These kale chips are lightly tossed with oil and salt and baked until crisp. They’re so simple to make that you’ll banish the thought of ever buying store-bought kale chips again. Here’s how to make them.
LC It Isn’t Just A Cookbook Note
Tim Ferriss fans can attest to the fact that the man seems to get more outta life than many of us. And yet we all have just 24 hours in a day. To that end, the book from which this recipe comes isn’t just a cookbook. It’s a manual on life. Witness just a glimpse of what we’re talking about.
Kale Chips
Ingredients
Directions
Tear the kale into bite-size pieces, leaving them on the largeish side as they’ll shrink during roasting. Remove the thick fibrous stems from the leaves and discard or save them for juicing or smoothie-ing.
Rinse the kale pieces under cool running water and pat them completely dry. Let them rest at room temperature on a baking sheet or a kitchen towel for at least an hour or perhaps a few hours, as the kale needs to be absolutely, completely, undeniably dry or it won’t crisp properly during roasting.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
Spread the kale on the baking sheets or dump it in a large bowl. Dribble a very small amount of oil over the kale, partly covering the opening of the oil bottle with your thumb to control the rate of release. Toss the leaves with your hands, rubbing the oil into each and every leaf to ensure the kale is completely coated with oil.
Spread the kale in a single layer on the baking sheets. You need to make certain that no leaves overlap, as this will lead to soggy, gross edges, crying children, and whimpering puppies.
Sprinkle the kale with salt.
Bake until the edges are lightly browned but not so browned as burnt toast. Take a nibble at about 15 minutes, and if it seems like it’s good, you’re done. Otherwise, if it still needs more crisping, check again in a few minutes. Bake for no more than 20 minutes total. Transfer the kale to a sheet of parchment paper to cool to room temperature.
Recipe Testers' Reviews
Let me tell you, I’m the world’s biggest kale chip fan. I love them. I cannot make them because I’ll eat the entire batch in one sitting—which is exactly what happened when I made this recipe.
It’s a great recipe—the tip about letting the kale hang out for an hour is brilliant—but do watch out for a few things. Tear the kale into larger-than-bite-size pieces because they shrink and shrivel in the oven. Use less oil than you think you’ll need, because a little goes a long way when you’re massaging the kale. Maybe my bunch of kale was on the larger size, but I filled 3 baking sheets. It really is imperative that the kale pieces don’t touch one another. One last thing—this is where you can pull out your arsenal of flavored salts and oils. I had the best time mixing and matching flavors. The spicier and garlickier, the better.
Well, the hype is well-earned. Turns out kale chips are such a tasty, addictive snack, I can’t get enough of them.
I experimented with both regular and lacinato kale, and both are delicious. I slightly prefer the lacinato because it creates a long, sturdy chip that holds toppings very well. The recipe’s author isn’t joking about making sure the leaves are completely dry and not overlapping. I accidentally fudged this step a little on my first batch, and the results were oily and weepy rather than featherlight and crisp. On my best batches, I spread my leaves out on separate baking sheets and they were crisp and ready after 8 minutes of baking.
For toppings, I had success with the Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and a cumin and curry powder mix that was delicious! The only sad part about this recipe is that the chips are so light, you can eat an entire bunch of kale and feel like you just inhaled large quantities of tasty, tasty air.
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Super yummy salty snack, I make them regularly for a healthy snack, enjoy them more than potato chips!
Wonderful! Thanks, Diane.
Really tasty, will use less salt next time though.
Thanks, Bridget. Do let us know how the lower sodium version turns out.
Havent had kale chips in quite a few years and was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out! next time i plan on using just olive oil though! super yummy and healthy snack.
Thanks, Olivia. Do let us know how they turn out next time.
I love kale!
As do I. I think it’s in my Portuguese blood.
Agreed, nat!