I’ve despised popcorn for as long as I can remember — a trait my friends used to call my “red flag” — instead opting for M&M’s as my usual movie snack. But a recently resurfaced clip of Selena Gomez has turned this lifelong popcorn hater into a fan, thanks to the pop star’s two-ingredient hack.
Gomez has surprised fans multiple times by sharing some of her unexpected ingredient combinations, which often include one of her favorite foods: pickles. These range from a cold, refreshing pickle-infused snow cone to the pickle-shaped candles that decorated her 33rd birthday cake this year. Even how Gomez enjoys popcorn involves pickles, and I’d argue that everyone else should try her snacking strategy.
In a 2010 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallonthe former Disney star shared her trick for making spicy pickle popcorn. Although initially skeptical, Fallon was pleasantly surprised after taking a bite, saying, “That’s really phenomenal by the way — that’s my new favorite popcorn.”
With just two bold ingredients and a few extra seconds, Gomez turns a simple bowl of popcorn into a tangy, savory treat with a kick, and it’s easy for you to recreate at home.
How to make Selena Gomez’s spicy pickle popcorn
Apart from the popcorn itself, you’ll only need two pantry staples to make this snack: Tabasco hot sauce and the brine from a jar of pickles. You can use store-bought popcorn or pop the kernels at home; just make sure you start with a savory or plain popcorn base and not something sweet like kettle corn.
During her segment on The Tonight ShowGomez demonstrates that her snack starts with pouring as much Tabasco as you’d like into a bag of popcorn. (The Emmy-nominated actor prefers a generous amount of hot sauce, and Fallon jokingly chimes in that “I think that’s probably enough.”) If you don’t have Tabasco, any other tangy hot sauce that’s not too thick will work, like Frank’s RedHot, Crystal, or Cholula.
After adding a sprinkle of salt, Gomez seals the bag and shakes it until the hot sauce is evenly dispersed throughout. She transfers the seasoned popcorn into a bowl and tells Fallon, “And then you dip it in the pickle juice.”
The final step before snacking is to pour some pickle brine into a shallow bowl or small serving dish. Although Gomez doesn’t specify what kind of pickle brine she’s using in the 2010 clip, her fiancé, music producer and cookbook author Benny Blanco, has recently revealed that Best Maid Pickles (a Texas-based company) is her favorite brand. While you don’t need to seek out these pickles specifically, you should use a dill pickle brine, which will be sour and savory.
When Gomez directs Fallon to dip the spicy popcorn kernels into the pickle brine, the host responds, “I haven’t eaten one popcorn kernel at a time since I was 18.” The singer then clarifies that you don’t need to dip each piece of popcorn individually, showing that she prefers to grab a few and dunk them all at once.
Dipping the kernels into the brine instead of coating them all at once with what Gomez calls “pickle juice” helps prevent them from becoming mushy or soggy by the time you eat each piece of popcorn. The result is a tangy, spicy, and crispy snack that might win over anyone else who believes standard popcorn is missing something special.
How to make Selena Gomez’s spicy pickle popcorn:
- In a bag of salted and buttered popcorn, pour as much Tabasco as you’d like, depending on what level of heat you want.
- Add in a sprinkle of salt.
- Seal the bag and shake it well to evenly distribute the hot sauce and salt. Transfer the seasoned popcorn into a bowl.
- In a separate, shallow bowl, add some of the brine from a jar of dill pickles.
- Dip one side of the popcorn kernels into the pickle brine for each bite.
