Salt & Vinegar Air Fryer Kale Chips (Oven Baked Option)

Air fryer kale chips are made in minutes for a crispy, crunchy, and completely addicting kid-friendly, better-for-you snack you’ll love! Gluten-free, vegan, and high in fiber, you’ll never go back to store bought potato chips again. 

Thought we were finished with kale? Think again! It’s just too good to move on so soon. Now that we’ve covered the benefits of kale, provided a great meal prep or dinner recipe, and given you a sweet and savory smoothie, we thought we might as well add Air Fryer Kale Chips into the mix. 

Remember the days when you would race home from school and dive into the pantry ravenously looking for snacks? Most of the time, options include packaged potato chips and sugar-filled cookies that lead to a quick energy rush and hard crash leaving you feeling even more drained than before. Not good. 

Luckily, healthy recipes like these Lower Sugar Homemade Healthy Fruit Snacks and Veggie Chips, No Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls, and Easy Homemade Snacks & Smoothies are full of nutritious ingredients for quick snacks that leave you feeling full and energized. So, when presented with tons of vibrant kale, it only felt right to turn it into chips perfect for grab-and-go munching to help fight your hunger. 

Recipe ingredients for air fryer kale chips that don’t taste bitter! 

• Lacinato green kale – Lacinato kale works best in this recipe due to its vibrant green color and mild flavor.
  
• Coconut or olive oil spray – Using spray oil instead of liquid oil helps reduce the calorie content of these air fryer kale chips and prevents them from becoming soggy.
  
• Cooking white vinegar – If the salt and vinegar flavor isn’t for you, omit this ingredient.
  
• Salt – Larger salt flakes work best to cling to the kale chips and add great flavor.
  
• Lemon juice (optional) – The acidity in lemon juice works to break down some of the bitterness of the kale, making it more flavorful.
  
• Black pepper – Add as little or as much black pepper as you want! 

How to make kale chips in the air fryer (that aren’t soggy!)

1. Preheat. Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.*
   
2. Wash and dry. Thoroughly wash and dry all of your Kale leaves. Be extra careful when drying. Any wet kale leaves will turn into soggy chips!

3. Rip. Being careful to rip the kale leaves off the stem by pulling away from the rib, tear the Kale into chip-sized pieces.
   
4. Season. Toss the torn leaves into a bowl, and coat them with oil spray and your seasonings of choice (I recommend garlic powder, sea salt, and a heavy pinch of salt).
   
5. Air fry. Place half of the seasoned kale chips in a preheated air fryer, and air fry for 4 minutes. Be sure to toss half way through! If needed, air fry for another 1-2 minutes depending on how crisp you want your chips. Just be sure to check them after 1 minute as they burn easily.
   

6. Repeat. Add the kale chips back to your bowl, and add the second half to the air fryer.
   
7. Season again. Once cooked, add all the chips back to your bowl, and season again with sea salt and a splash of lemon juice.
   
8. Enjoy! Serve your crispy kale chips with a vegan Ranch, dipping sauce of choice, or eat them plain. 

*If you don’t have 375 F setting, use  370F, air fry 3 minutes. Shake chips, then air fry another 3 minutes, checking half way for doneness. 

By the way, this the brand of air fryer I currently use (affiliate link) and still LOVE!

Air fryer vs. oven kale chips (What’s the difference?!)

I love this air fryer recipe, because it gives you crispy kale chips easier than the oven baked version. However, if you don’t have an air fryer, the oven works just fine as well!

Optional seasonings

For this recipe, I chose to use salt and vinegar flavors, because my husband LOVES that flavor, but you can really use any flavoring you want including:

• Nutritional yeast – A fantastic vegan alternative to cheese, nutritional yeast comes in a powder form and is full of vitamins and minerals.
  
• Salt & pepper – If you prefer to keep things simple, salt and pepper enhance the natural flavors of lemon juice and oil to create a savory and satisfying flavor.
  
• Garlic – When in doubt, always add garlic! Powdered versions would work best, but you could add minced garlic as well.
  
• Onion powder – Add onion powder on its own, or combine it with garlic powder to recreate the classic garlic and onion chip flavor.
  
• Barbeque seasoning – Barbeque seasoning is great to add a smoky flavor without all the added sugar found in barbeque sauce.
  
• Ranch seasoning – Skip the dip, and opt for Ranch seasoning instead for mess-free snacking!

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Alright my friends! Are you sick of kale yet? Let’s hope not!

Cheers,

LC