There are lots of recipes for kale chips out there. I got my initial recipe from a wonderful twitter follower @paleoeater (who has a great blog full of delicious recipes www.paleoeater.wordpress.com). I have spent the last couple of weeks experimenting with kale chips, and always with good results. I think it reflects the versatility of kale that it can be cooked at so many different temperatures with different oils and still turn into the most delightful little crisp mouthful of wonderful ever. But I did learn a few important things about kale chips:
First, the oil is pretty versatile. I have cooked these with olive oil, coconut oil, and even grass-fed tallow (ohmygosh those were yummy!). They all work fairly well. I use coconut oil most frequently because it’s easy and I don’t like cooking with olive oil due to the polyunsaturated fat content, although the end kale chip can seem a bit greasier than with olive oil (I like that!).
Second, the cooking temperature is pretty versatile. Low and slow seems to yield the greenest, tastiest chips. But, I’m not that patient. Especially because one panful of kale chips lasts about 7 minutes in my house. My recipe reflects a happy medium: low enough to stay green but still be fast to make.
Third, the variety of kale does matter. Have you noticed that there are several different varieties of kale readily available at the grocery store? They all work, but the really curly leaves seem to work the best (I think because the air gets underneath them while they cook). The really flat leaves are the most challenging (they stick to the pan and seems to take longer to cook and not be soggy). If you buy your kale already torn up in a bag, you’ll have to sift through it to remove the pieces with stem attached (which don’t crisp up well). It’s also really important to make sure that your kale is completely dry before putting oil on it, otherwise the kale chips will stay soggy.
Ingredients:
- 8 loosely packed cups kale, torn into 1-1½“ pieces, tough stems removed
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted and still warm
- ¼ tsp salt, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Wash and dry kale. Place in a plastic container or large bowl.
3. Poor warm oil over kale, close container lid, and shake to coat (alternatively, stir to coat in a bowl).
4. Spread out onto a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt (careful, it doesn’t take much).
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until crispy. Enjoy!
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i love to toss crushed garlic, a touch of cayenne and a little lemon juice in with my kale chips. if i’m short on time, i use my penzey’s garlic powder (LOVE!)and my girls like that ALMOST as much!
i’m making your granola bars tonight!
i think i might add either guar gum (not sure about the paleo-ness of this) or egg white to it. i am leaning towards the egg white. i love the crunch!
thanks for a great blog!
I’m getting up to make these now!
Do you have a secret for removing the aphids off of organic kale? What a pain that was! The results were yummy though. Even my toddler loved the kale chips.
Yes! Fill a clean sink with cold water and a couple of tablespoons of salt (swish it around to dissolve). Soak the kale for 15 minutes or so, give a good swish in the water, then rinse.
Thanks!
What is the aphids? I’m new to kale and would love to make this recipe and would be using organic kale. Thanks!
Aphids are a tiny little harmless insect that eats a variety of plants. They are hard to wash off the frilly kale leaves which is why you sometimes see them with organic kale (and other organic leafy vegetables). I think I maybe see aphids one in every twenty times I buy organic kale, so chances are good you won’t see any. But if you do, it’s nothing to worry about, just wash them off.
[...] are very similar to my kale chips recipe. Really, you can make a chip out of any substantial leafy green. I have enjoyed chips made with [...]
Do you think butter will work as well.(if not, olive?) I think my daughter has a reaction to cocunut oil, unfortunate, because she would eat it by the spoonful!
Yes, I think so. I find with the solid fats, they are better if eaten right away though.
Hi Sarah!
I have been making kale chips in my dehydrator at around 115 degrees F. One thing I noticed is that when I eat raw kale, I get a burning taste in my mouth if I drink water afterwards (the same thing happens when I eat raw brussel sprouts). I think this is from the sulfur content of the kale/ brussel sprouts. However, when I dehydrate them, this doesn’t happen at all. Is it possible that dehydrating them is changing the nutrient content and destroying the sulfur or something else that before was causing the burning sensation in my mouth?
These are absolutely wonderful!! I made them with coconut oil and LOVE them. OK, maybe not love, but really, really like them. I’ll have to eventually get some tallow and try them made with that. Too bad here in SW Kansas we don’t have a great supply of kale and it’s pretty expensive. Fortunately what I did find was the really curly variety
I may have to experiment with growing my own!