Air Fryer Kale Chips (Perfectly Crunchy)

This Air Fryer Kale Chips recipe makes a batch of perfectly crispy kale chips in under 5 minutes. All you have to do is season with salt or seasoning of your choice and crunch away.

These kale chips are incredibly simple to make in the air fryer and so much faster than baking them in the oven. I always lamented having to get out the baking sheet, coat the kale with olive oil and watch them back for at least 10-15 minutes, never sure if they’d turn out good or not.

Why You Will Love It

• The air fryer takes all that extra stuff away. All you have to do is cut or tear the kale into small pieces, toss them in the air fryer, give them a spray of oil, and fry them to perfection.
• When cooked in the air fryer, the kale gets super crisp on both sides since the air circulates around in the basket. They stay really light and crisp, without the worry that some pieces will be soggy while others are burned, like cooking in the oven sometimes does.
• Kale chips make such a great snack for any time of the day and they can be seasoned any way you want.

» You might also like these Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts or Air Fryer Crispy Artichokes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The beauty of this recipe is that you get a healthy crunchy snack in a couple of minutes with only 3 ingredients.

• Kale – Look for green kale that is bright, vibrant, and firm.
• Olive oil – Use a high-quality olive oil if you can, because the flavor does matter!
• Salt – Plus any other seasoning you might like.

Expert Tips to Follow

• If you notice the kale chips are flying around in the air fryer you can put an air fryer rack or metal trivet on them as they cook.
• Make sure to dry the leaves well before cooking. It will help them crisp up better.
• Check the progress half way through cooking. They cook up quickly and you don’t want them to burn. When they’re looking a little brown on the edges, they’re done.

How to Make Perfect Air Fryer Kale Chips

As I’ve already mentioned above, making kale chips in the air fryer is super simple.

Step 1: Cut the Stems Off

Make sure to rinse the kale leaves and dry them well before you begin cutting off the stems.

An important step you cannot neglect is to remove the stems from the kale leaves. The leaves are the only part you’ll want to eat. The stems are very tough and fibrous.

Removing the stems is quick and easy if you buy large leaves of kale, instead of a bag of kale pieces. I’ve bought the kale pieces before, thinking it would save time but it ended up taking WAY more time because I then had to cut the stem off all the little pieces.

When you buy full leaves, you can slice the stem off in once piece, then quickly cut the leaf into smaller pieces.

Step 2: Toss Them in the Basket

You can put as many kale leaves in the basket as you can fit. The more you put in the less likely they will float around in the basket. The air will infiltrate the pile, so there’s no need to worry about stacking them.

I like to put the leaves in the basket, drizzle on some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper right there in the basket. Then toss them all with your hands to distribute. This saves the step of having to spray the basket too, and it doesn’t get another bowl or plate dirty in the process.

Step 3: Air Fry Them

There’s no need to pre-heat the air fryer. In fact, if you do, or if you’re cooking in 2 batches, you’ll need to watch them more closely because they’ll cook faster in a pre-heated fryer.

Air fry the kale chips at 375° F (190° C) for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. I usually cook mine for 3 1/2 minutes, but you have to judge that as they cook. When they’re looking a little brown on the edges, they’re done.

How to Serve Kale Chips

Kale chips make the perfect healthy snack, especially if you have a salt tooth, like I do. You can season them with whatever type of seasoning you like. Try them with:

• Salt
• Shredded Parmesan cheese
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Cumin
• Curry powder
• This delicious dry rub

Questions About the Recipe

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