Perfect Air Fryer Chestnuts

Air Frying chestnuts is the perfect alternative to roasting them in the oven. In fact, they only need 1 ingredient and 15 minutes cooking time! Air fryer chestnuts have a buttery sweet potato-esque flavour, just like oven roasted, meaning I can never stop at one. Add them to any Thanksgiving and Christmas recipe that calls for cooked chestnuts.

Time to pop on some Michael Bublé!

I love roasting chestnuts at home, it just feels seasonal and a little bit magical! Over the years, I’ve switched from the oven to the air fryer because… it’s faster (often just 15 minutes) and still gives that wonderfully nutty, warm, slightly sweet flavour.

If you’ve ever worried about chestnuts exploding, drying out, or being tricky to peel - I’ve been there too. That’s why I’ve honed this recipe so it’s simple, reliable and festive enough to include in your holiday or winter snack repertoire. I've trialled and adapted the oven method from BBC Good Food.

You can use air fryer chestnuts in any dish that calls for cooked chestnuts in both sweet and savoury dishes, like this vegetarian French chestnut soup.

Ingredients notes

Quite possibly the simplest ingredients list!

Fresh chestnuts

The chestnut season runs from October through to December. In the UK, you can find chestnuts in supermarkets and in markets. The chestnuts I have used are from a chestnut tree from my Auntie's garden in Southeast England.

Here is what to look out for when selecting the best chestnuts:

• choose chestnuts that feel heavy for their size
• they should feel firm
• they will have shiny shells that are dark brown with tanned edges
• there should not be any holes
• the chestnuts shouldn't rattle when you shake them, if they do, it is likely they are rotten inside
• use chestnuts at their freshest with the longest use by date
• when soaking the chestnuts, the ones that float are rotten. Discard these.

How to prepare chestnuts & tips

Soak chestnuts in warm to hot water for around 10 minutes. Soaking first softens the shells and makes easier to score. Drain the water and dry each thoroughly.

Using a small sharp knife, score a large "X" on the rounded side. Cut through the tough outer shell and inner fuzzy skin but avoid the flesh. Chestnuts can explode if not scored deeply enough as the steam has nowhere to escape.

You can either use a chopping board or score whilst holding the chestnut in your hands. If using a chopping board, place the chestnut flat side down and hold it firmly between your finger and thumb. With the knife, press down firmly to make a small score. Turn the chestnut and repeat to make an "X".

I like to use cut resistant gloves, but it becomes harder to get a good grip!

Add a splash of water to the air fryer basket. Air fryers can dry out nuts if there's no humidity — that’s why a splash of water and pre-soak helps. Also make sure you’re roasting at moderate temperature so insides cook before exterior over-dries. This is to prevent the chestnuts drying out and being crumbly.

Place the chestnuts in the air fryer basket and air fry. Try to add similar sized chestnuts as they all cook at different times.

• For small chestnuts - 4-5 minutes
• For medium chestnuts - 6-7 minutes
• For large chestnuts, you may need up to 15 minutes

(These timings are given for fresh chestnuts which were picked from an English chestnut tree and cooked within 3 days of picking).

Air fry until the shells are peeling away and the flesh is exposed. Keep check on the chestnuts as every batch of chestnuts and indeed different air fryers produce different results. Do not leave the air fryer unattended. Check to see if done by peeling one of the chestnuts. If it peels easily, they are done.

To make the peeling process extra easy, immediately place the chestnuts in a towel and wrap for a minute or two. This is to trap steam that will make peeling easier. You can then begin peeling.

Peel away the outer layer and inner skin. Ideally, you want to peel chestnuts whilst they are still warm but cool enough to handle. You will know that the chestnuts are fully cooked when the outer shell begins to peel away and exposes the golden flesh.

To peel, start by peeling back the outer shell and then the inner fuzzy skin. The inner skin may be a little more difficult to remove but you can use a knife to help things along.

Alternatively, cut the chestnuts down the middle and scoop out the soft cooked filling. This is a good trick if you will eventually be pureeing or using in a recipe.  

Chestnuts are difficult to peel once cold as the skin sticks! If they do cool down, it is best to pop them back into the air fryer to warm up.

They are now ready to eat or use in your recipes. I love this Chestnut Hummus for festive dinner parties.

Storage

How to store fresh chestnuts:

Fresh chestnuts have a high water content so are quicker to perish. They are best stored unwashed in the fridge in a container until ready to cook. They should stay fresh for around 2 weeks.

How to store cooked chestnuts:

Cooked chestnuts will keep for around 3-4 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container

Freeze cooked chestnuts:

I have successfully frozen chestnuts for 3 months. I placed them in a freezer bag and squeezed out as much air as possible before sealing. To thaw, allow to defrost at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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