The aim of this study was to estimate and select the drying kinetic model of thin-layer drying of banana slices and the effect of blanching pretreatment. In order, 16 semi-theoretical and/or empirical models were applied to the experimental data and compared according their coefficients of determination (R2), sum squared errors (SSE), and root mean square error (RMSE), which were predicted by non-linear regression analysis. Banana slices were subjected to the thermal blanching treatment, and then the samples were dried at 50 °C and 60°C for a period of 630 min. Chromatic characterization and shrinkage analysis were performed. Among the thin-layer drying models considered to determine the kinetic drying parameters, the semitheorical Two-term model gave the best fit for all drying conditions. Effective moisture diffusivity varied from 8.25 × 10−11 m2s-1 to 2.26 × 10−10 m2s-1 over the temperature range of the study. The increase in temperature led to a 60% average volume reduction. For color, the parameters L* and b* decreased, and a* increased in relation to the temperature increase, and blanching had a positive effect.