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Crispy Kale Chips with Lemon and Parmesan

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These kale chips, topped with Parmesan, salt & a bit of fresh lemon juice, are a delicious way to get your crispy-salty fix.

Bowl of kale chips with lemon and parmesan.

Kale chips, or kale leaves coated with olive oil and slow-baked until shatteringly crisp, are amazingly good. It’s surprising but true — I have admittedly polished off an entire sheet pan by myself just standing at the stove (which is clearly why I cannot allow myself even one single potato chip). But, thankfully, kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet so we can all indulge guilt-free. It has more nutritional value, higher levels of antioxidants and fewer calories than almost any other food around.

In this recipe, I’ve topped the earthy leaves with nutty Parmesan, salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It’s a delicious way to get your crispy-salty fix.

What’ll you’ll need to make kale chips with lemon and parmesan

Chip ingredients, including kale, olive oil, and lemon.

How to make Them

Begin with a large bunch of curly kale. Remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear them into large pieces. If washing the leaves (I don’t bother unless they look gritty), be sure they are completely dry before proceeding with the recipe; moisture will cause the leaves to steam in the oven and they won’t get crispy.

Bowl of kale leaves next to a pile of kale stems.

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Olive oil pouring over a bowl of kale leaves.

Then use your hands to rub the oil evenly onto the leaves.

Person hand-tossing kale and olive oil.

Arrange the leaves in a single layer on two baking sheets.

Oiled kale on lined baking sheets.

Then bake in a low oven until crispy but not browned, about 25 minutes. As you can see, the leaves shrink quite a bit.

Lined baking sheet of crispy kale.

While they’re still hot, sprinkle them with salt, freshly grated Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Eat for your health and enjoy!

Bowl of kale chips with lemon and parmesan.

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Crispy Kale Chips with Lemon & Parmesan

These kale chips, topped with Parmesan, salt & a bit of fresh lemon juice, are a delicious way to get your crispy-salty fix.

Servings: 2-4 as a snack

Ingredients

  • 1 pound curly kale, leaves removed from tough stems and torn into large pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Lemon
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
  2. In a large bowl, using your hands, toss the kale leaves with the olive oil until evenly coated. Arrange the kale in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 25-30 minutes, until leaves are completely crisp but not browned.
  3. While the leaves are still warm, sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and a squeeze of lemon (go very easy on the lemon; a little goes a long way). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 127
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5 g
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 6 g
  • Sodium: 288 mg
  • Cholesterol: 5 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • Love these chips… but love making them with large spinach leaves too.

  • These kale chips have made converts of many of my kale-squeamish friends and family. To our 4 year-old niece they are “green chips” and she can’t get enough. My meat-and-potatoes father and father-in-law asked for the recipe so they could duplicate this at home. Wonderful recipe, that we make at least once a week.

  • Just made these today, they’re delicious! Thanks!

  • Love your wonderful tutorial! How simple and easy you make it. We’re going to feature this on our Facebook page and link here so people can see how you made it, and your lovely photography. If you wish, come LIKE us on Facebook for more recipes and tips on greens like kale, chard, beet, mustard, turnip, collard, escarole, dandelion and other green leafies. https://www.facebook.com/Cut.n.Clean.Greens

    –Your friendly Southern California farmers at Cut `n Clean Greens
    https://www.facebook.com/Cut.n.Clean.Greens

  • My little girl loves these. I like to serve them with Parmesan rosemary crisps, too (grated parmesan mixed with freshly ground pepper and rosemary baked in the oven on a Silpat).

  • These were yummy! I had a bit of trouble getting them crispy without a rubbery center. I believe I need to add more olive oil because I went on the light side.

  • This stuff is adicting; I make it often. It’s even simpler when you buy the kale already precut!

    • — Lisa Ballantyne
    • Reply
  • These are amazing!!

    • — Paula Birkenstock
    • Reply
  • I have made this recipe several times and they are addictive! The flavors blend so well.

  • This recipe is fantastic. While my son is home from college I wanted to make a healthy lunch. For lunch we made the kale chips, and paired it with chopped tomatoes drizzled with e.v.olive oil, kosher salt and white balsamic vinegar and along side that some pita chips with hummus. It was such a healthy yets tasty meal!

  • Delicious!! I used an entire bunch of kale and am the only one eating them, so I have leftovers. How do you store them?

    • Hi Jill, Honestly, I never have any left 🙂 I’d put them in an airtight container…just be gentle with them as they shatter easily. So glad you liked them!

  • I love kale, but I never really thought of doing anything but boiling and eating it. Thanks for this lovely new option!

  • These are so delicious! I’ve made kale chips before but the recipe had called for a higher temp and the edges burnt. The only seasoning used before was salt. This recipe id perfect. Perfect temp, perfect time and perfect seasoning! So good! Thanks for the recipe. Just found your blog yesterday and i love it. Thanks!

  • Your recipes are so easy to follow

  • I cannot believe that I had gone 22 years without knowing about kale. These tasty kale chips are just perfect for healthy snacking!

  • I’ve always wanted to try kale chips and now is the perfect time. I’m gonna get some Kale the next time I’m at the commissary

  • I love making kale chips, but hadn’t tried the parmesan cheese with them. So delicious!

  • This recipe was a hit at my all healthy Super Bowl party this year. My friends wanted more.

