35-40leavesBasil, washed and dried if needed(about 6-8 stems)
Instructions
Start with clean, dry, fresh basil
35-40 leaves Basil, washed and dried if needed
Preheat your air fryer to 360°F, following manufacturer guidelines
Remove the leaves from the stems (small leaves connected by thin stems are fine)
Spread out your fresh basil leaves in a single layer in the preheated air fryer basket (if you have a lot, you may need to do this in batches)
Place a rack, shelf, screen, or trivet on top of the leaves to secure them
Air fry at 360 for 2 minutes, then check for doneness
If additional time is needed, give leaves a shake and then air fry in 1-minute increments until done
Basil is completely dehydrated when leaves are dry and crispy to the touch (but not blackened - that is overdone)
Crumble dehydrated basil leaves if desired
Store dried basil in an airtight container or spice jar
Notes
When dealing with a lot of basil leaves, make sure to dry in batches. Stacking up beyond a single layer won’t heat evenly (some overlap is alright)
This recipe should net you around 1 tsp dried crushed basil, depending on the size of your leaves
There’s no need to add oil or anything when drying in the air fryer
You’ll need to set something on the leaves to secure them from blowing around. I just use the included tray from my Ninja air fryer. However, any heat safe rack, mesh, tray, etc that fits in your basket will work
Should your basil leaves start to turn dark brown or blackened, you have overcooked them (some light brown is normal though)
To crush the leaves, I honestly just use my hands to scrunch them around a bit. Alternatively, a mortar and pestle works well, or put them in a ziploc style bag and crinkle them around a bit. Also remove any wayward stems that made it in!
Dried basil has a shelf life of 2-3 years if kept in an airtight container, after that it tends to lose flavor
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