TikTok's 'Popcorn Salad' Is Somehow Both Chaotic And Nostalgic

Salads are usually hearty bowls of leafy greens with mixed vegetables and proteins topped with drizzles of salad dressing. The leafy dish now has a new meaning. Popcorn salad has been popping up all over social media, especially on TikTok.

Yes, there is that one popcorn salad concoction stemming from the Midwest (more on that later), but another version of popcorn salad that has gone viral on TikTok leans more heavily on the sweet side. Videos featuring popcorn salad have garnered a whopping 10 million views on TikTok.

At its core, popcorn salad contains popcorn (go figure). The rest of the ingredients are ultimately up to you. From Sour Patch Kids and M&Ms to pretzels and marshmallows, you can mix in all of your favorite candies to your salad bowl, creating a chaotic candy heaven that would make your inner kid jump for joy. For many, popcorn salad is an innovative and nostalgic way to eat sweet treats. It's a fun method to have must-have movie night staples all in one bowl or eat trail mix off the trail and in the comfort of your home.

There's no right or wrong way to create popcorn salad, but some TikTok users have whipped up their own recipes to help draw out inspiration. One user in a viral video added Sour Patch Kids and cheesecake-flavored M&Ms to their bowl of popcorn. Another person created a sweet and savory popcorn salad by mixing in pretzels, chocolate chips, and marshmallows with popcorn. Many users on TikTok suggest making popcorn salad for movie nights by adding your favorite movie theater candies to a bowl of popcorn.

@sillysnorin

Rule no. 1 is always trust the tiktok girlies. This is so yummy! #popcornsalad

♬ original sound – sillysnorin

However, there are no actual rules when it comes to making popcorn salad (except that it includes popcorn, duh). A great way to make your own popcorn salad is to make a "salad" that harmoniously combines various textures and flavors. If you're feeling adventurous and have a major sweet tooth, try adding gummy, chewy, crunchy, and fluffy candies as well as sour, sweet, fruity, and chocolatey candies to create the ultimate bowl of treats.

Though TikTok is having a moment with its candy-filled popcorn salads, another type of popcorn salad became a viral sensation back in 2021 thanks to cookbook author Molly Yeh. On an episode of her Food Network show "Girl Meets Farm," Yeh whipped up what she calls a "riff on an iconic Midwestern dish."

Yeh's popcorn salad is a combination of popcorn, mayo, sour cream, and vegetables like carrots and snap peas — a contrast to TikTok's sugary rendition. But Yeh's recipe stems from an established Midwestern dish. According to Vice, recipes for popcorn salad have popped up in cookbooks and cooking news segments across the Midwest. However, popcorn salads are part of a larger trend in the United States, as well. In the 1920s, bananas and popcorn were often combined together for a salad.

Similarly to TikTok's popcorn salad, the OG popcorn salad can be customized to your taste. Just toss your favorite vegetables together with popcorn and a dollop of mayo. You aren't limited to only vegetables — add other classic salad treats, such as bacon bits and croutons.