Air Fryer Chestnuts All the Secrets
Yes, indeed! With an air fryer, you can make delicious roasted chestnuts.
In a short time, you can enjoy warm, inviting chestnuts, toasted on the outside, soft and flavorful inside.
A quick alternative to baking chestnuts in a traditional oven, which allows you to save electricity while still enjoying great natural warm chestnuts.
Tried and tested recipe, also ideal for those who eat gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian.
It’s important to soak the chestnuts for at least an hour in water and salt; the peel will come off more easily once the chestnuts are cooked, discard those that float immediately. With this trick, you’ll be able to peel the chestnuts in record time.
Another secret is to score the chestnuts to prevent them from bursting during cooking and place them directly in the basket, with the scored and rounded side facing up, in a single layer and without overlapping.
Once ready, wrap the chestnuts in a damp cloth, wait 3-4 minutes, and serve. Ideal as a snack or quick bite.
You can store the cooked chestnuts in a food storage bag.
Please note that the temperature and cooking times are generally indicative, as a lot depends on your type of air fryer, however, all the recipes on my Blog are thoroughly tested by me first, so they are more than tried and tested. Nevertheless, I recommend checking the cooking from time to time to best adapt the time and temperature to your air fryer.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Air frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 41.63 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 7.94 (g) of which sugars 1.59 (g)
- Proteins 0.48 (g)
- Fat 0.33 (g) of which saturated 0.06 (g)of which unsaturated 0.24 (g)
- Fibers 0.77 (g)
- Sodium 40.52 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 15 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chestnuts
- 10.6 oz chestnuts
- 2.5 cups water (for soaking)
- 1/3 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
Tools
- Air Fryer Philips
- Air Fryer Liners with holes
- Air Fryer Paper Trays no holes
- Bowl
- Cutting Board with two side trays for scraps
- Knife
- Towel
Steps for Air Fryer Chestnuts
Wash the chestnuts and score them with a cross-cut (or, if you prefer, a single horizontal cut) on the rounded side (trying to cut only the outer peel and not the pulp) this cut will prevent them from bursting during cooking.
If you make a single horizontal cut deep and long (but without cutting the pulp), you’ll have softer chestnuts on the surface.
If you make the cross-cut you’ll get more roasted chestnuts on the surface.
In either case, they peel immediately and easily.
Take a bowl and fill it with water, add 1/3 tsp of salt (it helps digest better) and a glass of red wine (optional). Pour the scored chestnuts into the bowl and discard those that float immediately as they are not good. Soak for a minimum of 30 minutes (if you’re in a hurry) to an hour.
After soaking, drain the chestnuts (no need to dry them) then place them directly in the air fryer basket, with the scored and rounded side facing up, in a single layer and without overlapping.
Set the air fryer temperature to “manual” at 340°F for about 15-20 minutes, the cooking times will depend greatly on your type of air fryer and the size of the chestnuts.
Once cooked, wrap the chestnuts in a damp cloth for about 5 minutes and then you’ll see they will peel easily. Serve them hot (but they are also good soft and tasty cold).
You can use them as a healthy and light snack or as a side dish for roasts or to prepare other recipes.
Shopping Advice!!!
I’m very satisfied with my Philips Air Fryer, with a large basket. The Rapid Air technology creates an optimal circulation of hot air that cooks food evenly and keeps it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
With 13 cooking functions in 1: Fries, bakes like an oven, grills, roasts, and reheats. A healthier way to cook, it separates and captures excess fat (healthy and tasty dishes with up to 90% less fat). Cooks up to 50% faster and saves up to 70% energy compared to an oven (it halves cooking time compared to a classic oven as it does not require preheating).
The “Keep Warm” mode is very useful. The individual components are all easy to remove and dishwasher safe. Highly recommended!
For this recipe, I used this handy perforated parchment paper for air fryer, non-stick and easy to clean, which can also be used in a conventional oven.
When I don’t want to dirty the air fryer basket, I often use these Disposable non-perforated parchment paper for air fryer that do not dirty the fryer, but hot air circulates because they are very thin. They are also oil and water-resistant, non-stick, do not burn, and can be used in a regular oven.
You can find all the products recommended above on Amazon at a special price.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How to prevent chestnuts from hardening and peel them more easily?
Soak the chestnuts for at least 30 minutes, even better if for 24 hours.
What does it mean if chestnuts float?
If chestnuts float, they have gone bad and should be discarded.
How to peel chestnuts more easily?
It’s necessary to score them with a horizontal cut on the rounded side and then soak them (see above).
