Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips
Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips are a deliciously healthy way to eat your greens; make them in a toaster oven when it’s too hot to use the oven.
PIN Roasted Kale Chips to try them later!
Countless other food bloggers have asked “Why did it take me so long to make kale chips?” so I’ll spare you that and just say that now that I’ve finally made roasted kale chips myself, I see what the fuss is about. Not only are they full of nutritious goodness, but these Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips are delicious. If you don’t believe roasted crispy kale leaves can be that special, I challenge you to try them and see what you think.
When I finally decided to try making kale chips, I found there were endless variations on the recipe, so I tested 6 slightly different versions before I came up with the recipe I liked best, where the kale chips are roasted for a longer time at a fairly low temperature. I wanted to make salt and vinegar chips, and I found I liked the kale best when the salt was added after roasting. I don’t know if adding the vinegar made the kale chips turn more brown, but I didn’t care how photogenic they were because I loved the taste.
What are Kale Chips?
Kale chips are pieces of fresh kale that have been roasted until they are dried and crispy. They’re really quite delicious for everyone who enjoys the flavor of kale.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- kale leaves
- extra-virgin olive oil
- vinegar (see notes)
- sea salt to taste
How to make Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Start with a lovely bunch of curly kale. This was about six ounces, and since I was roasting it in my toaster oven (before the new stove arrived) that was just the right amount to fit on a small cookie sheet.
- Cut away the inner ribs and discard, and then tear the kale leaves into same-size pieces. (I made my pieces about the size of a small potato chip.)
- Here’s how many pieces I got from the 6 oz. bunch of kale in the top photo.
- I washed my kale in a salad spinner, and then spun it dry over and over, until the leaves were dry. If you don’t have a salad spinner, I’d use paper towels to dry the leaves.
- I used olive oil, Spanish sherry vinegar, and sea salt to flavor the chips, but I think any type of salt and vinegar that you like the flavor of would be fine.
- I wanted to “massage” the kale leaves with olive oil to be sure they were well-coated, so I put the chips into a Ziploc bag, added half the olive oil, squished it around, added the rest of the oil, and then massaged some more.
- Then I sprinkled in the vinegar, closed the bag, and shook it until the drops of vinegar were well-distributed on the kale pieces.
- In all the directions, probably the most important thing is to arrange the kale pieces in a single layer on the pan so they aren’t crowded when they cook. Here are my kale pieces when they started out in the 300F/150C oven.
- Here are the chips after they roasted for 10 minutes.
- This next photo is how they looked after 20 minutes.
- They’re a little more crispy after 30 minutes.
- I let them cook five minutes more for a total of 35 minutes roasting time. Sprinkle with sea salt and eat immediately!
Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips
I experimented with six version of Kale Chips, but these Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips were the ones I thought were really a treat!
Ingredients
- one bunch of kale leaves, about 6 oz.
- 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 T vinegar (see notes)
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F/150C.
- Cut away inner ribs from each kale leaf and discard, then tear the kale leaves into same-size pieces. (I made my pieces about the size of a small potato chip.)
- Wash torn kale pieces and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels until they're very dry.
- Put kale pieces into a large Ziploc bag (or use a bowl if you don't mind getting your hands oily.)
- Add half of the 1 T of olive oil, seal bag, and squeeze the bag so the oil gets distributed evenly on the kale pieces.
- Add the other half tablespoon of oil and squeeze the bag more, until all kale pieces are evenly coated with oil and slightly "massaged."
- Open the Ziploc bag and sprinkle the 1 T sherry vinegar over the kale leaves, then seal bag and shake to spread the vinegar out over all the leaves.
- Arrange kale leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast until they are mostly crisp, about 35 minutes.
- I checked every 10 minutes or so and turned some pieces over.
- I also found I didn't mind if there were a few softer parts on some of the kale leaves, I liked the combination of crisp and softer parts.
- When chips are done to your liking, sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and eat immediately.
Notes
I used Spanish sherry vinegar, but any vinegar you like the flavor of will work
This recipe adapted by Kalyn with inspiration from many other bloggers who also made kale chips.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 57Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 207mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Dark leafy greens have more nutrition per calorie than any other food source, and these roasted kale chips are a perfect snack for any phase of the original South Beach Diet or any type of low-glycemic or low-carb eating plan.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe
These Roasted Kale Chips with Sea Salt and Vinegar were first posted in March 2010. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2021.
86 Comments on “Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips”
Yes! I recently joined the kale chip fan club too! Aren't they so delicious? And healthy too!!!
