Give Popcorn The Taco Treatment — Add A Packet Of This And Some Cheese For The Ultimate Snack

A bowl of salty, buttery popcorn is always tasty, but you can also enjoy this puffed-up snack in an array of flavors. Whether you prefer it sprinkled with sweet pumpkin spice or doused in powdered ranch, there are many seasoning blends that can transform your popcorn. In fact, there's one unlikely spice blend that deserves a spot in your popcorn bowl: taco seasoning. Adding a taco seasoning packet, plus some shredded cheddar cheese, can take this snack food to the next level. 

The boldly spicy, smoky, savory notes of taco seasoning enhance popcorn's plain, relatively neutral taste, giving you a burst of flavor in each handful. Adding cheddar on top makes the popcorn rich and cheesy, tipping it into almost nacho territory. One packet of taco seasoning is enough to coat about a quarter cup of unpopped kernels (we recommend using Street Tacos Pollo Rojo Grill Seasoning), but you can adjust to your liking. To help the seasoning stick to the popcorn, you'll need to add some melted butter or oil to the kernels once they've popped before sprinkling on your seasoning and giving it a good toss. Then add as much cheese as you want over the popcorn and microwave it (in a microwave-safe bowl, natch) for a few seconds at a time until it's melted. Once it looks gooey and delicious, you'll have the tastiest taco-inspired snack.

Adding taco seasoning and melted cheese to your popcorn is delicious as is, but the flavor-boosting doesn't have to stop there. To fully lean into the taco theme, try tossing in things like tortilla strips, hot sauce, or a bit of lime zest. Or, add nutritional yeast to ramp up the cheesiness. You could also make this combination more elaborate by mixing cooked, seasoned ground beef and kidney beans with popcorn, then topping it off with some cheese and salsa for an even more taco-like dish. 

That said, remember wet toppings like salsa can make your popcorn soggy fast. Even the melted butter you use to help the taco seasoning stick can soften it. Instead, try using just a bit of oil so the seasoning coats the popcorn without making it mushy.

You can even get creative with the oil you drizzle over your popcorn, such as using a chipotle-infused oil for a smoky touch, or an herb-infused oil for a brighter flavor. If you wanted to add even more heat, you could even toss a few sliced jalapeños on top. Chicharrónes, which are a bit different from pork rinds, could also be a tasty addition for an extra savory, rich bite. Whichever way you choose to enhance your popcorn, starting with taco seasoning is a great start.