How to Make Crispy Kale Chips

Learn how to make crispy kale chips in the oven or the Air Fryer. This simple homemade kale chips recipe is fun and versatile and makes for a healthy snack packed with nutrients. Vegan, GF, and extremely low in fat!

I always find myself snacking a lot more when I spend too much time in my house. This is why I make it a priority to prepare lots of healthy snacks to “grab-and-go”, like these homemade baked kale chips. They stop me from reaching for the not-so-healthy items.

So, let me show you with this post how to make the best kale chips in the oven or the Air Fryer for a super nutritious, healthy snack. Plus, you can even serve them at parties or as a side dish at your dinner table!

I’ve always had quite a savory tooth when it comes to my snacking, so these roasted kale chips definitely hit the spot. They are light and crunchy and can be flavored a hundred and one different ways, so you never get bored. So, next time you find yourself wanting to reach for a bag of potato chips, why not try some of these instead?

Compared to store-bought alternatives, learning how to make kale chips at home is so much more cost-effective too. And you can customize them to your perfect taste. If you’re like me, you’ll find that you love these easy kale chips even more than an unhealthier snack choice.

Not to mention when making them at home, you won’t have to worry about any nasty preservatives. Kale doesn’t just have to be shoved into a green smoothie to be a delicious snack. And if you always have a bag of kale in the fridge anyway, this is super fun and simple new way to consume it.

What’s Needed for Kale Chips

These are the base ingredients for kale chips recipes. However, you can experiment with the flavors. See the Recipe Card below for more optional add-ins.

• Kale: The star of the show. Make sure to use a fresh bunch of kale, not old and lumpy kale leaves.
• Olive oil: I love using extra virgin olive oil. You could use another neutral cooking oil too for this roasted kale recipe.
• Salt: Sea salt and kosher salt are my top choices. Of course, you could add black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, or other spices, too. See below for more ideas.

What Type of Kale Is Best for Chips

I love using curly kale in this kale chip recipe because of its amazing appearance. But any variety can work for these baked kale chips. Some of my friends prefer using dinosaur kale (lacinato kale) as it’s nice and flat. Purple kale works too.

How to Make Kale Chips

There are just a few easy steps to follow in this recipe for kale chips.

How to Prepare Kale for Chips

Begin by preparing the kale. First, wash the kale thoroughly. Make sure you first submerge all the leaves in salty water. You can also add a bit of white vinegar (as it acts as a natural disinfectant), but this is not necessary, especially if you are using organic kale.

Rub the leaves with your hands to remove any dirt from the curly leaves. Then rinse under running water.

I find it easier to remove the stems next, before drying the kale. You can either pull the steam off the leaf from the bottom (wide part) up or by cutting it with a small knife.

Note: Don’t throw the stems away – you can use them in smoothies and green juices or add them to soups and stews. Make sure they dry well and you can freeze them.

Depending on the size of chips you want, you can also cut the leaves into smaller bite-size pieces.

Finally, dry the kale leaves as much as possible. You can do this with a salad spinner or by pat-drying them with a clean towel or paper towels. I do both as I want to remove as much moisture from the leaves as possible.

This is also how to make kale chips crispy and crunchy. – it’s crucial that it’s as dry as possible. Nothing is sadder than limp, soggy chips.

Season the Kale

Next, pour the olive oil over the kale leaves. Massage the kale with your fingers to make sure all leaves are coated with the oil. Then season with salt to taste.

At this point, you can add other seasonings as well. You can first mix your spices with the olive oil in a small bowl, then rub the mixture onto the kale leaves.

Kale Chips in Oven

The method for how to make kale chips in oven is simple. You can also make them in a dehydrator.

First, lay the kale chips in a single layer on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet or a large rimmed baking sheet. Make sure the leaves are not too crowded so they can cook evenly.

Bake the kale chips in the oven at 300ºF/150ºC for 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

Toss/turn carefully midway, so the leaves cook evenly. And keep an eye on them as they can burn easily. Bake until the edges start turning slightly brown.

How long to cook kale chips depends also on how crispy you like them – for thinner crispier results, bake for a couple of minutes longer.

And that is it – enjoy this baked homemade kale chips oven recipe.

I have been known to sometimes sprinkle on some nutritional yeast before munching on these if I want a “cheesy” treat too.

Kale Chips Air Fryer

Learning how to make kale chips in air fryer is just as simple as kale chips baked in the oven.

Place the seasoned kale leaves in the air fryer basket in a single layer. A bit of overlap is OK but don’t place whole leaves on top of each other.

Then air fry at 375ºF/190ºC for 4-5 minutes. It’s best to check on them after 3 minutes to see if they are done to your liking.

You can add additional seasoning to the air fryer kale chips when serving.

How to Store Kale Chips to Keep Crispy

First, let the air fryer kale chips cool down completely. Then, you can keep them in an air-tight container in your cupboard/pantry for up to 7 days. Though they are best within the first 2-3 days.

You can place them back in the oven at 300ºF/150ºC for just a couple of minutes (up to 5) to crisp them up again the next day.

More Healthy Snacks

• Beetroot Chips
• Crispy Ginger Chips
• Dried Strawberries
• Pita Chips

If you try this kale chips recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!