Chestnuts for Dinner: Two Chicken Recipes
Chestnuts are not only for snacking and stuffing. Their mild sweetness and soft, starchy texture work well with chicken. Here are two recipes, one slow and one fast.
For the weekend: Chicken Breasts with Chestnuts and Mushrooms
Cubed chicken breast is browned in olive oil and butter, then simmered for 20 minutes with mushrooms, white wine, chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaves. The chestnuts and cream go in for the last 10 minutes. For a deeper flavor, finish the dish under the broiler for 5 minutes.
Serve it over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice. The chestnuts stay whole here, so large nuts are a good fit.
Get the recipe: Chicken Breasts with Chestnuts and Mushrooms (Recipe by Katerina, Culinary Flavors)
For a weeknight: Stir-Fried Chicken with Chestnuts
Chicken thighs are tossed with honey and browned in a hot skillet. Scallions, garlic, ginger, and yellow bell pepper follow, then roasted chestnuts, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. The cooking takes about 15 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.
This recipe calls for roasted chestnuts cut into half-inch pieces, so medium nuts are the practical choice. It is also a good use for chestnuts you roasted and froze earlier in the season.
Get the recipe: Stir-Fried Chicken with Chestnuts (Recipe courtesy of Cook’s Country)
Before you start
Both recipes start with shelled chestnuts. Roast or boil them first, then peel them warm. Our how-to-roast guide covers oven times by size, and the peel-and-store guide explains how to freeze peeled nuts for up to 6 months.
Current sizes are on our products page.