5-Minute Air Fryer Kale Chips

Kale is packed with micronutrients and one of the most nutrient dense foods to include in your diet! That makes these DIY air fryer kale chips a terrifically healthy snack choice. Best of all, they take just 5 minutes to make. Three savory seasoning ideas for the kale chips below!

As a Registered Dietitian, I’ve got you covered with healthy snack ideas and recipes. When I’m in the mood for a savory snack, these healthy air fried kale chips totally hit the spot. They’re light, crispy, salty, and pretty addicting once you start eating them! Kale chips are one of the easiest nutritious recipes with kale you can make!

I love making just about anything in my air fryer these days, like crispy air fryer carrot fries, air fryer artichokes, and simple air fryer salmon. Making kale chips in an air fryer is even easier than making them in the oven, because they cook up much faster – they’re ready to eat in less than 5 minutes!

The kale chip base recipe is vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and nut free. One batch of kale chips makes about four snack-sized servings.

Before making kale chips, click on over to this post to learn the best way to prepare a bunch of kale for cooking!

Ingredients in air fryer kale chips

You need just three base ingredients to make these kale chips:

• Kale: I used curly kale, but you can use any kind of kale you prefer, including lacinato/dinosaur kale.
• Olive oil or avocado oil: You need just enough to coat the kale lightly. You can also use a spray oil for this recipe.
• Salt: For classic kale chips, salt is the only seasoning you need.
• Kale chips seasoning: Make spicy kale chips using red pepper flakes and smoked paprika, or (my personal favorite) garlic parmesan kale chips with garlic powder and finely grated parmesan cheese.

How to prep kale to make kale chips

First, use a knife to slice off the leaves from the tough stem. Use your hands to tear the leaves into bite size/chip size pieces.

Wash and dry the leaves thoroughly – a salad spinner is a great kitchen tool to use for drying kale or other leafy greens. If not dried completely, the kale chips may come out soggy.

How to make kale chips in the air fryer

1. Add kale leaves to a mixing bowl and drizzle with oil and seasonings of choice.
2. Quickly massage the oil into the kale so each leave is coated evenly.
3. Spread the kale in a single layer in the tray or basket of your air fryer – you will likely need to cook in a few batches.
4. Cook in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 2-4 minutes. Check the kale chips around 2 minutes, and continue to check every 30 seconds to prevent them from burning.
5. Kale chips are done when the edges are just beginning to brown.

Step-by-step video

How to season kale chips

Here are some seasoning ideas for homemade air fryer kale chips:

• Traditional kale chips: just salt and oil!
• Spicy kale chips: Red pepper flakes (or cayenne) and smoked paprika
• Garlic parmesan kale chips: garlic powder with finely grated parmesan added after kale chips come out of the air fryer.
• Italian kale chips: Italian seasoning
• Ranch kale chips: ranch seasoning
• Chili kale chips: Chili powder and cumin
• Curry kale chips: Curry powder
• Everything kale chips: Everything bagel seasoning

Are kale chips healthy?

Yes! Since kale chips are made from kale, they pack a ton of nutrition. One cup of raw kale provides:

• 2.8 grams of dietary fiber (10 percent of your daily needs)
• 63.5 mg Vitamin C (71 percent of your daily needs)
• 265.4 mcg Vitamin K (221 percent of your daily needs)
• 163.98 mcg Vitamin A (18 percent of your daily needs), plus rich in beta-carotene
• 0.626 mg mg manganese (27 percent of your daily needs)
• 172.82 mg calcium (13 percent of your daily needs)

In addition, kale is a source of B vitamins, iron, and potassium. Kale is high in several antioxidants, including beta-carotene, Vitamin C, and polyphenols. Antioxidants help keep our cells healthy, fight inflammation, and may help prevent certain diseases.

Nutrition tip: Use a heart-healthy oil when making kale chips, such as olive oil or avocado oil. The monounsaturated fatty acids found in these oils can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels!

Storing leftover kale chips

Kale chips are best eaten right after you prepare them. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container sealed with a paper towel at room temperature for 1-2 days.

How long do kale chips last?

Kale chips will stay fresh for 1-2 days after you make them. If they are no longer crispy after storing them, put them back in your air fryer and cook until crispy again for a minute or so.

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

Print