Dried orange slices are one of the easiest Christmas decorations you can make at home. They glow when the light catches them, they smell of the season, and a bag of oranges costs very little. The traditional method uses a full-size oven on its lowest setting for most of an afternoon. An air fryer oven does the same job in a smaller space, with a fan that moves warm air evenly around every slice, so you get flatter, brighter rounds with less fuss.
This guide covers how thick to slice, which setting to use, how long it takes and how to tell when the slices are properly dry. It also includes ideas for garlands, wreaths and gift toppers, plus how to store them so they last until Twelfth Night.
What you need
- 4 to 6 oranges (navel oranges are easiest; blood oranges give a deeper red)
- A sharp serrated knife or a mandoline with a guard
- Kitchen paper or a clean tea towel
- An air fryer oven with a low temperature or dehydrate setting
- A wire rack for cooling
The f77 Super Oven Pro has 18 presets, including a dedicated Dehydrate function, as well as manual time and temperature controls. Its 30L cavity comes with a grill rack, an air fry basket and a baking tray, so you can spread out a good batch at once. The smaller f66 Super Oven also has a Dehydrate preset, which starts at 70°C for 480 minutes, and you can shorten the time as needed. You can compare both models in our air fryer oven range.
Step 1: Slice evenly
Thickness matters more than anything else. Aim for 3 to 5mm. Thinner slices dry faster but can curl and turn brown at the edges; thicker slices take hours longer and may stay sticky in the middle. Keep them as even as you can so a whole batch finishes at the same time.
Trim off the ends and keep them for juice or a mug of hot water with honey.
Step 2: Blot out the juice
Lay the slices on kitchen paper or a tea towel and press firmly with another layer on top. Removing surface juice cuts drying time noticeably and helps the slices keep their colour.
Step 3: Arrange in a single layer
Place the slices on the grill rack or in the air fry basket so warm air can reach both sides. They should not overlap or touch. A rack works better than a solid tray, because a tray traps moisture underneath and the slices dry unevenly. If you only have room on the tray, line it with baking paper and turn the slices more often.
Step 4: Choose a low temperature
Low and slow is the rule. High heat caramelises the sugars in the fruit and leaves you with brown, bitter discs rather than bright translucent ones. Use the Dehydrate setting, or set the temperature manually to somewhere between 70°C and 90°C. At the lower end the slices keep the most colour but take longer. Always check your instruction manual for the lowest temperature your model supports.
If you are new to the controls, our guide on how to use an air fryer oven explains the settings, temperatures and timings in more detail.
Step 5: Dry, turn and check
As a rough guide for 4mm slices:
- At 70°C: around 4 to 6 hours
- At 80°C: around 3 to 4 hours
- At 90°C: around 2 to 3 hours
These are starting points, not promises. Oranges vary in juiciness, and a full oven takes longer than a half-full one. Turn the slices every hour so both sides dry evenly, and swap the positions of slices near the back with those near the door. Start checking at the two-hour mark.
Because drying takes several hours, stay at home while the oven is running and keep the space around it clear, as you would with any cooking appliance.
Step 6: Know when they are done
A finished slice is dry to the touch on both sides, with no tacky spots in the flesh. When you hold it up to a window, the segments should look slightly translucent, like stained glass. The rind will be firm and the slice should bend only slightly before it snaps.
If a few slices are still sticky, take out the ones that are ready and give the rest another 20 to 30 minutes. Then leave everything on a wire rack overnight in a warm, dry room. This last step removes any remaining moisture and stops mould forming later.
Other fruit you can dry the same way
- Clementines and satsumas: smaller and thinner skinned, so they dry a little faster
- Lemons and limes: pale yellow and green rounds that mix well with orange in a garland
- Blood oranges: deep red centres; dry at the lower end of the range to keep the colour
Ways to use dried orange slices
A simple garland
Thread a darning needle with garden twine or thin ribbon and push it through each slice, about 1cm in from the rind. Alternate oranges with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves or wooden beads. Leave a gap of a few centimetres between pieces so the light shines through.
Tree decorations and gift toppers
Thread a loop of ribbon through a single slice and hang it on the tree, or tie one to a parcel with brown paper and string.
Wreaths and table settings
Wire slices into a fresh or dried wreath, or scatter them along the table with pine cones and candles in glass holders. Keep them well away from open flames.
Drinks and baking
Slices dried from clean fruit in a clean oven make a pretty garnish for mulled drinks and festive mocktails. Our Christmas mocktail recipes pair nicely with them. Use a fresh batch for anything you plan to eat or drink, not slices that have hung on the tree for weeks.
Storing them
Once fully dry and cool, keep slices in an airtight jar or tin in a cool, dry cupboard. Add a sachet of rice or a food-safe silica packet if your kitchen is humid. Stored this way they keep their shape and colour for months, so you can make them in late November and still have them looking good in January.
Decorations hanging in a steamy kitchen or near a radiator may fade or soften. If any slice turns soft or shows spots, throw it away.
Plan it around your Christmas cooking
Drying oranges is a good job for a quiet weekend afternoon before the busy weeks start. Once the decorations are sorted, the same oven can take on Christmas Day itself: see our guide to Christmas dinner timings with an air fryer oven, or bake a tray of mince pies in an air fryer oven. Sticky residue from fruit can build up on the racks, so give them a wash afterwards; our air fryer oven cleaning guide covers racks, trays and the glass door.
Frequently asked questions
Can you dry orange slices in an air fryer?
Yes. An air fryer oven with a low temperature or dehydrate setting works well, because the fan circulates warm air around every slice. Slice the oranges 3 to 5mm thick, blot them dry, lay them on a rack in a single layer and dry at 70°C to 90°C, turning them every hour.
How long do orange slices take to dry in an air fryer oven?
For 4mm slices, expect around 4 to 6 hours at 70°C, 3 to 4 hours at 80°C or 2 to 3 hours at 90°C. Juicy fruit and a full rack take longer. Start checking after two hours and remove any slices that are dry to the touch on both sides.
Why did my dried orange slices go brown?
Browning usually means the temperature was too high, which caramelises the natural sugars. Very thin slices can also brown at the edges. Keep the heat between 70°C and 90°C, slice evenly at 3 to 5mm and take finished slices out promptly rather than leaving the whole batch in until the last one is ready.
How long do dried orange slices last?
Properly dried slices stored in an airtight jar in a cool, dry cupboard keep their colour and shape for several months. Decorations hung in a warm, dry room usually last the whole Christmas season. Throw away any slice that softens, smells musty or shows spots, as that suggests moisture has got back in.
Can you eat dried orange slices?
Slices dried from clean fruit in a clean oven are fine to use as a garnish for drinks or bakes, and the flesh is edible, though the rind is bitter. Keep a separate jar for eating, and do not eat slices that have been hanging as decorations, since they will have collected dust.