Abstract: In order to obtain cut tobacco with desirable physical and chemical properties and smoking quality, experiments on microwave drying of cut tobacco combined with vacuum dehydration were conducted. The optimum processing parameters were determined by a series of experiments. The steam pressure of HT, moisture content of cut tobacco, time of microwave exposure, and vacuum of dehydration were 0.8Mpa, 24%, 8 minutes and -0.054Mpa, respectively. The results of routine physical and chemical tests and smoking quality of microwave dried cut tobacco were compared with those dried by the common cylinder dryer. The filling power, total water-soluble sugar and reducing sugar of microwave dried cut tobacco were increased by 12%, 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively, while total alkaloid and total nitrogen were decreased by 0.14% and 0.35%, respectively. There was no significant difference in other chemical components. The smoking quality of cigarettes made of the microwave dried cut tobacco was improved obviously, while the weight of cigarette, nicotine content in smoke, and tar yield were decreased by 13.4%, 21.2%, and 4%, respectively.