If you are longing for a healthy vegetable chip that is crunchy and salty with the tang of vinegar but doens't have all the carbs of a potato chip, you are in the right place!
These salt and vinegar kale chips are crunchy and delightful and literally melt in your mouth.
If you have been eating kale chips from the store, you have NEVER had a kale chip quite like these!
What is the secret to making the best kale chips that melt in your mouth instead have that gross, clumpy waxy feel?
These chips were made in my Tribest Sedona Dehydrator.Are you one of those "Just give me the recipe!!!" people? Scroll all the way to the bottom to get the printable recipe card.
Looking for more easy, delicious kale recipes?
If you are looking for more delicious ways to enjoy kale, try these recipes from Creative Green Living:
The best dehydrator for kale chips
With way more control that the stacking tray dehydrator that your grandmother had in the 90's, the Tribest Sedona Dehydrator gives you maximum control for seriously delicious results.
Having used multiple dehydrators, I was not prepared to be blown away when Tribest offered to send me their Sedona Dehydrator to try. But to be honest: I really really love it!
This dehydrator makes not only some seriously amazing kale chips that are light and crispy and literally melt in your mouth but apple chips, dehydrated veggies and killer beef jerky, too!
It comes with both plastic and steel tray options (I recommend steel) with free shipping for Amazon Prime members (not a prime member? Sign up for a free trial here).
The Best Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips Recipe
an easy way to make kale chips in the dehydrator
Ingredients needed for kale chips
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- Juice and pulp of one lemon
- 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar*
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 large bunch kale*
*Creative Green Living recommends purchasing these ingredients as organic where available to avoid GMOs, pervasive pesticides and/or questionable farming practices.
Nutrition information is approximate and may vary based on the freshness and brand of your ingredients. Nutrition information calculated at: Calorie Count.
Directions
Dehydrator Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips step 1:
In the largest bowl you own, combine the juice and pulp of one lemon, 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp minced garlic and 3/4 tsp sea salt
Dehydrator Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips step 2:
Wash your kale well.
Drain in a colander and blot dry with a towel or spin dry in a salad spinner.
Pull kale from stalks. I think the easiest way to do this is with a tool like a kale zipper, although you can definitely do it with your hands.
Tear the kale into chip size pieces. I like pieces to be about 3 inches across on their longest side.
Drain in a colander and blot dry with a towel or spin dry in a salad spinner.
Pull kale from stalks. I think the easiest way to do this is with a tool like a kale zipper, although you can definitely do it with your hands.
Tear the kale into chip size pieces. I like pieces to be about 3 inches across on their longest side.
Dehydrator Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips step 3:
Add the torn kale pieces to bowl with the marinade.
Use tongs or your hands to toss the kale in the marinade until it is well coated.
Use the back of the tongs or your hands to press or knead the leaves into the marinade.
Use tongs or your hands to toss the kale in the marinade until it is well coated.
Use the back of the tongs or your hands to press or knead the leaves into the marinade.
Dehydrator Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips step 4:
Lay kale out in a single layer on food dehydrator sheets.
Set dehydrator to 145 degrees for 3-4 hours.
After 3 hours, test kale for done-ness by snapping in half.
If the kale chips bend, they are not done.
Kale chips are done when they are very crispy and snap when bent.
Set dehydrator to 145 degrees for 3-4 hours.
After 3 hours, test kale for done-ness by snapping in half.
If the kale chips bend, they are not done.
Kale chips are done when they are very crispy and snap when bent.
Enjoy!
FAQ About Homemade Kale Chips
If you have a question about making kale chips at home in your dehydrator that I didn't answer in this section, be sure to leave me a comment so I can respond!
Kale chips in the dehydrator vs oven - which is better?
I have made homemade kale chips both the oven and a dehydrator. While the oven definitely makes chips faster, the texture and flavor of chips made in a dehydrator is far superior.
It's also easy to accidentally burn the tips of your kale chips in the oven. By contrast, it's very difficult to over-do it with a dehydrator.
I have achieved excellent results for kale chips using a Tribest Sedona Dehydrator.
How long do dehydrated kale chips last?
You can store any kale chips you aren't going to eat right away in either a gallon size freezer ziplock bag or a glass food storage container with a locking lid to keep out air.
The kale chips will last about a week but they are best within the first two days of making them.
Does making kale chips destroy the nutrients?
Some methods of making kale chips can destroy the nutrients. Baking for example exposes the kale to high heat, which can destroy nutrients via rapid water loss.
Dehydrating at a low heat keeps more nutrients inside the kale chips than you would by cooking them in an oven. Plus you keep all of the fiber and all of the flavor.
