The scent of roasted chestnuts is one of the cosiest things I know. In Italy they’re called caldarroste, and when it turns cold they’re sold warm in paper cones from small street stalls. With roasted chestnuts in the air fryer you get the same experience at home: a shell that curls up at the cross and a soft, nutty-sweet centre that’s perfect with a thin slice of cold butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
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It only takes a little care with the knife and a little patience while the chestnuts soak. And there’s one rule you must never break: use only sweet chestnuts from the supermarket or the greengrocer’s. The horse chestnuts from Danish parks and avenues are poisonous.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love roasted chestnuts in the air fryer
To me, roasted chestnuts are the very taste of cold days. They’re warm in your hand, gluten-free and vegetarian, and they bring people together around the table, because everyone peels their own. The air fryer is perfect for the job: the hot air roasts the shell, while the water from the soaking turns to steam inside. It’s exactly that combination that gives the soft, slightly floury centre you know from the street stalls.
The difference between an air fryer and an oven
In the oven you have to heat a large oven cavity for a single bowl of chestnuts. In the air fryer the heat circulates close around them, so they roast evenly with just a shake of the basket halfway through. And it’s easy to see when they’re done: the shell curls up at the cross, and a knife slides easily into the flesh.
My kitchen test of roasted chestnuts
I tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where the heat comes from both above and below in the single basket. At 200 °C for 18 minutes I got chestnuts with a curled-up, roasted shell and a soft centre all the way through. Even though the heat comes from both sides, I still shake the basket halfway through, so the chestnuts move around and don’t sit on the same side the whole time. The preparation takes 30 minutes, but for 20 of them the chestnuts are simply soaking. With 5 minutes’ rest in the tea towel, they’re ready to be peeled after 53 minutes in total.
The biggest difference between my test rounds was the cut. With a shallow cross the brown inner skin clung on, while chestnuts with a deep cut slipped out of the shell almost by themselves. In my Philips XXL there’s room for the whole portion in a single layer; if you have a smaller air fryer, you divide it into two batches.
A deep cross and a clean tea towel are the whole secret. Cut through both the shell and the brown inner skin, and wrap the chestnuts up as soon as they come out of the basket.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The most common mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is cutting too cautiously. If the knife only goes through the shell, the brown inner skin clings on, and without a proper cross the chestnut can burst. Place it flat side down on the cutting board and cut a deep cross in the curved side, right into the flesh. The second mistake is skipping the soak or overcrowding the basket. Without water under the shell the flesh turns dry, and chestnuts piled in several layers roast unevenly, so give them time in the water and roast them in a single layer with the cross facing up. The third mistake is letting them cool down before you peel them, because then the skin sticks on again. Wrap them in a clean tea towel, leave them to rest for 5 minutes, and peel them while they’re still warm.
How to serve roasted chestnuts
The classic way of serving them is simple, but chestnuts also go well with other flavours:
- Cold butter in thin slices and a sprinkle of flaky salt just before each bite
- Melted butter with finely chopped rosemary and flaky salt, tossed with the peeled chestnuts
- A little honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a sweet version
- A glass of red wine or a cup of mulled wine on the side
- Leftovers in stuffing for the Christmas duck, in a salad with red cabbage or in a creamy chestnut soup
Storage and reheating
Roasted chestnuts are best warm, straight after they’ve been peeled. If you have leftovers, peel them while they’re warm and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in the air fryer at 160 °C for 3-5 minutes. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw them in the fridge overnight, and warm them through or use them in stuffing, salads or soup.
To me, roasted chestnuts are one of those small winter traditions that make a grey afternoon a little warmer. You don’t need to turn on the oven, and the result tastes just like it came from the street stall. Put butter and flaky salt on the table, and eat them while they’re warm.
FAQ
The sweet chestnut has a small pointed tip and usually one flat side, while the horse chestnut is round and smooth with no point. Horse chestnuts are poisonous and must never be eaten, so always buy sweet chestnuts at the supermarket or from the greengrocer’s.
The cross lets the steam escape, so the chestnuts don’t burst in the air fryer, and it makes them much easier to peel. The cut has to go through both the shell and the brown inner skin.
Yes, put them in lukewarm water for 20 minutes. The moisture under the shell turns to steam during roasting, so the flesh turns soft and the shell comes off more easily. Discard any chestnuts that float to the top – they’re usually dried out or worm-eaten.
Recipe
Roasted chestnuts in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Shopping list
Ingredients
- 500 g sweet chestnuts (Fresh, in the shell)
- 1 l water (Lukewarm)
- 50 g butter (Cold)
- 1 tsp flaky salt (For serving)
How to make it
Preparation
- Rinse 500 g sweet chestnuts in cold water and discard any with small holes, cracks or mould. Use only sweet chestnuts – horse chestnuts from local parks and streets are poisonous.
- Cut a deep cross in the curved side of each chestnut with a sharp knife. Place them flat side down on the cutting board so they sit steadily while you cut. The cut should go through both the shell and the brown inner skin and right into the flesh – this stops the chestnuts from bursting and makes them easier to peel.
- Place the chestnuts in a bowl and cover them with 1 l water, preferably lukewarm. Leave them to soak for 20 minutes. The water seeps in under the shell and turns to steam in the air fryer, so the flesh turns soft and the shell comes off more easily. Discard any chestnuts that float to the top – they are usually dried out or worm-eaten.
- Pat the chestnuts lightly dry with kitchen roll once you have drained off the water. A little moisture in the cuts is only an advantage, as it gives extra steam during roasting.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the chestnuts in the basket in a single layer with the cross facing up, so the hot air reaches all sides. If it is too crowded, roast them in two batches.
- Roast the chestnuts at 200 °C for 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. They are done when the shell has curled up at the cross and the flesh feels soft when you insert a knife. Small chestnuts may be ready after 15 minutes, while large ones may need 2-3 minutes more at 200 °C.
- Wrap the hot chestnuts in a clean tea towel and leave them to rest for 5 minutes. The steam loosens both the shell and the brown inner skin.
Serving
- Remove the shell and the brown inner skin by peeling the chestnuts from the cross outwards while they are still warm. Hold them in the tea towel if they are too hot for your fingers – as the chestnuts cool down, the skin sticks on again.
Our notes for the recipe
Cut the cross all the way through the shell and the brown inner skin – if the cut is too shallow, the skin clings on when you peel. Choose heavy, glossy chestnuts without small holes; light or rattling chestnuts are dried out. Don’t skip the 5 minutes in the tea towel, because the steam loosens the shell and skin while the chestnuts are still warm. Sweet chestnuts only:
Buy sweet chestnuts from the supermarket or greengrocer’s. Horse chestnuts, which fall from the trees in parks and along streets, are poisonous and must never be eaten. The sweet chestnut has a small pointed tip and usually one flat side, while the horse chestnut is round and smooth with no point. Variation:
Toss the peeled chestnuts in a little melted butter with finely chopped rosemary and flaky salt. For a sweet version, you can drizzle them with honey and sprinkle a little cinnamon over them. Serving:
In Italy they are sold as caldarroste in paper cones from the street stalls, and they taste best warm – for example as a snack with a glass of red wine or mulled wine. Leftovers can be used in stuffing for the Christmas turkey, in a salad with red cabbage or in a creamy chestnut soup. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches. The chestnuts need to sit in a single layer to roast evenly.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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