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    Home » Garden To Table

    Air Fryer Kale Chips

    Published: May 13, 2020 · Modified: Jan 8, 2025 · 6 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    These easy air fryer kale chips are delicious, quick and easy! Make them at home in your Instant Pot Air Fryer for a healthy snack.
    These easy air fryer kale chips are delicious, quick and easy! Make them at home in your Instant Pot Air Fryer for a healthy snack.
    These easy air fryer kale chips are delicious, quick and easy! Make them at home in your Instant Pot Air Fryer for a healthy snack.

    These easy air fryer kale chips are delicious, quick and easy! Make them at home in your air fryer for a healthy snack.

    kale chips in a serving bowl

    My friends and family have started to tease me about my kale chip compulsion.

    It's probably because I keep making batch after batch, so whenever they talk to me I'm usually eating kale chips.

    Yup that's me, Facetiming with a bowl of crispy veggies. You're welcome world.

    I can't help myself, because they're so goooood.

    My kale chip adventure started in the oven with these baked kale chips. If you don't have an air fryer yet, check out that other post for oven directions.

    More recently, however, I've discovered air fryer kale chips, and haven't looked back.

    This recipe is written for an Air Fryer Lid (an attachment for my 6-quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7-in-1).

    Note: The official Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid seems to be discontinued. You can find off-brand air fryer lids that are labeled as fitting the Instant Pot, or you can use a dedicated air fryer. Some time adjustments may be needed, as each brand seems to cook slightly differently.

    Why Use an Air Fryer Instead of the Oven?

    I love making kale chips in an air fryer because the chips are less greasy, the air fryer kale chips cook faster than oven kale chips, and the air fryer basket is easier to clean than the baking sheets.

    How to Prepare the Kale

    If you're using full leaves of kale, start by cutting out the tough ribs. Next, roughly chop the kale.

    Another option is to buy pre-chopped bags of kale.

    Next, clean your kale.

    If you can, use a salad spinner, because it'll get the kale extra-dry. I love my OXO salad spinner.

    If you don't have a salad spinner, rinse the kale and lay it out on a towel. Pat it dry.

    Rinse Kale in a Salad Spinner
    Rinse Kale in a Salad Spinner

    How to Make Air Fryer Kale Chips

    Start by massaging the kale a little with your hands, and season it with oil, salt, and your favorite seasonings.

    I recommend using Bragg's nutritional yeast.

    Add about half the kale to the air fryer basket.

    Add Half the Seasoned Kale to the Air Fryer
    Add Half the Seasoned Kale to the Air Fryer

    Add the air fryer shelf.

    Top with the remaining kale.

    Add the Air Fryer Shelf + Remaining Kale
    Add the Air Fryer Shelf + Remaining Kale

    Next, add the air fryer lid.

    Technically, you should pre-heat the air fryer lid, but since it heats up to 300-degrees pretty quickly, I often skip this step when making kale chips.

    Set the temperature and time, and hit start.

    Air Fry for 8 Minutes
    Air Fry for 8 Minutes

    When the air fryer beeps and tells you to turn your food, ignore it. Like a rebel.

    When it stops cooking, open the lid and remove the kale chips.

    Remove Kale From Top Shelf
    Remove Kale From Top Shelf
    Remove Kale from Bottom Shelf
    Remove Kale from Bottom Shelf

    If you like, add a little extra seasoning to your chips, and dig in while they're still nice and warm!

    kale chips in a serving bowl

    Looking for more air fried veggie ideas? Try these crispy air fryer brussels sprouts from Carmyy!

    kale chips in a serving bowl
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 5 votes

    Air Fryer Kale Chips

    These easy air fryer kale chips are delicious, quick and easy! Make them at home for a healthy snack.
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time4 minutes mins
    Cook Time8 minutes mins
    Total Time12 minutes mins
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 1 person
    Calories: 105kcal
    Freezer Friendly?
    No
    Will It Keep?
    3 Days
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • salad spinner
    • Instant Pot (I use this one)
    • + Air Fryer Lid for Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    Basic Kale Chips