Are homemade kale chips healthy?
Any time you can increase your intake of green leafy vegetables is a win!
This recipe contains whole, fresh ingredients like garlic, lemon juice and fresh kale - and no weird preservatives like you might find in storebought kale chips.
Kale chips are high in calcium and iron and provide a salty crunch similar to potato chips but without all the carbs and processed fats.
Are kale chips as healthy as raw kale?
Yes! PLUS Kale chips have the added bonus of being way more enjoyable to eat.
Dehydrating the kale until it is brittle makes is crunchy. Raw kale on the other hand is "chewy" - but not in a good way.
Many people complain that eating raw kale makes them feel like a cow chewing its cud as the fibers take a long time to break down with your teeth.
Can eating too much kale make you sick?
Truly, eating too much of anything can make you sick. So yes....but I think it would be hard to eat so much kale that it caused you to fall ill.
As with all things, variety in our diets is the best way to make sure we are getting the different nutrients we need and not getting too much of one thing.
Are kale chips gluten free?
Any recipe is only as gluten-free as your ingredients. As-written, my kale chip recipe is gluten-free. If you make any substitutions or choose non-gluten-free ingredients, yours may not be.
How do you fix soggy kale chips?
If your kale chips are soggy, they need to sit in the dehydrator for longer.
You can also help prevent soggy kale chips by drying the washed leaves well before marinating.
If you love my salt and vinegar kale chip recipe that you make in your dehydrator, be sure to pin it to save it for later!
Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips
Yield: 6
prep time: 20 Mcook time: 4 hourtotal time: 4 H & 20 M
This tart, salty and garlicky kale chips are crispy and literally melt in your mouth - they are way better than the thick, gummy kale chips you buy in the store. The secret to getting super crispy kale chips is a dehydrator.
ingredients:
- Juice and pulp of one lemon
- 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 large bunch kale
instructions:
How to cook Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips
- Whisk all of the ingredients except the kale together in a the largest bowl you own. Set aside.
- Wash and dry kale. Cut leaves from stalks and tear into chip sized pieces (save stalks for stock or compost them).
- Add kale pieces to marinade in the large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to toss kale to coat in marinade, using the back of the spatula to help press or knead it into the leaves. Alternately, you could use your hands to massage the marinade into the leaves.
- Lay kale out in a single layer on food dehydrator sheets. Set dehydrator to 145 degrees for 3-4 hours.
- Kale chips are done when they are very crisp and snap in half when bent.
Calories
84
84
Fat (grams)
4.7
4.7
Sat. Fat (grams)
.7
.7
Carbs (grams)
9.6
9.6
Fiber (grams)
1.5
1.5
Net carbs
8.1
8.1
Sugar (grams)
.3
.3
Protein (grams)
2.5
2.5
Sodium (milligrams)
268
268
Cholesterol (grams)
0
0
"true" net carbs (carbs - fiber) is 8.1. If you are following Dr Berg keto method which encourages eating apple cider vinegar and kale in large amounts, count 1 carb instead.
Copyright 2015
About the Author:
Carissa B is a cookbook author and busy mom of two creative boys. The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she has won multiple awards for her work on Creative Green Living including the "Best Green Lifestyle Blogger" award in 2019 from ShiftCon.
She is the author of the hardcover cookbook, Beautiful Smoothie Bowls, as well as the backyard chicken keeping guide: Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens. Her recipes have been featured in Urban Farm Magazine and in several cookbooks where she was a contributing author. Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter or join the Creative Green Living Tribe on Facebook.
She is the author of the hardcover cookbook, Beautiful Smoothie Bowls, as well as the backyard chicken keeping guide: Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens. Her recipes have been featured in Urban Farm Magazine and in several cookbooks where she was a contributing author. Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter or join the Creative Green Living Tribe on Facebook.
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Materials disclosure: Tribest generously provided me with a Sedona Combo food dehydrator in the hopes that I would like it enough to use it to create projects or recipes to share with you. It is genuinely my favorite dehydrator that I have used. If you choose to purchase a Tribest Sedona food dehydrator through my Amazon links, I receive a small kick back from Amazon, which does not increase the purchase price for you.
Hi there! I am wondering if you can produce salt and vinegar-flavoured kale chips AFTER kale chips have been dehydrated and stored for a couple of months? Would you maybe add the dehydrated kale chips to the marinade and dehydrate again? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI’ve never tried this myself but it wouldn’t hurt to experiment. I probably wouldn’t try marinating dry kale chips - maybe spraying them and then drying the spray dressing onto them. If you try it please report back.
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