Lemon & Garlic Kale Chips

1 bunch kale (10 large leaves or 15-20 small leaves)
½-1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Wash and thoroughly dry kale.
Remove from stem by holding the stem end in one hand and using the other to pull off the leaf.
Place leaves in a bowl with remaining ingredients. With clean hands, “massage” the kale so every little crevice is shiny with oil. Taste a little bit and adjust seasonings before baking. (c’mon, it’s pretty much kale salad at this point. It won’t kill you! And shh... this is the secret to well seasoned kale chips every. single. time.)
Arrange kale leaves in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes, flipping half-way through.
They are done when the kale is crisp and does not bend when you pick it up. Kale chips should be green, not brown or black, when they come out of the oven. (Alternatively, use a food dehydrator and dry for 4-8 hours, until crisp.)

Recipe Notes

Pro-tip #1: Seek out Lacinato kale (the one pictured below). Not only is the flavor more mild and less bitter, but the leaves are flat, so it dries out evenly in the oven. Lacinato kale chips blow curly kale chips out of the water. Trust me.

Pro-tip #2: Kale chips are super fragile, so don’t chop it into pieces before baking (unless you want kale chip powder). I bake the whole leaf (minus the stem) and break into bite sized pieces after baking.

Pro-tip #3: Save the stems for another recipe. I’ll either chop them up and saute like onions when starting a tomato sauce or stew, or put them (still whole) in a freezer bag for the next time I make homemade broth.