Who said vegetables had to be well behaved? These barbecue-style kale chips have all the crunch and the salty, smoky character of a party snack, without ever going near a fryer. The secret lies in the coating: a soft paste of cashew butter and spices that you massage into the leaves one by one before drying them. The dehydrator takes care of the rest and hands you thin, brittle, deeply flavoured leaves.
Barbecue-style kale chips in the dehydrator
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Activated almond puree
€15.70
Ingredients
- 225 g kale, leaves washed and stems removed
- 250 g cashew butter
- 2 tablespoons barbecue-style spice mix
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
Method
- Wash the kale leaves, dry them thoroughly, then remove the central stem by pulling the leaf along the rib.
- Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and put them in a large bowl.
- Add the cashew butter, the barbecue spices and the salt, then massage the leaves by hand until each one is covered with a thin, even layer.
- Spread the pieces out flat on the dehydrator trays, without overlapping them.
- Dry between 40 and 46 °C until the chips are properly crisp, checking from 6 hours onwards.
Tip
No dehydrator? An oven set to its lowest temperature, with the door held ajar by a wooden spoon, works too: watch it closely to keep the crunch without browning the edges. For a sea-flavoured variation, add a teaspoon of finely crumbled dried wakame to the coating. And if you have no cashew butter, activated almond butter gives a slightly thicker paste, which you can loosen with a tablespoon of water. The chips keep for a week in an airtight jar, with a piece of kitchen paper in the bottom.
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FAQ: your questions about barbecue-style kale chips
How should I prepare kale?
Wash the leaves and then dry them very thoroughly, because any remaining moisture noticeably lengthens the drying time. Next, pull each leaf away from its central stem with one hand, running along the rib: the stems are too fibrous to make chips. Finally, tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces, which will dry evenly. For this recipe you need 225 g of cleaned leaves, which is about two good bunches.
What is the recipe for a homemade barbecue spice mix?
A simple blend combines 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of mild chilli. Add a teaspoon of coconut sugar if you like the slightly caramelised side of barbecue sauces. Grind it finely and keep it in an airtight jar away from the light. You will take 2 tablespoons of it for the 225 g of kale.
Which are the best spices for barbecue flavour?
Smoked paprika remains the essential base: it is what brings the smoky note without any embers. Then come garlic and onion powder for the savoury foundation, cumin for depth, and black pepper and a mild chilli for length on the palate. Dried oregano and mustard powder give a more American direction if you enjoy that. Add the chilli last, tasting the coating before you dip the leaves into it.
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