Baked Spicy Swiss Chard Chips

Kale Chips are a healthy alternative to a potato chip snack. And you can also use the same technique to make these Baked Spicy Swiss Chard Chips.

Have you joined the kale chips band-wagon? It’s an ingenious way to get your salty chip fix and eat a healthy green at the same time. I know, it’s not exactly the same as a potato chip, but it’s a great alternative if you are watching your carb intake while you get a jump start on your new year’s resolution or if you are dancing around in your swim suit this summer.

I like keeping either kale or Swiss chard in the fridge for a number of reasons. So why not make some Swish chard chips?

Why you should try this recipe

Kale is thicker than chard, but they are both packed with nutrients we all need. When choosing chard, I love using rainbow chard. Again, I love to eat the rainbow. Aren’t these colors beautiful?

I have seen online that this technique can also be used for spinach and lettuce chips, you just have to reduce the cooking time as they are not as thick as chard or kale. You can also bake sweet potato chips and bake sunchoke chips (Jerusalem artichoke chips).

So as you can see, the choices of making vegetable chips at home is limitless.

So what do these chard chips taste like? Confession time: I am not a big fan of the bitter green. But, I have to admit that whether you snack on kale chips or chard chips, it is definitely a flavorful and healthy snack. 

And, on the plus side, it doesn’t smell like dead fish, like the dried seaweed my sweet daughter loves to snack on.

Ingredients you need

• Swiss chard leaves: This technique can be used to make chips with any leafy green vegetables.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Since the ingredient list is small, you want to use fresh ingredients at the peak of flavor. You could use vegetable oil, but it is bland and can add a bad after taste. Extra virgin olive oil can give a little or a lot of flavor to your chard chips. You can choose a mild or peppery olive oil. Just be sure to taste it by itself to make sure it isn’t rancid.
• Seasonings: kosher salt, garlic powder, chile powder

Step-by-step directions

1. Whether you are making kale chips or chard chips, the concept is the same. Cut up your chard leaves into equal pieces. I chose to cut mine into 2-3 inch pieces.

2. Toss the leaves with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, coating both sides.

3. Season with sea salt, spicy chile powder (or mild if you prefer), garlic powder, or whatever spices you like.

4. I don’t have a dehydrator so I just bake the chard leaves in a 275º F oven for 40 minutes. You do need to flip them over halfway through baking, but they crisp up beautifully.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Since you only use the leaves for the chard chips, don’t throw out the chard stems. Check out this recipe from Cookistry on how to make Pickled Chard Stems! You can also chop up the stems and add them to Pickled Chard Stems or any other favorite soup.

And for ways to add greens to your diet, like kale and chard, check out this great article from Shockingly Delicious!

So grab a bowl and snack on, my friends!

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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