green tea twist to your popcorn with this matcha stovetop popcorn recipe. If you’ve never made stovetop popcorn at home, you’re missing out!
Recipe Summary
- Get step-by-step instructions on how to make freshly made popcorn that’s coated with buttery matcha using 5 ingredients. It’s the perfect snack.
- Popcorn kernels are popped on the stovetop in a pot.
- Once you’ve had a taste of stovetop popcorn, you’ll have a hard time going back to store-bought bags.
Note from Jee
The first time I tested this recipe, the popcorn was way too soggy from the matcha butter so I researched and discovered that the secret is to use clarified butter, or ghee.
What is clarified butter/ghee? Butter is made up of butterfat, milk solids, and water. Clarified butter is the butterfat you’re left with after simmering butter on low heat.
Ghee is sold in most supermarkets, bottled, in the international or cooking oils aisle. I get mine from Trader Joe’s.
Ingredient Notes
- Matcha: You want good quality but not the most expensive matcha. Get the brightest green that’s $20 – $30 a tin.
- Clarified butter (ghee): My secret ingredient to perfect popcorn. It has a high smoke point so you can cook on high heat without burning AND because there is no water content, it works amazingly well for popcorn toppings since it doesn’t make the popped kernels soggy.
- Popcorn kernels: Get unpopped kernels.
- Sugar: Use white granulated sugar.
- Sea salt: Matcha popcorn tastes great when it’s a little sweet and salty.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine clarified butter (ghee), sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Sift in matcha and mix. Set aside.
Sifting the matcha using a mesh strainer will prevent clumping and make it easier to mix all the ingredients together.
Step 2: Put ghee and 3 kernels into a pot and close the lid. Turn heat to medium-high and wait for a kernel to pop.
Step 3: Once you hear a kernel pop, add in the rest of the kernels and close the lid. Occasionally, give the pot a shake and a swirl so the clarified butter can coat the kernels. (Don’t forget to use oven mitts since the handles will be hot!) When the popping sound slows down, you can turn off the heat.
Step 4: Coat the popcorn with the matcha butter topping and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Don’t dump the entire pot of popped corn into the mixing bowl to coat with matcha butter because it’ll be hard to get an even matcha coating since you won’t have enough room in the bowl. Add in scoopfuls at a time.
- Use a pot that can hold at least 2 quarts. A pot with a glass lid is even better since you can see the popcorn as it pops.
- Mixing the popcorn with the matcha topping can get VERY messy. I used my hands since it was hard to get it to mix using anything else. So just be prepared to get green, delicious buttery hands if you do the same.
- Don’t leave the popcorn on the heat unattended. It can burn quickly if you’re not moving the popcorn around in the pot.
Related
If you tried this Matcha Popcorn recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below.
Matcha Popcorn
Ingredients
Stovetop Popcorn
- 1 ½ tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)
- ¼ cup popcorn kernels
Matcha Butter Topping
- ⅓ cup clarified butter (ghee)
- 2 teaspoons matcha
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
- Make matcha butter. Combine ⅓ cup clarified butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Sift in matcha and mix. Set aside.Sifting the matcha using a mesh strainer will prevent clumping and make it easier to mix all the ingredients together.⅓ cup clarified butter (ghee), 2 teaspoons matcha, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Put 1 ½ tablespoons clarified butter and 3 kernels into a pot and close the lid. Turn heat to medium-high and wait for a kernel to pop.1 ½ tablespoons clarified butter (ghee), ¼ cup popcorn kernels
- Once you hear a kernel pop, add in the rest of the kernels and close the lid. Shake the pot every few seconds. Every 20-30 seconds, give the pot a shake until the popping slows down to 4-5 seconds between pops. (Don't forget to use oven mitts since the handles will be hot!) When the popping sound slows down to 4-5 seconds between pops, you can turn off the heat.
- Coat the popcorn with the matcha butter topping and serve immediately.After turning off the heat, slowly open lid to let steam escape. Pour popcorn a cup at a time into the large bowl with the matcha topping and coat popped kernels evenly.
Notes
- Don’t dump the entire pot of popcorn into the mixing bowl because it’ll be hard to get an even matcha coating since you won’t have enough room in the bowl. Add in scoopfuls at a time.
- Use a pot that can hold at least 2 quarts. A pot with a glass lid is even better since you can see the popcorn as it pops.
- Mixing the popcorn with the matcha topping can get VERY messy. I used my bare hands since it was hard to get it to mix using anything else. So just be prepared to get green, delicious buttery hands if you do the same.
- Using clarified butter is what keeps the popcorn from getting soggy from the topping so make sure you use that instead of regular butter.
- Don’t leave the popcorn on the heat unattended. It can burn quickly if you’re not moving the popcorn around in the pot.
- Use good quality but not the most expensive matcha. Get the brightest green in the $20-$30 range.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been making popcorn in a glass pitcher for that purpose so I will have to try this. It won’t be as good but it might be close.
I really enjoy making stovetop popcorn with ghee because it gives it a really yummy taste and it is so easy to make! This matcha idea sounds great, thank you for the idea 🙂
xx Gabriela
This is something really unique idea for me. I will try it.