After I just finished a nice roasted chicken dinner, I was staring at my leftover sage leaves. Of course I didn’t want them to go to waste, so I thought: why not dehydrate them? I’ll show you just how easy it is to dry sage in the air fryer so you can also preserve your fresh herbs.
If you don’t have an air fryer, or want to compare methods, you can also dry sage in the microwave quickly!
Can I Dry Sage in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can dry sage in an air fryer.
In fact, air frying sage is one of the quickest and easiest methods to dehydrate it. Unlike the microwave method, you don’t even need to remove the leaves from the stems ahead of time, which really cuts down on prep.
The air fryer is great for drying many herbs actually. Learn how to dry rosemary in the air fryer for another herb that’s frequently seen alongside sage!
How to Dry Sage in the Air Fryer: Step By Step
Wash and dry your sage if needed
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
Place the sage bunches in the preheated air fryer basket, keeping as close to a single layer as possible
Cover the sage with your air fryer rack or trivet. If you don’t have one, bundle the bunches together by the stems with a heat-safe tie
Cook sage on the air fry setting for 3 minutes at 350°F
Sage is done when leaves have curled in, appear dry, and crackle when touched
If additional time is needed, add in increments of 1 minute and check frequently for doneness to prevent burning
To remove sage leaves from stems, hold the dehydrated sage over a plate by the stem with one hand, and squeeze from bottom to top with the other. This will cause the leaves to drop onto the plate
If desired, crush the leaves up finer using your fingers, or a mortar and pestle if you want a highly ground dust-like consistency
Store in an airtight container, spice jar, or similar
It’s important to try and keep the sage as close to a single layer as possible for even drying. Otherwise, you may end up with wet pockets. Since it only takes a few minutes, it’s not too much trouble to cook in batches if necessary.
On average, it takes me about 3 to 3 ½ minutes in total in a Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer to completely dry sage. However, other brands, models, and sizes of air fryers may need slightly different times.
Sage typically stays green during the drying process in an air fryer, though some light browning is normal. If your sage turns a dark brown to black color, you have overcooked it.
As with most herbs, sage is more potent when it’s fresh. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it better than dried.
Dried sage keeps longer – properly stored, for about 1-3 years (Source). This makes it much easier to keep handy when needed for dishes.
You’ll also be able to crush or powder sage, making it easier to properly incorporate into marinades, rubs, or compound butter (versus the whole-leaf version of fresh).
While the flavor may be slightly stronger when fresh, the convenience and versatility you get from dried sage is better, at least to me.
Final Thoughts
Sage is an herb that truly dehydrates well, and it’s only made easier when you dry sage in the air fryer. It’s one of the quickest ways, and fairly easy to do even for a beginner, making your air fryer one of the best ways to dry fresh sage.
Use it in a variety of fall-inspired dishes. It pairs well with poultry, squash, soups, and so many other foods.
Place the fresh sage bunches in the preheated air fryer basket, keeping as close to a single layer as possible
2-3 bunches Sage leaves
Cover the sage with your air fryer rack or trivet. If you don’t have one, bundle the bunches together by the stems with a heat-safe tie
Cook sage on the air fry setting for 3 minutes at 350°F
Sage is done when leaves have curled in, appear dry, and crackle when touched
If additional time is needed, add in increments of 1 minute and check frequently for doneness to prevent burning
To remove sage leaves from stems, hold the dehydrated sage over a plate by the stem with one hand, and squeeze from bottom to top with the other. This will cause the leaves to drop onto the plate. Rub your thumb and index finger together to loosen any stuck leaves
If desired, crush the leaves up finer using your fingers, or a mortar and pestle if you want a highly ground dust-like consistency
Store in an airtight container, spice jar, or similar
Notes
3 bunches of sage leaves should give you around 1 Tbsp ground, dried sage (depending on the specific size of your bunches and leaves)
It normally takes me between 3 and 3 ½ minutes in my Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer to completely dehydrate my sage. Times will vary slightly based on your specific air fryer
Make sure to keep in as close to a single layer as possible, or else you’ll get wet spots from the overlap
Leaves will curl as they cook
Some light brown or gray coloring is normal to see during the drying process. However, darker brown or blackening of the leaves indicates overcooking
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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!
