Crispy Roasted Kalettes

Today we are sharing a recipe for crispy roasted kalettes. I know what you are probably asking yourself right now… what the heck is a kalette? 

Have you ever heard of a kalette? I know I hadn’t, up until maybe a month ago when I found them at my local grocery store. They are so freaking cute, so of course I bought them, brought them home and cooked them. Well, turns out they are like the best things EVER. 

There are affiliate links in this post. Please see my disclosure policy to learn more.

From the research I have done, they are a new type of vegetable that is a fusion between kale and brussel sprouts. Well, maybe that's why I loved them so much, two of my favourite things! 

So, what do they taste like?

They are freaking delicious. 

After roasting them they become crispy, tender and all sorts of yummy. If you’re thinking they taste like a brussel sprout, they don’t. They have a much milder flavour than a brussel sprout, but they don’t taste as earthy as kale either. They are slightly sweet and tender with nutty undertones.

Extremely versatile and very adaptive to seasoning

You can roast, boil, steam, fry, you can really do anything to these bad boys. They will take on any flavour, and because of their shape and sporadic leaves, adding any seasonings to them is very easy. Just sprinkle on any seasoning of your liking right after you drizzle them with the oil. Massage the kalettes with the seasoning, and cook them as directed below. 

If you are wanting to boil or steam them, don't add anything to the kalettes before hand. Boil or steam them until they are tender and then toss with a bit of melted butter and seasoning of choice. 

Can you eat them raw? 

Short answer; yes, you can.

BUT they don’t taste the best. The uncooked stalk is very hard and has a very woody taste uncooked. The only way I can explain it is that I imagine it would be like eating a whole brussel sprout raw. Which I have never done, and never plan to do. So no, I personally wouldn't eat these raw. 

Roasting the Kalettes

This is possibly one of the easiest side dishes on my website. Only requiring 20 minutes of your time and 3 ingredients. 

To start, preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss the kalettes with the extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Get in there with your hands and massage the kalettes with the oil. This helps release flavour and makes the leaves crispier!

Transfer the kalettes into a large oven safe pan, such as a cast iron pan. If you have been around here for any length of time (if you’re new here, hello!), you will know my love for my cast iron pots and pans. 

Cast iron is the most durable product on the market. One of the reasons I love it so much it is that it adds significant amounts of iron to anything that you cook in it! This is so great, because so many people (mainly women) are deficient in this mineral and it can be hard to get enough of it in your regular diet. So easy to use, durable, and healthy. I am SOLD.

Spread the kalettes out into a single layer in the cast iron pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Use a spoon to toss the kalettes a few times during this cooking time. After 5 minutes of frying, add the freshly minced garlic to the pan and toss kalettes to coat.

Transfer the kalettes to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, flip the kalettes after 5 minutes to ensure the whole vegetable gets evenly cooked and crispy. 

That’s it! It only takes 20 minutes and they are the perfect side dish! 

Some recipe ideas to pair these crispy roasted kalettes with are:

• Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts (p.s. They’re wrapped in BACON) 
• Turmeric Coconut Curry Chicken (pair with rice and roasted kalettes to make a delicious tasting Indian bowl!)
• Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken (It’s really really good!)

We put a lot of work into our recipes, we would love to know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you!

If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below! To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.