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. Toss the ingredients together—just kale, olive oil, and a pinch of salt—and you’ll have a snack that rivals the crisp satisfaction of a potato chip but with far fewer calories. If I’m being honest, I’ve polished off an entire sheet pan by myself just standing at the stove. Thankfully, kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet–packed with nutrients and loaded with antioxidants and fiber–so we can indulge guilt-free. In this recipe, I’ve topped the earthy leaves with nutty Parmesan and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Kale isn’t just for salads—it transforms into one of the easiest, most satisfying healthy snacks you can make. These crispy kale chips are the perfect way to satisfy your salty cravings without the guilt.

“Really love these chips! The salt/lemon/parmesan combo really makes these taste amazing! Definitely easy to eat a whole pan yourself in one sitting.”

Melanie

What You’ll Need To Make Kale Chips With Lemon And Parmesan

Chip ingredients, including kale, olive oil, and lemon.
  • Curly Kale: The foundation of the recipe, kale crisps beautifully in the oven for a light, crunchy texture.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Ensures even roasting while adding richness and flavor to the chips.
  • Salt: Enhances the kale’s natural earthy flavor and balances the lemon and cheese.
  • Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon adds a bright, tangy finish to the chips.
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano: A savory, nutty topping that elevates the chips with a rich umami note.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

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. You can blot them dry with paper towels or use a salad spinner if you have one.

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 massage 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 to 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 to 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

  • How do you store leftovers?

    • — Bethany on May 5, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Bethany, I’d store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

      • — Jenn on May 5, 2024
      • Reply
  • Yummy! My son took the bowl of kale chips right out of my hand!

  • Wow! Kale chips are a healthy alternative to classic chips, and Jenn’s recipe really blows kale chips out of the water! You do need to be careful of your cook time as the kale chips are very thin – too short and they will be soggy and too long and they will be burnt. We like to add cayenne pepper to ours for a little kick.

  • A great healthy alternative to potato chips! I could eat the pan. Thanks Jen for another great recipe

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