Make crispy kale chips in the air fryer with minimal ingredients and little time! This recipe tosses fresh kale leaves with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. You can also season them with an assortment of spices and herbs, and I give you 9 more delicious seasoning suggestions below!
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Air fried kale chips are an incredibly healthy snack made in just minutes and using minimal ingredients. They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and low carb- so a great choice for a keto, diabetic, and lactose intolerant friendly diet!
Made with just a spritz of olive oil and a few dashes of seasonings, air fryer kale chips turn out crispy and full of flavor. They are an easy snack and can even be eaten as an ultra healthy and wholesome lunch.
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FAQs for this Recipe
I use both my Instant Pot Duo Crisp basket air fryer and my oven-style Instant Pot Omni air fryer for this recipe. You may need to work in batches depending on how much kale you are air frying. In my Omni air fryer, I can do one batch per 10 ounces of kale, but in the Duo Crisp I have to do 2 batches because it's smaller.
However, you can create perfectly crisp kale chips in your air fryer in 2 ways:
Method 1: a single layer without needing to toss halfway through.
Method 2: layered kale with needing to toss halfway through. You'd need to be diligent in making sure the kale is tossed well enough that all leaves are open to the flow of air while cooking. If not, the ones not exposed to the airflow will not become crispy.
Yes! Kale chips are a nutrition powerhouse. They are low in calories and carbohydrates and high in calcium, manganese, copper, and potassium. Kale is full of vitamins A, C, B6 and K, making it a great vegetable to use for your cooking. When air frying, minimal oil is used so there won't be many extra calories or fat added to your kale chips.
Air fried kale chips won't last very long and they will lost some crispiness upon storing. If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, expect them to last just a day or two before becoming too soft to enjoy. While the flavor will still be there, the crunch of a "chip" won't be.
Ingredients
I use Lawry's garlic salt that's seasoned with parsley, but plain garlic salt is fine too. Bragg's Nutritional Yeast gives the kale chips a slight cheesy taste but without the dairy.
Replace these seasonings in the same amounts with any of the recommendations below.
Preparation
Prepare the kale by removing the thick stems from the leaves. Simply pull the leaves and they will rip off. Discard the stems. Then wash the kale leaves and dry them completely with paper towels. The kale should be as dry as possible to prevent soggy chips.
Instructions
Step 1: Put kale leaves in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast.
Step 2: Arrange in the air fryer basket or tray. While it's best to air fry them in a single layer for all around even crispiness, you can layer them as long as you toss them halfway through cooking (see notes above).
Step 3: Air fry at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 C) for 3-5 minutes, until the kale has turned crunchy, a deep green color and slightly brown on the edges.
Enjoy!
Other Seasoning Ideas
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan cheese, minced garlic and sea salt
- Parmesan cheese and chopped pine nuts
- Cayenne pepper, salt, and a dash of lemon juice
- Old Bay seafood seasoning
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Cajun seasoning, minced garlic, and a dash of lemon juice
- Chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder
- Coconut oil, nutritional yeast, and salt
For every 10 ounces of kale (roughly 1 bunch with the stems removed), use about 2-3 teaspoons of the oil of your choice, 1 teaspoon of your salt of choice, and ½ to 1 cup of cheese of choice (if using cheese). Use other seasonings in the amounts you prefer, about 1-2 teaspoons total.
It's better to underseason a little prior to air frying and adding more seasonings once you've tasted the final product, if you're unsure!
Storing
Kale chips will lose their crispy texture if saving for later, so it's best to enjoy them right away. If you have leftovers store (they're addicting so you likely won't), keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not put in the fridge or the freezer.
Recipe
Air Fryer Kale Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 oz fresh kale washed, dried and destemmed
- 2-3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Put kale leaves in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast.
- Arrange in the air fryer basket or tray. While it's best to air fry them in a single layer for all around even crispiness, you can layer them as long as you toss them halfway through cooking (see notes).
- Air fry for 3-5 minutes at 375° F (190° C), tossing halfway through, until lightly golden on the edges and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
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Makhaya
I just got an air fryer, and I am so excited to try this out with my kale! Thanks for sharing.
Brianna
I love kale chips and they turned out perfect in the air fryer! So light and crispy.
Ashley
I love kale!! This is a great way to enjoy it, thanks!
Kayla DiMaggio
These air fryer kale chips made the perfect snack! They were so crunchy and delicious!