One of the best ways to dehydrate fresh time is actually your air fryer! If you’ve got too much on your hands and want to dry it for later, look no further. I’ll teach you about dehydrating thyme in the air fryer for a quick and easy way to preserve it.
For an even faster method, if preferred, check out our guide on how to dry thyme in the microwave. While it is faster, you cook in smaller increments of time meaning more hands-on check-ins.
No matter which method you use, though, you’ll have perfectly dried thyme ready for use year round in your favorite dishes!
How Do You Dehydrate Thyme in an Air Fryer?
You dehydrate thyme in an air fryer by cooking it at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes.
If you have too much packed in there, it may take a little longer, so try to keep it as near to 1 single layer as possible.
It’s the same general cooking concept as dehydrating parsley in your air fryer!
Dehydrating Thyme in the Air Fryer: Step By Step Instructions
- Start with clean, dry, fresh thyme
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F following manufacturer guidelines
- Spread out your thyme in a single layer in the air fryer basket, trimming stems if need be to fit
- Cover thyme with a rack, tray, or trivet to prevent it from blowing around
- Air fry at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes until leaves are dry and crinkly to the touch
- If additional time is needed, flip thyme over and cook in 1-minute increments before re-checking
- Then, remove leaves from stems by running your hand down the stem over a bowl or plate
- Store dried thyme in an airtight container or spice jar
As long as it’s not overpacked, it generally only takes me about 2 minutes on average to dry thyme in my air fryer.
However, your time could vary based on amount used, wattage of the air fryer, and the size of your basket. Just make sure to cook additional time in small increments and you’ll be good to go!
Since the leaves are so small on thyme, it doesn’t take very long at all to dehydrate in your air fryer. For other similarly sized herbs, learn about drying rosemary in the air fryer or how to dry chives in an air fryer!
Even with bigger leaves, you can also dry basil in the air fryer too!
In Conclusion
Now that you know how easy it is to dehydrate thyme in the air fryer, you’ll be able to preserve your extra herbs for use later on.
Thyme goes so well on roasted chicken, it’s one of my favorite choices there. Learn how to put it to use on a delicious herby rotisserie chicken in our best Chefman air fryer recipes.
Easy Air Fryer Dehydrated Thyme
Equipment
- Air fryer rack, trivet, or shelf
Ingredients
- 6-8 sprigs Thyme (washed and dried if needed)
Instructions
- Start with fresh thyme sprigs, washing and drying it if needed6-8 sprigs Thyme
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F, following manufacturer guidelines
- If needed, trim the tough stem ends off the thyme, making them easier to fit in the basket
- Spread out your thyme in a single layer in the preheated air fryer basket
- Add the rack, trivet, or shelf on top of the thyme to keep it from flying around during cooking
- Air fry the thyme for 2-3 minutes
- If additional time is needed, flip and continue to cook in 1-minute intervals until thyme leaves are completely dry and crinkle upon touching
- Remove dehydrated thyme from air fryer
- Then, remove leaves from stems by running your hand down the stem over a bowl. Crush leaves up finer if desired
- Store dried thyme in an airtight container or spice jar
Notes
- When dealing with a lot of fresh thyme, make sure to dry in batches. Stacking up beyond a single layer won’t heat evenly
- There’s no need to add oil or anything additionally as part of the cooking process
- I’ve just used my normal air fryer rack for this. However, if your air fryer doesn’t have a shelf, you can tie the stems together using twine, foil or silicone food bands to keep them from flying around
- Should your thyme leaves start to blacken, you have overcooked them
- When removing leaves from stems, it’s normal to get some brittle stems in the pile. Just pick them out when you’re done (or grind them up)
- If you’d like to crush the leaves further, I prefer a quick rub between my palms. A mortar and pestle is another great alternative, or just scrunch them in a ziploc bag
- Dried thyme keeps well for about 1 year in an airtight container, before starting to lose flavor and potency
Nutrition
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
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