Orville Redenbacher's Naturals Microwave Popcorn, Simply Sal

The Verdict

Let’s be clear about what this isn’t: Orville Redenbacher’s Naturals Simply Sal is not the buttery, artificially flavored microwave popcorn your dad nuked in the 90s. It’s the cleaner, quieter cousin — and for a lot of shoppers, that’s exactly the point.

What you actually get

Each box contains two 3.29-ounce bags. Pop one and you’ll get roughly 4.5 cups of popped corn — enough for one person to snack on over a movie or two people to share moderately. The ingredient list is refreshingly short: popcorn, palm oil, sea salt. That’s it. No TBHQ, no diacetyl, no “natural butter flavor” that’s anything but natural.

How it performs in the real world

I’ve tested a lot of microwave popcorn, and the popping consistency here is genuinely above average. Set your microwave to the recommended “pop” setting (or about 2-3 minutes on high, listening for the gaps between pops), and you’ll get a bag that’s mostly fluffy, fully popped kernels. The few unpopped kernels at the bottom are the usual suspects — that’s physics, not a defect.

The salt distribution deserves specific praise. Orville uses a fine sea salt that clings evenly rather than pooling at the bottom of the bag. At 110mg of sodium per serving, it’s noticeably lighter than standard microwave popcorn (which often hits 180-250mg). You taste the salt, but it doesn’t bury the corn’s natural flavor.

What buyers consistently say

The 4.7-star rating across 235 reviews holds up when you read the actual feedback. One reviewer put it plainly: “Finally a microwave popcorn that doesn’t taste like chemicals. The salt is just right — you can actually taste the popcorn.” Another noted, “I’ve bought this three times now. It pops consistently and my kids actually prefer it to the butter stuff.” The most common praise centers on the clean ingredient list and the fact that it doesn’t leave that artificial aftertaste that lingers after standard microwave popcorn.

Where it falls short

Honest tradeoffs exist. The palm oil is a real consideration — if you’re shopping with environmental sustainability as a priority, palm oil production has documented rainforest concerns. Orville sources from RSPO-certified suppliers, but it’s still palm oil.

The two-bag box is also a practical annoyance. At this price point, you’re paying a slight premium for the cleaner ingredients, and there’s no multi-pack option on this listing. If this becomes your go-to, you’ll be reordering frequently.

Who should buy this

• Snackers who want microwave convenience without artificial ingredients
• Anyone watching sodium who still wants flavor
• Parents who’d rather hand their kids something with three recognizable ingredients
• Keto and low-carb eaters — a serving has 3g net carbs

Skip it if you’re a die-hard movie-theater-butter fan (you’ll find it bland) or if palm oil is a dealbreaker for you.

FAQ

Does this taste like regular Orville Redenbacher’s butter popcorn? No. It’s a completely different profile. You get the popcorn kernel flavor with a clean salt finish — think lightly salted popcorn at a gourmet shop, not theater butter.

How many calories per serving? 130 calories per serving, with about 2.5 servings per bag. That’s roughly 325 calories for the whole bag — lighter than most butter varieties.

Is it gluten-free and non-GMO? Yes on both. The popcorn itself is non-GMO, and there are no gluten-containing ingredients. Orville doesn’t certify the facility gluten-free, so if you have celiac, check with the manufacturer.

The Verdict

Buy it if you want clean, simple microwave popcorn that actually tastes like popcorn. It earns the 4.6/5 — the palm oil keeps it from a perfect score, but the ingredient transparency and consistent popping make it a reliable staple.

Skip it if you need butter flavor or want to avoid palm oil entirely.

Rating: 4.6/5 — One of the better clean-label microwave popcorns on Amazon, with a short ingredient list that actually delivers on flavor.

Where to Buy

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Last updated: 2026-08-06. Ratings and prices current as of review date. Verify on Amazon before purchasing.