Have you ever wondered how to roast chestnuts? Surprisingly, there is no special equipment required. All it takes is 20 minutes and 5 Easy Steps for Oven Roasted Chestnuts.
I spotted them last week-end and I felt like a kid in a candy store!
Chestnuts!!!
The holidays would not be the holidays without them. So, if you have ever asked yourself how to roast chestnuts, I would like to show you my 5 Easy Steps for Oven Roasted Chestnuts.
I feel like I should include a disclaimer – as the saying goes, perfection is not of this world. Believe me when I tell you that I have tried all kinds of methods in my “how to roast chestnuts”quest. I have come to the conclusion that no one method is 100% perfect.
In other words, what I’m trying to say is that there will always be a few chestnuts that will get stuck to their shell. But despite that, the method I’m about to share with you is the best that I’ve found.
What do I need to make Roasted Chestnuts?
- Chestnuts! No surprise here. You can use as many chestnuts as you like. Make sure they are firm to the touch.
- Water. That’s right, our chestnuts are going to get boiled before getting baked.
As far as accessories are concerned, you need a cutting board, a sharp serrated knife, a large pot and a baking pan.
How to Roast Chestnuts:
1- Preheat oven to 425°F: A very hot oven is key for the chestnut to separate from its woodsy skin. Make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle.
2- Make an incision: Lay the chestnut flat on your cutting board. With a serrated knife, make a lengthwise slit down the entire middle surface, on the long side. Make sure you hold down the chestnut firmly on the cutting board (be careful not to cut yourself as the outer shell is very slippery).
You must also make sure that the incision cuts through the inner skin of the chestnuts. The incision will allow the steam to escape from the nut as it is being heated. If the chestnuts are not properly scored, they will explode in the oven… that’s a fact I’ve confirmed myself…
3- Boil the chestnuts: Place the chestnuts in a pot of cold water. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon and place on a shallow baking pan. This quick boil will create the perfect environment for steam to be created once they hit the hot oven.
4- Roasting chestnuts in oven: Place the chestnuts with the flat side down, the cut side up in a single layer in your baking pan. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. This time can vary based on the size of your chestnuts. I will give the pan a few shakes throughout the roasting time. You will notice that the shell splits open as they roast. The only way to know if they are cooked through is by eating one of the roasted chestnuts.
5-Wrap them up: Once you have obtained perfectly oven roasted chestnuts, remove from the oven and wrap them in a clean tea towel. Allow the wrapped chestnuts to sit in the towel for about 10-15 minutes.
Your perfectly roasted chestnuts are now ready to be served.
Tips, Tricks and Recipe Notes:
Chestnuts are easier to remove from their shell when they are warm. If you have leftover chestnuts, you can peel them and refrigerate them for a day or two. Your peeled chestnuts can also be frozen.
When purchasing look for chestnuts that
- have a glossy look;
- are unblemished;
- are firm to the touch and
- feel heavy for their size.
Always try to roast your store bought chestnuts within 2-3 days as the freshness will not last very long, even in the fridge. If you uncover moldy or bad chestnuts, they need to be discarded. Unfortunately, this can only be discovered once they are roasted and removed from the shell.
Recipe origins
Looking back, I think my whole family was obsessed with how to roast Italian chestnuts.
I remember my Mom trying to grow chestnut trees. She successfully started a few from seed. The trees had a couple of good, chestnut-full years, but unfortunately, the chestnuts would fall before they had a chance to completely ripen.
More often than not, the store bought chestnuts were roasted –oven or fire roasted. My parents had all the gadgets and the pots and the pans to make the best roasted chestnuts.
Sometimes, my mom would just boil them and we would have them as after school snacks.
Did you know that they make absolutely wonderful desserts once they are pureed? Have you ever had chocolate and chestnuts together? Italians desserts from the South are notorious for stuffing these gems in pastry dough.
Of course, chestnuts can just as easily be prepared in savory dishes. Did someone say stuffing?
I adapted this method on how to roast chestnuts from Chef John Mitzewich. Chef John uses no fancy gadgets or knives. Just a serrated knife, a pot and a simple roasting pan. Thanks Chef John!
The holidays would not be the holidays without chestnuts. I know they’ll be part of my Thanksgiving meal. Just 5 Easy Steps for Oven Roasted Chestnuts and they can also be part of your Thanksgiving.
