Making air fryer sun dried tomatoes at home is so much easier than you might think. And they taste way better than the ones you buy in a jar at the store.
All you need are some roma tomatoes, olive oil, and a few basic seasonings. The air fryer does most of the work for you.
The whole process takes about 2 to 2.5 hours at a low temperature. You basically just let them slowly dry out until they turn deep red and chewy.
Once they are done, you can toss them into pasta, salads, sandwiches, or even eat them as a snack. They add so much flavor to everything.
If you have never made sun dried tomatoes before, this is a great place to start. Let me walk you through it step by step.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Incredibly Flavorful – The slow drying concentrates the tomato flavor into an intense and sweet bite that store-bought versions just cannot match.
So Much Cheaper Than Store-Bought – A jar of sun dried tomatoes costs a lot but this recipe uses simple affordable Roma tomatoes you can grab anywhere.
Perfect Chewy Texture – These come out beautifully leathery and pliable with a satisfying chew that works perfectly in pastas and salads.
Ingredients
- 2 lb Roma Tomatoes (about 10 to 12 medium)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
How To Make
Step 1
Wash the roma tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and the watery pulp in the center. Removing the excess moisture is important because it significantly speeds up the drying process.
Step 2
Place the tomato halves on a cutting board cut-side up. Drizzle the olive oil over them, then sprinkle with the salt, dried oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, and sugar. The sugar helps concentrate their natural sweetness as they dry.
Step 3
Preheat your air fryer to 200 degrees F.
Step 4
Arrange the tomato halves in the air fryer basket cut-side up in a single layer. You may need to work in batches depending on the basket size. Cook at 200 degrees F for 1 hour.
Step 5
Check the tomatoes and gently flip them over. Continue cooking at 200 degrees F for another 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, checking every 30 minutes. The tomatoes are done when they are shriveled, deep red, and leathery but still slightly pliable – not completely brittle.
Step 6
Remove the sun dried tomatoes from the air fryer and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Store them in an airtight jar covered with olive oil in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze them dry in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
Tips
Scoop Out the Seeds Really Well
This is the most important step in the whole recipe. The more watery pulp and seeds you remove, the faster and more evenly the tomatoes will dry.
Use a small teaspoon or a melon baller and really get in there. You want the inside of each tomato half to look like a little boat with thin walls.
If you leave too much of the wet stuff inside, some tomatoes will still be soggy after 2 hours while others are already done. That makes it really hard to get a consistent batch.
Pick the Right Tomatoes
Look for Roma tomatoes that are firm and deeply red all the way through. Avoid any that feel soft or have pale spots because those have more water content and won’t dry as nicely.
Try to pick tomatoes that are roughly the same size. If you have a mix of big and small ones, the small ones will finish way earlier and you’ll have to pull them out one by one while the big ones keep going.
Don’t Overlap Them in the Basket
Every single tomato half needs its own space in the basket with a little room around it. Air needs to flow around each piece for them to dry out properly.
If your air fryer basket is on the smaller side, you’ll probably need to do 2 or even 3 batches. It’s worth the extra time. Overlapping or stacking them will trap moisture between the pieces and give you uneven results.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Tomatoes
- Dehydrating Mango In Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Caprese Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Pesto Chicken
- Air Fryer Tuscan White Bean Bruschetta
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use other tomato varieties instead of Roma?
Roma tomatoes are ideal because they have thicker flesh and less moisture, which means they dry faster and give you a meatier result. If you use juicier varieties like beefsteak or heirloom, they will take significantly longer to dry and may not have the same concentrated texture.
Cherry or grape tomatoes can work in a pinch – just cut them in half and reduce the cooking time since they are smaller. Keep a close eye on them after the first hour so they don’t over-dry.
Air Fryer Sun Dried Tomatoes
- air fryer
- wire rack
- 2 lb Roma Tomatoes (about 10 to 12 medium)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
- Wash the roma tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and the watery pulp in the center. Removing the excess moisture is important because it significantly speeds up the drying process.
- Place the tomato halves on a cutting board cut-side up. Drizzle the olive oil over them, then sprinkle with the salt, dried oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, and sugar. The sugar helps concentrate their natural sweetness as they dry.
- Preheat your air fryer to 200 degrees F.
- Arrange the tomato halves in the air fryer basket cut-side up in a single layer. You may need to work in batches depending on the basket size. Cook at 200 degrees F for 1 hour.
- Check the tomatoes and gently flip them over. Continue cooking at 200 degrees F for another 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, checking every 30 minutes. The tomatoes are done when they are shriveled, deep red, and leathery but still slightly pliable - not completely brittle.
- Remove the sun dried tomatoes from the air fryer and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Store them in an airtight jar covered with olive oil in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze them dry in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months.