Oven-baked kale chips make the perfect keto snack! They are so crispy and flavorful, and they are truly easy to make.
I make this recipe often, because it's pretty much the only way The Picky Eater will agree to eat kale, and I don't blame her. Kale is coarse and bitter and is certainly an acquired taste.
These chips are great because they make kale way more palatable. They are the best way I have found to enjoy a leafy green vegetable that is not that tasty in its raw state (in my opinion).
The ingredients needed for this recipe
You'll only need four ingredients to make this delicious snack. The exact measurements are in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Curly kale: You will need to wash it well, then dry it really well. If it's not truly dry, the kale won't crisp up as it bakes.
Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. However, the chips won't be as tasty if you use avocado oil.
Kosher salt: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the chips could end up too salty.
Garlic powder: I prefer it in this recipe to minced fresh garlic - it coats the kale more evenly.
How to make kale chips
It's easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. The basic steps:
1. Tear cleaned and dried kale leaves into bite-size pieces.
2. Coat the pieces with olive oil and sprinkle them with spices.
3. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake in a 325°F oven until crispy.
How to make them crispy?
It's tempting to speed things up by roasting the kale at a high temperature. But kale leaves burn easily.
To achieve a uniform crispness, I find that it's best to bake the kale chips at a low temperature for slightly longer.
So instead of baking them for 20 minutes in a 350°F oven, I prefer to bake them in a 325°F oven for 25 minutes.
It takes a while for the kale leaves to become crispy, so you need to be patient. At first, they just wilt. But slowly and gradually, they do become crispy.
I should point out that some of them will get crispy faster. So you can start checking on them after 20 minutes and remove the ones that are done to a plate.
The very stubborn ones might take as long as 30 minutes to become truly crispy. So yes, this recipe requires patience!
How to serve kale chips?
They are delicious all on their own, and that's how I usually serve them. You can also try dipping them into various dips, including ranch dip, Greek yogurt dip, and tahini. But it's not really needed, and they're a bit too flimsy to be used to scoop out a thick dip.
What to do with leftovers?
I never have leftovers when making this recipe, so I can't tell you if they keep well or not.
But like many homemade snacks that lack preservatives, I suspect that their crispness is relatively short-lived. So I would advise you to only make as many kale chips as you are going to eat immediately.
More tasty kale recipes
If you do like kale, you should definitely try these tasty kale fritters. And this cheesy kale casserole is a tasty and filling main dish casserole that I make quite often.
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Baked Kale Chips
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch curly kale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Wash the kale. Dry thoroughly, using a salad spinner, clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Cut off the stalks. Tear the kale leaves into bite-size pieces. After cleaning, you should end up with about 5 oz kale leaves.
- Place the kale leaves in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil. I use my hands to mix and make sure all leaves are well-coated.
- Spread the kale leaves in a single layer on two large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder.
- Roast the garlic kale chips for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven. The kale leaves are not crispy yet, they are still limp, but getting there. Gently stir with a spatula to ensure even baking. Return the baking sheets to the oven, rotating their position. Roast the garlic kale chips for 10 more minutes, until the kale leaves are dry and crisp.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.