Thanks for allowing me the possibility to share some of my favorite recipes with all of you.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones ♥
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have used this method to roast chestnuts, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
5 Easy Steps for Oven Roasted Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Chestnuts or as many as desired
- water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Place the oven rack in the middle.
- Make an incision by laying the chestnut flat on your cutting board. With a serrated knife, make a lengthwise slit down the entire middle surface on the long side. Make sure you hold down the chestnut firmly on the cutting board (be careful not to cut yourself as the outer shell is very slippery).
- Place the chestnuts in a pot of cold water. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove the chestnuts with a slotted spoon and place them on a shallow baking pan.
- Place the chestnuts with the flat side down, and the cut side up in a single layer in your baking pan. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.
- Once you have obtained perfectly oven-roasted chestnuts, remove them from the oven and wrap them in a clean tea towel. Allow the wrapped chestnuts to sit in the towel for about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Kim
Best chestnuts I have ever made. Thank you for the recipe 👍❤️
Maria
My pleasure Kim! Thanks for stopping by!
Ralf Winter
Wonderful easy recipe to follow, add butter, salt and pepper and you have perfection. You have to make sure the Chestnuts are very firm (reduce the possibility of mold) and on the large side. Winter just isn’t the same with out Chestnuts. The smell of roasted chestnuts brings back memories of walks in Paris, Strasbourg and the Christkindle markets in Germany. The only difference, I’m not losing a layer of my finger tips. Happy Holidays
Maria
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Ralf. Appreciate your suggestions. Sounds like you have wonderful memories, thank you for sharing. All the best to you and your loved ones as well. Thank you.
Julia
The addition of butter, salt and pepper sounds delicious! At what point do you add them? Happy holidays.
Lara
Ever make chest nut butter? Like peanut butter but with chestnuts. I’m contemplating trying it in my Pampered Chef cooking blender blender! 😉
Maria
Would you believe that is what I did today? Still testing out different herbs and spices… so delicious!
Liviu
Yes make pure with whipped cream
Maria
Sounds lovely!
Joe
We have only boiled them before, only roasted them in the oven before, and microwaved them. We felt that your method was more work and did not make them any better, and whether it was the chestnuts we purchased, or the fact that your recipe has us boil them briefly, then roast them, then wrap them in a towel, but we found them much harder to peel and we wasted more!
Maria
Appreciate your feedback Joe. This method is the result of extensive testing due to my obsession with chestnuts. When the results are not as expected, just like you, I also get frustrated. Ultimately, the chestnuts also have to participate in this process.
Karen Hinding
Wonderful! My dearest friend Marcia just passed away and she was an amazing cook! This reminds me of her and many good memories of her teaching me how to cook and sharing her recipes. Thank you for this.
Maria
I’m so sorry for your loss Karen. May her memory be a blessing ♥
Thank you for taking the time to comment, appreciate it!
George J Bianchi Sr
Tried your recipe last year. First time I’ve had any kind of success roasting chestnuts. Of course the chestnuts themselves were the pettiest ones I’ve ever seen before and I think that’s where it starts. We live in a very urban area so you pretty much take what you can get or go without. We’ll see this year. Just got 2 pounds of them. We use them now and freeze what’s left for the St. Joseph’s Day macaroni. Another great treat. Mom’s 96 and still whipping up the traditional food her Mom and Grand Mom brought with them from Palermo awhile back. Like 125 years ago. Thanks a lot for a great column. Look forward to it when it comes.
Maria
Thanks for sharing George. God bless your mom ♥ Hope you had a wonderful start to the New Year!
William
Total failure. The skins stuck even worse than normal and my fingers are burnt to boot.
Maria
I’m sorry to hear this method did not provide the expected results William.
Iris
Thank you so much for this simple recipe. My husband loves them.
Maria
Fantastic Iris! Thanks so much for sharing.
Heather Smith
I’ve been roasting and peeling chestnuts every Thanksgiving for years. After trying several different methods, some of which were ridiculously difficult, I am happy to say this is the easiest one I’ve tried. I even bought a second round of chestnuts just to roast and eat because it isn’t such a daunting task now! Thanks.
Maria
My pleasure Heather! Thanks for sharing.
Cindy C
Perfection! I always struggled wit ugh the inner casing not peeling off well. Boiling ahead of time must have been the trick. These are perfect
Maria
Fantastic Cindy! So thrilled to read this!