I'm just so in love with these! I never make less than a pound of kale at a time because my kids will fight for the bowl of chips ~ and they are teenagers. I'll even make these for their friends . . . they always disappear. I'm thinking about putting in a kale bed this spring just to keep us supplied!
Your pics do these wonderful chips justice ~ delicious! And thanks so much for giving my post a shout-out!
Cheers,
Sandy of Eat Real
Sarah, I had never thought of making this with Red Russian Kale (which is going to be in my garden this year for sure!) Great idea, thanks for sharing.
My farmer cousin advised me on making this a few years ago — I called it Crispy Roasted Kale and we really liked it. For ours, we use Russian Kale, which my family enjoys best. If you do it in a 400 degree oven with no overlap, it's done in about 15 minutes…
Mmm.
Here's my version: http://sarahscucinabella.com/2008/08/12/crispy-roasted-kale/
I have tried these before without the vinegar and they were bitter. I'm anxious to try them again with your recipe. I love the salt and vinegar combination.
I have seen so soo many recipes for kale chips! Ive always been nervous to make then, im definitely going to make them soon! They look delicious though!
Im new to blogging check out my blog if you have a chance. www.youruniqueyoumyuniqueme.com [im also having a give away!]
Oh. My. God.
Perfect for leftover Kale, too!
I hadn't heard of this, and I can not wait to try it! I'm going to try malt vinegar… YUM!
I've been meaning to make these forever (because I see them about once a week on tastespotting) and actually had them on my menu plan a week or two ago but never got to it… now I HAVE to do it this weekend. I love the addition of vinegar, I don't think I've seen anyone else do that 😀
Did someone say salt and vinegar? That flavor combination is my favorite on chips. I, too, have seen all of the raves by various food bloggers about kale chips, but haven't tried them myself. Now you have made me terribly curious!
It's great to see the step-by-step photos, since I've had a little trouble getting my head around making kale chips. I will put this on my list, especially as the "kalestrom" begins with the new growing season.
I love kale chips too!!!
Here's my post on them with my recipe:
http://askgeorgie.com/?p=1754
Keep up the great work Kalyn!
Georgie Fear RD
I made kale chips, but for some reason have not posted about it (yet). I followed Jaden's recipe and found that some of my leaves were a bit soggy after cooking the suggested time (12-22 minutes)at 350. So, I let them cook longer in a turned off oven and they dried out nicely without turning brown. I think your idea of the longer cooking time and lower temperature is a good one, and I also want to try adding the vinegar. My husband turned up his nose at first when I served this, but then he was fighting me over the last pieces!
Love Kale. Can't seem to find it in New Zealand though.
I made them for the first time this week too — and I also see what all the hooplah is about. Good tasting and good for you.
I make them too, and I love them. They always feel like too good to be true.
I will have to try at a lower temperature and longer cooking next time!
I have been seeing this roasted kale chips recipe so many times, and I was intrigued but never enough to try to make it myself (I don't know, I guess the same feeling of what the fuss is about) but now seeing it again on your blog has tipped me over to the point of picking up kale soon to make these. They look delicious.
I haven't blogged about making kale chips, but I have Tweeted about it. A lot! Just ask @chezus and @wearsmanyhats – we were like the kale-chip gospel! I have made these oodles of times – and found that my favorite type of kale to use is what my farmer calls "dinosaur" kale. It probably has a fancier and more scientific name, but that's how we have come to know it. The leaves are a little thicker and roast beautifully. I'd imagine that I'd be able to afford the new camera lens I've been eyeing if I earned commission on helping my farmer sell his kale for chips at the farmer's market 🙂
Melissa, thanks so much, and thanks for sharing your kale chips. Going to check them out now.
Lydia, I promise you will like them! They aren't even a tiny bit bitter. So tasty.
Now I'm off to the market to buy kale! After reading several posts in the past few days about these chips, your post and gorgeous photos have put me over the edge and I'm developing a real craving. I'm only afraid that I will fall in love with them and eat them all before anyone else has a chance to share!
I'm an everyday reader of your blog. Thank you SO much for the wonderful writing and excellent recipes.
I recently tried kale chips (and fell in love with them, too) on a menu my husband and I call "Dinner and a Movie." Every Sunday, we pick a movie and new recipes to make sure we start the week right.
Here's my kale chip recipe, along with "Meatza Pie."
http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/2010/02/dinner-and-movie-meatza-pie-and.html