How to dehydrate basil in air fryer. If you want to transform fresh basil leaves into dried basil in a jar that you can use in everyday cooking, then this ultimate dried basil guide is for you.
We are using the Ninja Foodi dehydrator setting to transform fresh basil into dried out basil leaves and then using the blender to blend into dried basil.
Table of Contents
Dehydrating Basil
Back last summer I was asked when I would be sharing dried herbs in the air fryer, using the dehydrator setting.
It was just after sharing how to dehydrate garlic and how to dehydrate onion.
I completely understood why the Recipe This readers wanted it so much.
After all, how many recipes start with dried seasoning alongside garlic and onion?
It felt like the natural next step with the air fryer dehydrator.
I was so busy enjoying summer and then of course other things came up and it feels so good to say, that I finally have a great, yet simple recipe for dehydrating basil in the air fryer.
Are You New To The Air Fryer?
Plus, as well as our extremely popular air fryer mini course which teaches you the air fryer basics in 5 days, we also have our air fryer bucket list. That is loaded with 30 FREE bucket list worthy air fryer recipes.
Click here or on the banner above and you will have access to both in an instant.
Can You Dehydrate Basil?
Yes, you can dehydrate basil and I highly recommend doing so.
I look at food waste and one of the biggest food waste problems is fresh herbs. We buy a cute little plant of fresh basil with its beautiful bright green leaves, then use a small quantity for a recipe that calls for fresh basil and then the rest dies and eventually makes its way to the bin.
The Plan B, next time you buy fresh basil for a recipe, is to dry the leftovers. Then you can have a little jar of dried basil to go towards another recipe and another and zero food waste.
Best Way To Dry Basil?
Many will tell you that you must own a dehydrator to dry basil. Others will tell you to dry basil from the oven, or with a microwave.
My old neighbour in Portugal would have told me to dry it on my outside wall in the beautiful sunshine.
But the truth is, the best way to dry basil is using a dehydrator setting on an air fryer. It creates the perfect temperature, it will dry basil much quicker than an old school dehydrator and if you use this accessory that we highly recommend, then you can dry a lot of basil leaves at once.
How To Dry Basil Without A Dehydrator?
The best way to dry basil leaves (if you don’t have a dehydrator) is to use the air fryer. I first started dehydrating with my old air fryer oven (it was this one) and now I dehydrate with this model of the Ninja.
The air fryer is similar in time to dry, as an oven without needing to keep the oven open slightly, because that’s what the air circulation can offer of an air fryer.
You then have a stackable unit and can do rather a lot of fresh basil.
Can You Dehydrate In An Air Fryer?
Yes, you sure can. I have tried many different fresh foods in the air fryer and they have all dehydrated very well.
Whilst we are showing you today how to turn fresh basil to dry basil, fruits work very well such as dehydrated orange slices, dehydrated cherries, dehydrated mango, dehydrated lemon slices, or my personal favourite dehydrated banana chips in the air fryer.
Can You Put Basil In Air Fryer?
Yes, you can put basil in the air fryer. The favourite choice is to add basil to the air fryer to for dry basil, but you can also add fresh basil over pizza, or use it to make something yummy with some fresh tomatoes.
Would you like easy & amazing air fryer recipes from air fryer experts? Click here and join the Recipe This Newsletter. We will then send you the BEST air fryer beginner recipes direct to your email inbox along with other useful air fryer resources.
Dehydrate Basil Ingredients
Basil – I used one full fresh basil plant minus a little I had used to make some tomato soup in the soup maker. Note that the dried basil we made was not that much, so less than half a plant and you will be disappointed by the quantity created.
Dehydrator – We also used my stackable dehydrator that I bought specifically for the Ninja Foodi. If you are dehydrating basil leaves with an air fryer, I recommend something similar. I love this one because it allows you to have several racks of fresh basil dehydrating at once.
Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this drying basil recipe it has just been our Ninja Foodi. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of recipes including dehydrating.
Plus, we recommend you head over to our air fryer recipes category as we have more than 500 tried and tested air fryer recipes and have been air frying for 10 years. And nearly all are suitable for the Ninja Foodi air fryer setting.
