Crispy Kale Chips

Our homemade crispy kale chips are super easy! Our recipe takes 20 minutes, and you can customize the chips however you like. So good!

When I first made kale chips in the oven, I was shocked at how easy it was. You only need kale, a baking sheet, and a hot oven. Then, you can spice them up with spice blends already sitting in your cabinet. I’ve shared a few of my favorites below!

In addition to this kale chips recipe, we have many more kale recipes on the blog. In case you have some kale left, a few of my favorites are tahini kale bean salad, kale pesto pasta, and our sausage and kale soup.

Key Ingredients

• Kale: You can make kale chips with any variety, but my favorite is curly kale, which is also the most common. I love all the curly, ruffled leaves, which make extra crispy chips. Lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan or dinosaur kale) is excellent, too, but it is a little thicker, making heartier chips that are less light and crispy.
• Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil because I like the flavor, and we aren’t using a super high heat in the oven. If you avoid heating olive oil, you can use avocado oil instead.
• Salt and Pepper: Be generous when seasoning with salt (I like fine sea salt) and fresh ground black pepper. Below, I’ve also shared some spices/spice blends that work well for kale chips.
• Optional Seasonings: Consider spicing up the chips with Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, curry powder, Togarashi, chili powder, ranch seasoning, mushroom powder, nutritional yeast, sesame seeds, and lime zest. I prefer adding extra spices once the kale chips are baked and crisp. In the photo below, I’m adding lime zest and chili powder for chili lime kale chips!

How to Make Kale Chips

In this recipe, we use our oven to make kale chips. If you’d like to use an air fryer, see our air fryer kale chips (recipe coming soon).

First, you’ll want to prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the thick, woody stalks. You can save these for stock but want to leave them out when making the chips. Then, tear the kale leaves into smaller pieces. They shrink a little when baked, so tear them into relatively large pieces (a bit larger than tortilla chips).

Next, rinse the kale well, then dry it. The kale must be as dry as possible. If it is still wet when baking, it will steam, which means it is floppy kale, not crispy chips. If you have one, use a salad spinner to remove all the water. Or, use a clean kitchen towel/paper towel to pat dry.

Before baking, toss the kale with your oil and a sprinkle of salt. If you plan to add seasonings to the chips, we usually do that after baking.

Then, slide the kale onto a large baking sheet (or two small baking sheets). The kale must be in one layer; otherwise, it might steam instead of crisp. Finally, bake kale chips in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. When baked, the kale will be crisp and crunchy. From there, you can enjoy them or sprinkle over some extra spice. You’ll love them!