  • Yummy! My kids love this dish and I love how healthy it is!! Thank you for the tip about the kale being completely dry before putting the olive oil on and into the oven! That makes all the difference in the crispiness!

  • I’m so excited I found your blog and you are in the area! It’s fun to run into someone that enjoys the same things! Loved the kale chips! I found you via Pinterest….it will be the death of me….I look for recipes every day. My 13 year old gave up meat so it’s a challenge.

  • I keep hearing this recipe is delicious, I can’t wait to try it, I love kale!!

  • I’ve made this at our Superbowl party. It was a hit. People who never would have considered making it, tried it and they were pleasantly surprised about how tasty they are. (Had to give them the recipe too.) I also have to mention that my children love them too! Just delicious! Thank you!

  • Oh my!!!! These are to good… My 2 year old loves the as well… I also got my husband to eat them and he will not eat any veggie… These are a staple in our houshold now…. Thank you!

  • I’ve been making these every week since you posted this recipe. I use bahamian hot sauce (scotch bonnet, lemon, lime, vinegar and salt) instead of the lemon and salt. It adds a great kick. Like you, I usually polish off the whole tray.

  • These are my new favorite healthy snack, thanks for sharing!

  • Love these as does my 2 year old! Perfect snack!

  • Kale chips rock, and I love the idea of adding cheese, because cheese makes everything better!

  • After reading a lot about Kale chips I decided to try them. The “shatteringly” crisp texture was surprisingly delicious!

  • I had my husband make these while I was making sloppy joes one night – he had suggested tater tots originally. These were both delicious and nutritious: a much better choice than the tots 🙂

  • Would it be a good endorsement of the recipe if I said that I, single handedly, ate the whole thing by myself? I should be embarrassed but am not. Sooooo good.

  • Thanks to your Kale/Radicchio/Apple salad (salivating just thinking about it), I made these chips. I’ve heard so much about Kale chips, but the addition of cheese and lemon intrigued me. Wow, what a great combination! I love the addition of the salty cheese and the lemon adds a freshness to it.
    Thanks!

  • I’ve made these twice now, and both times no one else got to even taste any…oops! But they really are both addicting and healthy!

  • I make this recipe at least once a week. This is a wonderful alternative to starchy, fatty chips. Great flavor and just a hint of citrus!

  • I have been thinking about trying this for a long time. I never liked the smell of kale so I stayed away from it. But, it is so good for you! So I finally made it yesterday and it was soooo good! Great way to replace the unhealthy potato chips.

  • these are heaven….the lemon and cheese are perfect touches!

  • I can’t wait to try this recipe out this weekend!

  • These are great! I make them at least twice a week, usually with just salt and garlic powder, we finish the tray in 5 minutes!!

  • These kale chips are fabulous. Baking them at a low temperature for a longer time works great.

  • This is one of our favorite ways to eat kale (and brussel sprouts. Thank you!

  • I tried this recipe a month ago and it was delicious.
    I have never tried kale before, this was definitely I nice way to test it out. Loved how tangy and crunchy it was.

  • Does this recipe work with spinach also? This sounds great!

    • Hi Danielle, I can’t say for sure since I’ve never tried it but I don’t think it would work with spinach.

      • I did try it with spinach, since my daughter found the kale too bitter but she does like spinach. Results were mixed. The spinach stayed very flat and was more delicate than the kale, so it was difficult to remove it from the foil without crumbling it. The taste was good, from my perspective, but my daughter didn’t care for it. If I were making the recipe again for myself, I would stick to the kale.

  • Omg, I just took these out of the oven for a Superbowl snack…Doesn’t look like I’m going to have any for the game…Can’t stop picking on them!!! These are wonderful…:)

  • I love kale. I have cooked it many different ways and the rest of my family pleads with me to not cook any more kale.

    They groaned when they saw my shopping bags after the farmer’s market on Saturday. I had 2 large bunches of kale. I tried your recipe for kale chips with one bunch that afternoon. The chips were gone so fast; I didn’t get enough for my self. Even my pickiest eater asked for more. You know what happened to the second bunch of kale.

    Amazing!

    • So nice to hear, Debbie. I wish my kids would eat it!

  • I am addicted to kale chips. i’ve never quite got my oil/salt balance right. I’ve evenutaly tried a half tsp of coconut oil and that works. Really have to try it with the lemon and parmesan too…delicious.

    • — jules @ bananamondaes
    • Reply
  • I’ve also used Mrs. Dash instead of just salt for a little variety. Whatever flavor you want works well!
    We raise kale in our garden & it’s one of my new favorite foods….yummy in soups too for flavor, nutrition, & color!

  • i heard about these on the Ellen show from Gwen Paltrow. These look so refreshing and healthy.. I love chips.

  • I have also been wanting to try the kale chips. This looks like a great recipe, plus I’ve been counting the calories lately so good timing on a healthy snack.

  • I am with Heidi on this one, I am the WORST with vegetables. But I might have to make a sacrifice in order to try these 🙂

  • I don’t eat vegetables, like AT ALL. But this I must try. I am so glad I found you and signed up for emails because I pin almost EVERYTHING you post!!!

  • I have been wanting to try the elusive kale chips, bought some kale yesterday and, voila, here is the perfect recipe. Just came out of the oven and demolished half a pan before you can even say “Parmigiano Reggiano”…Thank you for this!

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