How to Roast Chestnuts: 4 Tips for Choosing Chestnuts

Chestnuts are nuts that come from the chestnut tree. They have a thick, dark brown shell (which you can leave on during roasting) and a sweet, nutty taste and soft texture you can enjoy after removing both the shell and the thin skin that exists between the shell and the nut. Chestnuts are a good source of calcium, potassium, and vitamin C, and are low in fat and naturally gluten-free.

Chestnuts are safe for animals to consume; however, there is a variety of chestnut called a horse chestnut (also called a conker) that has a bitter taste and is potentially poisonous to both people and pets, making them better for medicinal purposes and not for roasting and eating.

You can harvest chestnuts from mid-September to November, so people commonly associate them with the winter season. Chefs often feature chestnuts on seasonal menus, and songwriters reference them in winter-themed tunes, such as in Nat King Cole’s holiday classic, “The Christmas Song” (1946), which is sometimes called "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire."

Shopping for whole chestnuts can be challenging because there is an outer layer preventing you from seeing what you will be eating. Here are helpful tips and tricks for selecting chestnuts:

1. 1. Feel the weight. Choose a chestnut that feels heavy for its size. If it feels hollow or dried out, you should pass. It’s all about the weight-to-size ratio, though, so if the chestnut is big and feels as heavy as expected, there’s no guarantee it will be good. Use your best judgment and get a few extras just in case.
2. 2. Check the shell. You want the shell to be hard and shiny as opposed to cracking, chipping, or flaking off from the flesh of the chestnut.
3. 3. Give it a shake. If the chestnut is still in its outer shell, give it a shake. Rattling is a sign it’s an old chestnut and one you don’t want to purchase.
4. 4. Be mindful of the container. Chestnuts are prone to molding if you store them in plastic bags or plastic containers. Sometimes you can see mold on the shell, but other times you won’t see any mold until you crack it open. It’s a good idea to buy loose chestnuts whenever possible.

Before roasting chestnuts, the prep time should take you about 10 minutes, depending on how many chestnuts you have.

1. 1. Store the chestnuts properly. You can refrigerate fresh chestnuts for three to four days after you purchase them and before you plan to roast them. Remove your chestnuts from the refrigerator the day before you plan to roast them.
2. 2. Clean the chestnuts properly. Wash the chestnuts with warm water, not cold water, and ideally a produce wash. Even though you won’t eat the shell, you will still touch it throughout the preparation.
3. 3. Dry the chestnuts. Let the chestnuts dry on a baking tray lined with a kitchen towel to absorb excess water, or dry each one with a paper towel.
4. 4. Score the chestnuts. Once the chestnuts are clean and dry, place them on a cutting board, round side down, and take a sharp knife (a serrated knife or a sharp paring knife will work) and cut an X into the flat side of the chestnut shells, leaving the rounded side of each chestnut untouched. This cut will allow steam to escape from the roasting chestnuts. Once you’ve scored all the chestnuts, it’s time to roast them.

You can roast chestnuts in the oven if you can’t access an open fire or a fire pit. After you have washed, dried, and scored the chestnuts, you can start roasting:

1. 1. Preheat your oven. The ideal roasting temperature is 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. 2. Lay out the chestnuts. Place the scored chestnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan.
3. 3. Roast. Let the chestnuts roast for about 15–20 minutes—if you have smaller chestnuts, they may only take seven to 10 minutes—until the chestnuts become fragrant. You’ll know the chestnuts are done when they begin to fill the room with a nutty scent.
4. 4. Remove the chestnuts from the oven. Carefully remove the baking sheet or roasting pan from the oven and allow them to cool until they’re still warm but safe to handle.
5. 5. Peel the chestnuts. Place a warm chestnut in a kitchen towel or tea towel to protect your hands. Begin working the shell and skin away from the nut, starting around where you scored the chestnut, where the shell and skin should have started to peel back while it was in the oven.

If you prefer to roast your chestnuts on the stovetop, here’s how:

1. 1. Preheat the pan. Place a heavy skillet, like a cast-iron pan, over medium heat.
2. 2. Place the chestnuts in the pan. Lay the chestnuts in the pan in a single layer, with the flat side of the chestnut (where you scored the chestnut) facing up.
3. 3. Roast the chestnuts. Wait until the shell begins to peel back where you cut it, about 25–30 minutes, before you remove the skillet from the heat. The total time for roasting will depend on how fragrant the chestnuts are, as you want to keep roasting them until they begin to smell nutty
4. 4. Let the chestnuts cool. You want to let their temperature come down before you try to peel chestnuts, so that you don’t burn your hands.
5. 5. Peel the chestnuts. Holding a warm chestnut in a kitchen towel in one hand, start peeling the shell and skin from the meat of the chestnut. It’s a good idea to begin where you scored the chestnut since that area of shell and skin should already be peeling following cooking.

If you want to season your roasted chestnuts, peel them all first and then place them on a baking pan or rimmed baking sheet. Lightly coat the peeled chestnuts in melted butter and then toss them with the sweet or savory seasoning combination of your choice. Popular sweet seasonings include nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, and cardamom. Savory options include salt, rosemary, and thyme.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Alice Waters, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Gordon Ramsay, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, and more.