The first time I had kale chips I liked the initial bite but the taste of kale in its purest form slowly crept up in the after-taste, which killed the vibe pretty quickly. That was about three years ago, and kale and I have come a long way since. I now find myself actually craving kale chips thanks to my own way of preparing them! Knowing what I liked and didn’t like about them though, I create my own kale chips recipe that I’m sharing with you today.
I’ll hold off on preaching all of the benefits of kale, but will say how thankful I am to have taste buds that have developed to appreciate healthy foods in my twenties. My kale chips are a breeze to cook, so give them a shot and you may find yourself in the same kale-appreciating boat as me!
Kale Chips Ingredients
- Kale (I prefer blue kale, one of the most common types, to get the best crunch)
- Olive oil (I use extra virgin)
- Salt (bigger granules give you bigger flavor, I prefer Himalayan pink salt)
Preparing and Cooking Kale Chips
1. Soak your kale leaves in cold water for a little bit before adding them to the pan, if time allows. This brings out more flavor and washes them more thoroughly, so do this step if you have the time.
2. Remove the leaves from the stalks. You don’t want to cook the whole stalk, you’re just looking to eat the leafy greens, so remove the leaves and break in to smaller pieces. The leaves get smaller while cooking, so don’t worry if the pieces overtake the pan.
3. Add approximately 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil to a large pan and turn the heat on medium. Add the kale quickly thereafter to avoid oil spattering out of the pan. Continue to add the leaves to the pan and stir every few minutes with a spatula to keep the heat evenly distributed until all leaves are in the pan.
4. Add salt to taste. I crushed Himalayan pink salt in at the beginning of cooking and again shortly before turning the heat off to ‘refresh’ the flavor. Each time I added about 3-4 cranks of freshly crushed salt. Not positive what that amounts to in formal measurement, but my guess is about 1/4 tsp evenly distributed each time.
5. Once all the leaves are added and seasoned, turn the heat to medium-high so the kale starts to crisp. I cooked them about 10-12 minutes on this setting, but times may vary based on your crispiness preference. Stir every few minutes to avoid over cooking any spots.
Kale Chips Recipe Meal Ideas
For this specific meal I served my kale chips alongside creole seasoned salmon and a creamy spinach Knorr pasta side. Other seasoning ideas that I’ve tried include Mrs. Dash’s Chipotle Southwest seasoning, seasoned salt and garlic salt. I think my favorite is the Himalayan pink salt, though!
Have you tried kale chips before? Either in your own kitchen or out at a restaurant? I’d love to hear your favorite variations. Share below in the comments and be sure to subscribe to the blog for more recipes!
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