I have an obsession. Eating clean is my obsession. But I also LOVE tasty, spicy, dirty Mexican junk food. Problem is, these two addictions don’t pair very well together…
Lately though, I’ve begun experimenting ways to craft Mexican-inspired recipes the healthy way, and it is very satisfying. To me, cooking a dish successfully, from any nationality, is about two simple things: Fresh ingredients and the right spices.
Simple as that. Its all about the flavor profile!
This recipe, while being very simple, packs a solid punch, both on the tasty and nutritional side.
Kale chips blend so well with Mexican spicing, I wish I had found that pairing earlier, I will use it for future recipes for sure!
On the nutrition department, kale is hard to beat. With over 1000% of your daily intake per portion of some of the most essential nutrients needed by the human body, it is considered to be among the best foods on the planet, period.
Since the day I’ve learned that, I rarely skipped my daily intake of this delicious green cabbage. The health benefits of kale also include a powerful immune system boost, cancer prevention, heart disease prevention, eye/skin and bone health… and more!

Kale Chips & Spicy Ground Meat Mexican-Style "Taco" Salad
Ingredients
- Kale Chips:
- 1 large bunch Kale
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- Toppings:
- 1 pound turkey ground meat
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 3 large ripe tomatoes diced
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- chopped cilantro to taste
Instructions
- Kale Chips: Preheat oven at 300 Degrees Fahrenheit. Remove most of the stem from the kale leaves, and cut them the size of a potato chip.
Mix them with olive oil and kosher salt in a large bowl. Lay a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet. Place the chips on the wax paper sheet.
Place the chips in the oven for about 12 minutes, or until they become crunchy like chips. Set aside. - Toppings: While you prepare the taco sauce, slowly cook the ground meat using 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over low heat. To prepare the sauce: Over low heat, cook together the tomato, onion, lemon juice, cumin, chilli powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, honey, garlic using 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan for about 20 minutes. Blend until smooth using a blender or food processor.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Now place the kale chips and ground meat in layers, the same way you would prepare nachos. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.
- Broil in the oven for 5 minutes or until the mozzarella turns golden brown.
- Top with cilantro and guacamole (optional). Enjoy!
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