Switch up your appetizer or healthy snack game with these Air Fryer Sesame Kale Chips. They’re healthy, crunchy, and ready in just 3 easy steps!

Crunchy, healthy, and full of umami, these Air Fryer Sesame Kale Chips are gluten-free, low-carb, keto, and boast healthy fat and an abundance of nutrients. Each batch takes less than 20 minutes to air-fry up and just requires a mixing bowl, rubber spatula, and air fryer! Make this delicious appetizer, snack, or healthy side dish today!

Getting sick last week meant I had an extra time to catch up on my shows (Oh, hello, Fleabag), movies (looking at you, Oscar nominations), and — most importantly — nerd out on documentaries.

Now, I know that all documentaries are made to make specific points and in so doing don’t usually include the opposing opinions. But I also think it’s important to at least critically think through the points that are being made. And a lot of the points made in FAT: A Documentary and That Sugar Story got me thinking

Whereas I don’t believe that going keto is a sustainable lifestyle for many people without metabolic illnesses (a point made in Fat: A Documentary), I do find it fascinating to hear that it was basically politics that brought the low-fat, high carb diet to popular opinion and government-endorsed health recommendations.

After all, there were studies conducted in Britain in the 1970s warning about the perils of excess sugar in the diet, but they didn’t get the endorsement or broader attention that the previous low-fat, high carb studies did.

Furthermore, watching Damon’s health decline rapidly by just eating commonly considered “healthier” processed foods in That Sugar Film was astounding. After all, he wasn’t even eating noticeable added sugar like cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc. He was just eating processed food. And, according to the documentary, up to 80% of grocery store items are processed and have extra added sugar! Eek.

And even while eating the same amount of daily calories he was previously eating, he started to develop fatty liver disease, his blood lipids went up, and he gained 15 pounds eating processed foods containing 40 teaspoons of sugar each day.

By the way, these processed foods were familiar foods we’d know or have seen labeled as “healthy.” Foods like yogurts, cereals, teriyaki chicken, smoothies, breakfast shakes, and the like.

Yes, this is just data from one person, but that extreme of health changes suggests that a diet full of refined or processed carbohydrates and devoid of protein and healthy fats has the potential to wreak havoc on the body.

And even if sugar doesn’t affect everybody in a similar way, it’s enough to get me focusing on eating more lean protein and healthy fats. Albeit, I’m still doing my best to incorporate the healthy, whole carbohydrates my body needs to run 40-50 miles and strength train 3 times per week.

These healthy kale chips are exactly the kind of food I’m trying to eat more of. They’re easy to make, ultra-satisfying, crunchy, savory, and an appetizer or snack both Chris and I get super excited about eating.

So, check out those documentaries, let me know what you think about them in the comments below, and consider joining me in working more healthy fat and protein-rich foods into our diets. After all, what do we have to lose? If what we’re currently doing isn’t working or benefitting us the way it should, it begs us to consider a different way forward.

These Air Fried Sesame Kale Chips are…

• Crunchy
• Nutty
• Full of rich umami
• Healthy
• Full of fiber
• Rich in healthy fat
• A keto kale chip option

Move over potato chips — a new favorite (healthy!) savory snack is in town. These air fried kale chips are a quickly disappearing healthy snack we just can’t get enough of around here!

Do I need to pre-heat an air fryer before using it?

In some situations, you do need to preheat your air fryer before using it. Often this is when you are cooking meats or thicker vegetables that take longer to cook.

In the case of these sesame kale chips, however, we don’t need to pre-heat the air fryer because the kale is light and cooks pretty quickly — even when starting with a cool air fryer.

Are kale chips healthy?

Yes, air fried kale chips are healthy! These chips are just kale, olive oil, coconut aminos, sesame seeds, and seasoning so they are a great source of leafy greens and healthy fats. They’re gluten-free if you don’t eat gluten and they’re also keto-friendly if you follow that diet!

So snack up on this healthy treat if you’re looking for a new way to get more nutrients and veggies in your diet!

How do you make air-fried kale?

You can make this air-fried kale in just 3 easy steps!

First: toss the kale with the olive oil, liquid coconut aminos & toasted sesame oil until the kale is evenly coated with the liquids. Then, sprinkle the kale with the seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, & salt) and sesame seeds and toss the kale until all the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the kale.

Second: Add the kale to the basket of an air fryer and air fry for 14 minutes at 400 degrees, shaking the basket every 3-4 minutes, or until the kale chips are getting crispy and the sesame seeds turn golden.

Third: remove the kale from the air-fryer and serve! These kale chips are a healthy snack, the perfect appetizer, or even can be served as a healthy side dish!

Other healthy side dishes and snack recipes you might like:

• Air Fryer Green Beans with Lemon
• Air Fried Crispy Parmesan Garlic Potatoes
• Roasted Tomato Salad with Burrata Cheese
• Sauteed Yellow Squash and Zucchini
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Manchego & Figs
• Diced Hash Browns
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Larabars

If you make and like this recipe, please rate it by clicking on the 5-star rating on the recipe card. I appreciate it so much! <3

Yield: 4

Air Fryer Sesame Kale Chips

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Crunchy, rich in umami, and healthy, these Air Fryer Sesame Kale Chips are an easy to make snack, appetizer, or side dish.

If you dont have or don't want to use liquid coconut aminos you can use soy sauce in its place. The recipe just won't be gluten-free if you do so.

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Ingredients

• 10 oz lacinato kale, washed and cut into 1.5-2" pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut liquid aminos 
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried granulated garlic 
• 3/4 teaspoon dried granulated onion 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the kale, olive oil, coconut aminos, and toasted sesame oil. Toss the kale in the oil and aminos until the kale is evenly covered with the oil and aminos.
2. Sprinkle the kale with the sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt. Toss the kale further to distribute all the seasonings evenly throughout the kale.
3. Add the kale to the basket of the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees for 13-14 minutes, shaking every 3-4 minutes, or until the kale gets crispy and the sesame seeds are starting to brown. Remove the kale from the air fryer and serve! Enjoy. 🙂

Notes

1. This kale keeps covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. It reheats best on low in a toaster oven for about 1.5-3 minutes, depending on the strength of your oven.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 127Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 237mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 2g

This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

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