AIR FRYER KALE CHIPS – Whole30, paleo, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, EASY! 4 ingredients, 10 minutes to cook. A great easy snack or side.
Why I love these Air Fryer Kale Chips
I don’t love kale and haven’t liked ANY store bought kale chips. BUT, I can easy smash an entire batch of these homemade air fryer kale chips by myself. And enjoying eating your veggies that much is ALWAYS a win!
I love my airfryer (as you all know) for a lot of reasons, but making perfect kale chips EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. might be my favorite reason. I know I *should* eat my greens, but I’m a foodie and won’t unless it tastes good. And homemade kale chips are where it is at guys. They pack in the greens while being a very portable veggie.
Yes, you can make them in the oven. I definitely prefer the air fryer for even crispiness, but the oven instructions are included as well.
What is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional Yeast is not the same as baker’s yeast. Though it’s derived from baker’s yeast, it’s been deactivated and cannot make things rise. Instead, it’s a commonly used for a cheesy dairy-free flavor. It’s optional for these, but HIGHLY recommended. It gives these Air Fryer Kale Chips a great flavor! I get mine at Walmart or Trader Joe’s (pictured)
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Ingredients
- Kale – I buy a head of kale whole and then trim it off the stem. You don’t want that center “vein” of the stem, it’s bitter and hard to chew. So, just the leafy green part. You can see a video of me doing this in the Kale Chip reel on Instagram here.
- Oil – You can use olive oil or avocado oil.
- Nutritional Yeast – See section above for what that is and where I buy it!
- Salt or garlic salt – I prefer the garlic salt grinder from Trader Joe’s.
Tip on taking these Air Fryer Kale Chips on the Go:
Homemade kale chips can get soft and soggy if stored the wrong way. This will happen if you just put them in a reusable zip top bag or sealed container. The solution? I make an envelope out of foil to store them in if I want to take them on the go. Storing them in just foil helps them stay crispy!
By “make an envelope” I mean fold a large piece of foil in half. Fold in each side a few times so there is only one opening at the top, a little foil pouch. Add the kale chips and then fold over the top.
So, I dare you to go try these and see if you don’t love them too!
Air Fryer Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of kale with steam removed, and chopped into smaller pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional, but delicious!
- 1/2 teaspoon salt I like using garlic salt
Instructions
- If using the oven, preheat to 275.
- Put chopped kale pieces (they will shrink, so 2-3 inch pieces is great) in to a bowl or ziplock bag and toss with oil. Range of how much oil to use is dependent on the size of your kale bunch. Make sure you use enough to coat all kale pieces, without drowning them. I usually find 2 tablespoons oil is sufficient for a ziplock bag of kale that is 2/3 full of kale pieces.
- Toss or stir in seasonings. Then cook in air fryer at 275 degrees for 10-12 minutes, stirring twice throughout if not in a single layer. Store in a foil pouch to keep crisp (see my air fryer Instagram highlights for more on that).
- If using the oven, line baking sheet with parchment. Spread prepped kale on parchment in single layer. Bake at 275 for 20 minutes or until crispy.
What brand of nutritional yeast do you recommend?
My favorite and most affordable is Trader Joe’s! So, I use that the most, but our Trader Joe’s is an hour away. I’ve also used one from Walmart that’s tasted just fine as well.
I was making a soup that required kale and ended up with a LOT of kale leftover. Cue this recipe. I don’t love kale but this was yummy! Added a bit too much seasoning the first time (user error) but they were still yummy. Definitely found a new way to use extra kale when I have it.
I’m so happy this helped you enjoy that extra kale! Thank you! 💛
I love every recipe I make from this blog and this was no exception! I bought kale specifically to make these and they are YUM!!! Highly recommend. The nutritional yeast puts them over the top if you have it.
Woot woot! I’m so happy you’ve loved and used my recipes. And YAY that this veggie recipe was a keeper for you! I agree, the nutritional yeast is game-changing in this. Thank you!
For the first time ever, my family has finished an entire bag of kale (instead of awkwardly avoiding it in the fridge until it goes bad) thanks to this recipe! We loved it! Thank you!
Now that is a win if I ever heard one! I LOVE that this helped you finish off that kale bag. Wahoo!
These are really good! How long will these last if making ahead of time? Thanks so much for simple, awesome, family friendly recipes!
They will last for up to two weeks if you wrap them in foil or a breathable ziptop bag like Stasher bags. If using foil, I make a little folded pouch and that has worked really well to keep them crispy. Thank you!
We love these. But cannot emphasize that when using an oven, make sure they are crispy or you will be sad. If there are any chips that can still bend or move, put them back in! This lower temperature gives you more flexibility with how long they will coon but it also prevents them from burning.
Great add on tip, thank you! Happy you enjoy these!
So good! Will definitely be making these again
I’m so happy you loved these as well, thank you!
These are great and even my kids like them. Just be careful not to oversalt! I definitely was too free with my shaker the first time.
Okay, this is officially the only way I will make kale chips now. This method was fail proof! And that nutritional yeast seasoning… SO GOOD.
YES, that nutritional yeast makes such a difference. I don’t like store-bought kale chips or even kale much, but these! Thank you!
Can’t believe I am the first to give you a comment on these great kale chips. My hubby doesn’t even like kale, and he will eat a whole recipe of these. I found that I need to make sure they are mixed well- otherwise the salt will settle on just a few pieces,
Thanks for all the great recipes
Aw, yay for these being a win with even your non-kale loving hubby! I agree – I’m not big on kale, but these I can devour. And thanks for the tip on the salt!