I love fresh kale. I also recently got into kale chips, which are healthier than most chip snacks on the market. Kale chips may look easy to make (and may be for some of you), until you try to make them that is. Your first few times may have resulted in soggy or burned kale chips. Not to worry here are some handy tips for making perfectly crispy chewy baked kale chips every time without the use of a dehydrator.
Most people don’t like kale stems so don’t forget to remove them and tear the leaves into large pieces. No need to use a knife, simply tear the leaves off the stem and throw the stems away.
Now for the all important second step, make sure to wash and properly dry the kale leaves before baking. Any water left on the leaves will result in steaming the kale and manifest awful soggy chips, so be sure to properly dry the leaves before adding the oil.
Add a small amount of extra virgin olive or coconut oil, about a half tablespoon of oil per baking sheet of kale chips. Use your hands to massage the oil into the leaves to cover as much of the leaves as possible.
Next, gently lay out kale leaves in single layers, ensuring that leaves are not placed on top of each other. Single layers mean that the leaves will be evenly baked without the need to flip them.
There is much debate on whether low or high heat is best for the perfect kale chips but recently, the consensus seems to be that low heat is the best method to ensure that the chips are not burned. Subsequently, preheat the oven to 300F for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan, and bake for another 15 minutes.
Don’t forget the cooling time, allow kale chips to rest for at least 3 minutes so that they can firm up. Finally, for flavorful kale chips, try adding liquids such as vinegars, hot sauces or other spices after they’ve been baked.
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