How To Dehydrate Basil In Air Fryer?
- Wash. Start by washing your fresh basil leaves in a little bowl of water, then pat dry with kitchen towel.
- Load. Add your fresh basil leaves to your dehydrator shelves. Start at the bottom, clipping on each shelf as it fills up.
- Load. Then add your stackable dehydrator into the Ninja Foodi and place the air fryer lid down.
- Cook. Set the temperature to 55c/130f and the function to dehydrator and then dry basil leaves for 3 hours or until fully dried and like dried out leaves in the park.
- Finish. Then once the dehydrator is done, remove the dry basil and load into a blender. Blend until you have the texture of dried basil. Load into an airtight container and consume in basil recipes within a year.
And I am sure you can see now how easy it is dehydrating basil in air fryer and why you should be doing it too!
How Long To Dehydrate Basil?
We recommend 3 hours for dehydrating basil. Though we note that in some air fryers its quicker than others.
Do keep an eye on your basil leaves from 2.5 hours onwards to see how much longer they need and if the cook time needs adjusting.
How Long Does Dried Basil Last?
Dehydrated basil will last the same time as dried basil that you bought already dried. As long as it is kept in an airtight container in a cool pantry.
Though in the Milner house we love to use dried basil in recipes and it will often be gone within a month.
How To Store Dried Basil?
I buy these plastic containers for when I am dehydrating. They are airtight and are also great for transporting if going on vacation.
They are also very good for taking to a weigh in place to buy exact quantities of dried produce. Such as dried chickpeas for instant pot chickpeas.
Then I store the dried basil in my herbs cupboard for easy access.
What You Need To Dehydrate In A Ninja Foodi?
In a traditional dehydrator you have a lot of shelves that you can fill with food you want to dry. Of course a Ninja Foodi is one big pot so how do you do it? You buy the Ninja Foodi dehydrator accessory and it is a stack of shelves just like a traditional dehydrator and can store a lot on it and then place it inside of your Ninja Foodi cooking pot.
Dried Basil Recipes
You have now finished drying basil in the air fryer, and I am sure you are looking for some dried basil recipes:
Listen To Dehydrated Basil in The Ninja Foodi
Want to learn more about our Podcast? Then click here and you can browse through past episodes and subscribe to the Magic With Gadgets Podcast.
More Dehydrator Air Fryer Recipes
- Dehydrated Limes
- Dehydrated Watermelon
- Dehydrated Kiwi Chips
- Dehydrated Pears
- Dehydrated Apples
- Dehydrated Marshmallows
Your dehydrated basil recipe is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.
Though before you do, don’t forget to subscribe, and grab your FREE VIP Pass to Recipe This. You will get access to our latest recipes first, you will be able to request recipes, you will have access to free mini courses, free air fryer ebooks and useful air fryer cook time charts and so much more.
Dehydrate Basil In Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 Fresh Basil Plant
Instructions
- Remove the basil leaves from the plant and rinse them in some cold water.
- Then pat dry your basil leaves with some kitchen towel. I find that one sheet below and one sheet on top does the trick.
- Get out your dehydrator accessory and load up the shelves with fresh basil leaves. Start at the bottom and work your way up and clip each shelf into place as you do it.
- Once the dehydrator is full then load into the Ninja Foodi. Place the air fryer lid down on the Ninja Foodi and set it to the dehydrator setting.
- Dehydrate basil for 3 hours at 55c/130f or until the basil is like dried out fall leaves in the park.
- Then load into a blender and pulse until it resembles dried basil. Then load into an airtight plastic container such as a plastic mason jar and store in a cool place for up to 1 year.
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t make it now? Then save it for later!
Perfect, just what i was looking for. I love trying to do my own things when it comes to food and i have already got the dehydrator that you recommend, my herbs are just going in thank you so much.
How would you dehydrate mushrooms?
Hi Jeanie,
We have not actually done them yet, but i would if using the button mushrooms slice them into thin slices and lay them out like we did with the kiwi fruit, and then i would follow the kiwi cooking time and see how they go, only the mushrooms would not hold as much liquid as the kiwi so the time should be less 🙂