    • ⅛ pound kale, stems removed + leaves roughly chopped
    • ½ tablespoon olive oil Or use your favorite oil
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt

    Seasonings (Mix + Match As Desired):

    • 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
    • ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes OR cayenne powder
    • ½ teaspoon sesame seeds OR Everything But the Bagel seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon Indian curry powder or smoked paprika

    Instructions

    • Rinse kale and dry in a salad spinner.
      If you don't have a salad spinner, lay kale on a towel and pat dry.
    • Preheat air fryer to 300°F.
    • Add kale to a bowl. (I dry the salad spinner bowl and use that.)
      Toss kale with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and your seasoning of choice. Massage the kale with your hands to coat with the oil and seasoning.
    • Add half the kale to the air fryer basket. Add the air fryer shelf, and top with the remaining kale.
    • Put the air fryer lid in place, and air fry for 8 minutes at 300°F, or 9 minutes at 300°F for extra crispy chips.
      If your air fryer beeps to tell you to turn the food, know that for this recipe, you do not need to turn the kale.
      Check kale after 8 minutes. If it isn't crisp, air fry 1-2 more minutes.
      Note that not all air fryers alike, so the exact cook time for your air fryer model may vary.
    • Serve chips immediately, or store in a loosely covered container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

    Notes

    Troubleshooting:
    First, be aware that this recipe was written specifically for the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid.  If you’re using a different air fryer, the temperature and time should work, but you may need to adjust the recipe cook time for your specific machine.
    My kale chips are soggy. 
    Make sure to thoroughly dry the kale after rinsing.  Try increasing the cook time by 1-2 minutes.
    I didn't use enough seasoning + my kale chips are bland. Add more seasoning after baking, and remember next time to add more before baking.  I like adding extra nutritional yeast after baking even when I added enough seasoning from the beginning!
    Nutrition information assumes kale chips are seasoned with only oil, salt, and nutritional yeast.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 105kcal (5%) | Carbohydrates: 7g (2%) | Protein: 4g (8%) | Fat: 8g (12%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Sodium: 1189mg (52%) | Potassium: 358mg (10%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 5738IU (115%) | Vitamin C: 68mg (82%) | Calcium: 85mg (9%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Lindsay says

      September 22, 2021 at 1:17 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe - so easy and results in perfectly crisped kale chips.
      I season mine with everything bagel seasononing and grated parmesan- deeeeelicious.
      Only problem - it takes me about 20 mins to prepare and 2 mins to eat whole batch 😉

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        September 22, 2021 at 4:48 pm

        Relatable problem!! So glad you love them, thanks for letting us know!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    2. Corinne Holtz says

      November 03, 2021 at 3:29 am

      5 stars
      This is the first thing I made in my duo crisp instantpot. I used organic red kale with Sonoma Gourmet Roasted Chiles oil and
      Weber smokey mesquite seasoning. I extended the time for 9 minutes to make extra crispy, then melt in your mouth amazingness.Tried lacinto (dino) kale as well, but weren't as crispy since they have less curly edges. Either way I am now officially addicted!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        November 03, 2021 at 10:01 am

        Awesome! That's what we like to hear! Glad you enjoyed them so much, and thanks for letting us know.

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    3. Harriet says

      May 28, 2023 at 7:09 pm

      5 stars
      My first usage of the Duo Crisp Air Fryer! Thank you for your detailed instructions. LOVED the results! The first batch was blackened at 8 minutes at 300° Got beautiful results at 6 minutes. I used bagged, chopped kale, and the leaves were pretty thin. Next time I'll buy whole lacinato kale and tear it in pieces.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        May 29, 2023 at 11:15 am

        Thanks Harriet! We're thrilled that they came out so well and that you found the right cook time for your particular air fryer. That can take a little trial and error for sure!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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