Chile Margarita Caramel Corn
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With the holidays approaching I’m always looking for a snack I can make up and have on hand for whenever guests stop by unexpectedly.ย I like having something ready so that we can munch while we catch up.ย I find that we often see people in December that we don’t get to see the rest of the year.
This Green Chile Margarita Caramel Corn is an awesome snack to have on hand.ย It starts out like traditional caramel corn but then it has the twist of lime and salt along with the spiciness of chile powder.ย All of the ingredients make for a sweet and slightly spicy popcorn.
The popcorn is made by whipping up homemade caramel sauce.ย The caramel sauce then has tequila, lime, salt, and chile powder added to it.ย Everything is tossed together with the popcorn and put into the oven.
I’ll be honest when I say I wasn’t sure how this was going to taste.ย My husband wouldn’t even try it.ย ย However, it’s really, really good!ย ย I find that caramel corn is often super sweet which some people love but I find it to be a little much.ย The tartness of the lime zest and the spiciness of the chile powder really dull the sweetness and make this caramel corn a delicious holiday snack.
Green Chile Margarita Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1/4 c. light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Tablespoons tequila
- 2 teaspoons chile powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- zest of 1 lime
- 14 c. popped popcorn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Heat over medium high heat, stirring until they are mixed together. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sugar begins turning light brown.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the baking soda.
- Then whisk in the tequila, chile powder, salt, cayenne, and lime zest. Be careful as this will cause the mixture to steam and you don't want to get burnt!
- When all the ingredients are mixed together fold in the popcorn. Keep mixing until the popcorn is well coated.
- Spread the popcorn out on the baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, mixing the popcorn halfway in between cooking.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Place in an air tight container for up to one month.
I love making flavored popcorn and have been experimenting myself. Can’t wait to try this!
It’s really good! My BBQ flavored popcorn is awesome too!