It’s true … thin and crispy kale chips are so, SO delicious! But there are a few tricks to getting oven-baked kale chips right. So I thought I’d show you how to make oven-baked kale chips that are crispy, addicting, healthy, and delicious!
After a lot of trial and error, I got the oven-baked kale chip process down … and now it’s time to share with you!
There are two secrets for the best kale chips. The first is, that you want to start with dry, bite-sized kale leaves. If they have any moisture, they’ll steam rather than bake, and that leads to limp chips, not the crispy oven-baked kale chips we’re looking for.
The second – and, this is crucial – bake them at low heat.
It took me a while to “get” kale chips. And by a while, I mean years.
My lack of love for the crispy little snack had to do with two things: 1) Misguided expectations and 2) I wasn’t making them correctly.
But now, that’s all changed! In my quest to get my crispy-food-loving toddler to eat more vegetables, I set out to master kale chips.
Even better, my wonderful CSA farmer has been supplying bunches of fresh-picked kale in droves. So my oven has been a kale-chip-makin’ machine, and I’ve learned to absolutely love kale chips in the process. Even better, so does my kid! Victory all around.
First, let’s set some expectations.
What kale chips are not:
What kale chips are:
Still with me? Let’s get started!
All you need are three ingredients for baked kale chip goodness.
Give the kale leaves a good rinse and lay them in a single layer on dish towels or paper towels. Roll them up and gently pat them until they’re as dry as you can get them.
Using a paring knife or, my favorite, kitchen scissors, cut the ribs out of the kale leaves and discard them (the ribs are very bitter). Then trim each leave into approximately 2-inch sections (some will be smaller – no worries!).
You can also grab the stem, hold the kale leaf upside down, and, with your other hand, run your hand down the stem of the kale leaf, pulling the kale off as you go.
Place the kale into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil – I use about a tablespoon per medium bunch. And toss gently, but thoroughly. You don’t want to bruise the kale, but you want to make sure every single bit of every leaf gets coated. Curly kale, with all its ridges and valleys, might take a little extra effort.
Line a baking sheet/cookie sheet with parchment paper or a SILPAT mat and lay kale in a single layer on the mat. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt (I use kosher salt) as desired.
Place the kale in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven and cook for 8 – 12 minutes, depending on your variety of kale. I find that Lacinato kale gets crisp in about 8 minutes, while curly kale takes more like 11 minutes. But no matter your variety, check it early! As soon as the kale is rigid and crisp, remove it from the oven. It’ll burn quickly. And if it isn’t yet crisp, keep baking, checking every couple of minutes until it is.
Let cool for about 30 seconds or so, then you can start snacking! But be warned – once you start, it’s kind of tough to stop. But, hey – there are worse foods to be addicted to, no?
Kale chips are best kept in a loosely covered container at room temp for up to 3 days.
From Kitchen Treaty:
From around the web:
Here are instructions in recipe form (with a print button). Now go get snacking!