Fruit and vegetable drying constitutes a critical step in food processing, where process optimization should focus on both quality preservation and efficiency enhancement. Among different drying technologies, microwave drying has garnered significant attention due to its characteristics of high efficiency and energy conservation. Therefore, taking microwave drying as the research subject, this study elaborates on the principles and characteristics of various microwave drying techniques, highlighting the challenges for quality-efficiency synergistic optimization in practical applications. Subsequently, by reviewing the applications and development trends of different drying equipment, the study reveals critical bottlenecks faced by existing technologies for this optimization, prospecting the future directions of microwave-assisted technology in the fruit and vegetable drying.