This Kale Chips recipe makes the perfect snack with a satisfying crunch! They’re easy to make with basic ingredients and they’re a great healthy snack for on the go, plus kids will love these ‘chips’!
Why This Kale Chips Recipe Is So Good
- Easy to make, you can use bagged kale.
- Simple ingredients, no artificial flavoring.
- A great snack for kids.
- A crunchy and healthy alternative to potato chips.
Ingredients For This Kale Chips Recipe
- Kale
- Olive oil
- Salt
How to make Kale Chips – Step by Step
Start with a big bag of kale.
And the most important step is to spin dry the leaves.
Then drizzle in some olive oil
Toss to coat. Here’s another secret – do not salt the kale just yet. Adding salt before it goes into the oven is just bad, soggy news. The salt will make the kale leaves leach out some water, which in turn will make them soggy in the oven. And that means soggy kale, not crispy kale.
After tossing with olive oil, bake in the oven until the leaves are shatteringly crisp but still bright green. Timing depends on how much olive oil you use. Then season with salt.
A Simple And Delicious Snack
When I was in New York last week, my friend Grace asked me if I had ever tried crispy kale chips. At first I thought it was one of those fancy health food products, made with gourmet ingredients like tricalcium phospate, hydrogenated soybean oil and ascorbic acid. But no, Grace said, just kale, olive oil and salt. So, I had to try and now I’m hooked. The kale leaves bake to a shatteringly crisp, crackly snack. They really shouldn’t be called chips, they look nothing like them, but when I called them chips, the kids came running to try.
Oh, and for the record, I’m totally okay with buying kale in-a-bag, I just give the fruit in-a-bowl the evil eye as I walk by.
Benefits Of Kale
Why does kale get so much credit? Kale is packed with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It’s remarkably high in fibre and iron; it’s also high in vitamins K and D, and a great source of calcium. To add to this already impressive list, it’s also high in omega-3 and 6, folic acid and Vitamin B6.
How Do I Store Kale Chips?
To store kale chips properly, place them in an airtight container after they’ve cooled down from being baked. Seal the container and keep it at room temperature for a week, where they’ll last for up to a week.
Top Tips For Kale Chips
- Remove the stems and tear leaves into large pieces.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the leaves before beginning.
- Spread kale into a single layer on the baking sheet for an even bake.
- Season after baking. Adding salt before it goes into the oven is just bad, soggy news. The salt will make the kale leaves leach out some water.
Check Out These Other Delicious Snacks
- Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes
- Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
- Rolo Pretzel Turtles Recipe
- Korean Beef Jerky
Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 4 giant handfuls of kale torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
- Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark - the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes.
- Do not let the leaves turn brown (they'll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve.
