Roasted chestnuts in the oven or air fryer

For many of us, roasting chestnuts is something that only occurs in Christmas carols over an open fire.

But there’s no reason that has to be the case!

Once you know how to roast chestnuts in the oven, there’s something uniquely festive about it.

In just a half an hour, the house is filled with their nutty scent.

While they’re still warm, you can peel away the shell to the warm chestnut inside.

Sure, you could buy peeled chestnuts in a vacuum packed container, and leave the cooking to someone else. (And there’s a place for that when you’re using a lot of them in a recipe.)

But it’s the difference between cracking warm peanuts in the shell like they sing about at baseball games, or grabbing a handful of nuts on your way to the gym. Still delicious, but decidedly more perfunctory.

And if there’s one thing we could use at this time of year, it’s an excuse to slow down.

Roast chestnuts in the oven, and enjoy with a glass of vegan eggnog, red wine, or hot cider.

In this post:

Chestnuts have a mild flavor in the general wheelhouse of a walnut. The texture is similar to chickpeas or boiled potatoes.

They’re dense and slightly chewy. They are higher in starch than most nuts and very filling.

Depending on where you live, chestnuts are sometimes sold at farmers markets.

They are also sold at natural grocery stores & Trader Joe’s in the weeks before Christmas.

At my natural grocery store, they typically start selling them in November. At Trader Joe’s this year they didn’t arrive until December.

They are usually sold in plastic clamshells or mesh bags.

For best results, look for nuts that are even in color with a bit of a shine. Avoid them if they are dingy or cracked.

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

Lay the flat side of a chestnut on a cutting board. Then use a sharp knife to score an X into each of the shells.

I find it easiest to cut into them using a serrated knife on the rounded side.

The reason for scoring them is to ensure that they won’t explode in the oven. It gives them a place to release building pressure & steam.

(It’s the same reason you poke holes in an air fryer baked potato.)

If you’d like to soak the chestnuts, add the scored nuts to a bowl of warm water.

Soak for a few minutes or up to an hour.

Then remove them from the bowl and dry them on a clean kitchen towel.

They come out of their shell a little bit easier & are a little more moist if they are soaked first.

However, you can easily skip this step, and the chestnuts will be fine.

Put the chestnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

If yours are especially large, you may need to cook them about five minutes longer.

As they cook, their peels will spread slightly. This will make them easier to break open.

Before eating them, you’ll want to remove both the shells and the papery peel inside.

To find out if they are done, open one & bite into the chestnut.

If it is still hard or there’s a feeling of a waxy coating, it’s not done yet.

Once fully cooked, the texture should be a similar to a walnut or cooked chickpea.

If they aren’t done yet, pop the chestnuts back into the oven and continue cooking for about five minutes more.

You can easily cook chestnuts in the air fryer instead of the oven.

After you cut X’s into the shells, put them into the air fryer basket in a single layer.

Then air fry at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

My favorite way to use oven roasted chestnuts is eating them right out of the shell while they are still warm.

They are also really nice with a vegan cheeseboard.

When I’m using a lot of them in a recipe, I prefer to buy the kind that are already cooked & peeled. It saves several steps not having to score them, roast them, and then shell them before continuing on with the recipe.

Oven-roasted chestnuts are a little easier to peel when they are still warm. So I recommend peeling all of the nuts before storing.

Then put the cooked chestnuts in a sealed container, and refrigerate them.

They should be used within three or four days.

Here are some more of my favorite recipes with chestnuts.

• Creamy cashew gravy
• Vegan stuffing
• Stuffing muffins

📖 Recipe

Roasted chestnuts in the oven or air fryer

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 2 votes

Roasted chestnuts aren't just for Christmas carols! You can also make them part of your holiday traditions with this easy recipe.

Simply roast them in the oven or cook in the air fryer. Then break into a warm, delicious treat.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian, Vegan

Keyword: christmas food idea, how to roast chestnuts

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound chestnuts in shell
• ▢ Water for soaking (optional)

Instructions

• ▢
  If roasting in the oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  If air frying, you don't need to preheat.
• ▢
  Lay the flat side of a chestnut on a cutting board. Then use a sharp knife to score an X into each of the chestnut shells. I find it easiest to cut into chestnuts using a serrated knife. This is to ensure that the chestnuts won’t explode in the oven.
• ▢
  Optional step*: Chestnuts come out of their shell a little bit easier & are a little more moist if they are soaked first. However, you can easily skip this step, and the chestnuts will be fine.

  If you’d like to soak them, add the scored chestnuts to a bowl of warm water that's deep enough to cover them. Soak for a few minutes or up to an hour. Then remove them from the bowl and dry them.
• ▢
  TO ROAST IN OVEN: Put the chestnuts on a baking sheet. Roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. If your chestnuts are especially large, you may need to cook them about five minutes longer.

  As the chestnuts cook, their peels will spread slightly. This will make them easier to break open. Before eating them, you’ll want to remove both the shells and the papery peel inside.

  To find out if the chestnuts are done, open one & bite into the chestnut. If the chestnut is still hard or feels waxy, it’s not done yet. Once fully cooked, the texture should be a similar to a walnut or cooked chickpea.

  If they aren’t done yet, pop the chestnuts back into the oven and continue cooking for about five minutes more.
• ▢
  TO AIR FRY: Put scored chestnuts into the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

  To find out if the chestnuts are done, open one & bite into the chestnut. If the chestnut is still hard or feels waxy, it’s not done yet. Once fully cooked, the texture should be a similar to a walnut or cooked chickpea.

  If they aren’t done yet, continue air frying until the chestnut meat has softened.

Notes

*Many people recommend soaking scored chestnuts for anywhere from a minute or two to over an hour before cooking.

The peel comes off of chestnuts a little bit easier if they are soaked first, and they’re a little more moist. However, I’ve found the difference to be minimal. So it’s up to you if you want to take the extra time or not.

Store peeled chestnuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3 or 4 days.

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Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 549mg | Vitamin A: 29IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Originally posted January 4, 2010. Content updated October 25, 2022.