Collard Green Chips (Air Fryer)

Air fryer Collard Green Chips taste superb and are another way to enjoy this nutritious vegetable. They are crispy, air fried with minimal oil at a low temperature, and simpler to destem and cut up -- with fewer messy crumbs and scraps than kale chips. What's more, they impart important health benefits. Unlike kale chips, collard green chips are not sold in stores, so these are a special, homemade treat!

Tips on how to make Air Fryer Collard Greens Chips

• Use just enough oil to lightly coat the collard greens chips so the seasoning adheres nicely to each leaf. Minimal oil is necessary.
• A little salt and pepper goes a long way. Just a pinch is needed for a few leaves.
• Similarly to making kale chips, drain excess water from the leaves using a colander, salad spinner, or patting them dry after washing. The more damp they are, the longer they must air fry to achieve a crispy texture. 
• With an air fryer, handling volume can be tricky due to the large size of collard green leaves. Therefore, air frying in batches is necessary. 
• Spreading out the collard green leaves so they do not overlap is necessary for a crispy, delicious chip. 
• Collard green leaves shrink after air frying, so cut the leaves generously.
• It is important not to burn the leaves, as burnt chips should not be eaten. Since not every collard green leaf air fries at the same rate, start checking the leaves at about the 5 minute mark, removing any that are nice and crisp – often the smaller pieces – and allow the larger pieces to air fry a bit longer.
• There are an assortment of possible seasonings for these air fryer collard greens chips, such as bbq powder, onion powder, garlic powder, etc.
• After air frying, NEVER cover the collard greens to preserve their delightful crispness.
• The air fryer may warm up after the initial batch, so you may be able to reduce the air fry time for subsequent batches. 

Serves: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 5 minutes – Total Time: 10 minutes

Helpful equipment

• Salad spinner
• Air fryer

Ingredients

• 10 collard green leaves (½ bunch)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp. oil

Instructions

Step 1

Wash collard greens clean of grit and residue. Drain, pat dry or spin in a salad spinner.

Step 2

Slice off the stem and cut each leaf in half crosswise.

Step 3

Toss leaves with oil, salt and pepper.

Step 4

Spread leaves out on an air fryer tray with no overlap. Air fry in batches at 275 for 5-6 minutes, checking at 5 minutes to remove smaller leaves that are crunchy.

Notes

• A five minute air fry time works best for me.

More informational resources

• Health Benefits of Collard Greens. Nourish by WebMD.
• Why you should eat your collard greens. Medical News Today.
• Vitamin K. Harvard School of Public Health.
• Folate (Folic Acid) – Vitamin B9. Harvard School of Public Health.
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid – Uses, Side Effects, and More. WebMD.
• Cruciferous Vegetables. Oregon State University
• Choline. National Institutes of Health.
• Chapter 19 – Health benefits of glucosinolate isolated from cruciferous and other vegetables. ScienceDirect.