My air fryer kale chips kept burning. Found the sweet spot for crispy, not black.

4 comments

4 Comments

That 'sweet spot' phrase hits home. I was totally convinced kale chips were too tricky to get right without burning (like, every batch was a failure). Your post actually makes me want to try tweaking the settings again, because I just gave up and bought the store kind. Maybe the key is lower heat for longer than I thought. I'm saving this for when I try again.

blake_perry51mo ago

How many batches of straight up charcoal did I make before I got it? I mean my first try set off the smoke alarm, no joke. I had to open all the windows. Another time they came out as these sad, black little bits that just tasted like ash. I kept doing the same high heat for a few minutes thing and wondering why it never worked. Finally trying lower and slower was a total game changer for me too.

richard_knight1mo ago

Many folks don't realize kale has a lot of water in it. That water turns to steam and burns fast on high heat. Lower heat lets the water dry out without burning the leaves. You should shake the basket halfway to cook them evenly. Watch for the color to turn dark green and feel dry to the touch. This same trick works for making chips from other leafy greens too.

victor7791mo ago

Blake's smoke alarm story is too real. It's the same rush to get quick results that makes people mess up so many simple things. You see it with tech all the time where someone just mashes buttons instead of reading the error message, or trying to learn a new skill in a weekend and getting mad when it doesn't work. That lower and slower method is almost always the answer, but our brains are just wired for the fast, hot, and broken way first.