Chestnut Stuffing: A Savory Holiday Favorite

Looking for a dish for a special Thanksgiving or Christmas tradition? This chestnut stuffing recipe is a great alternative to the standard sausage stuffing and pairs perfectly with your juicy roasted spatchcock turkey, fluffy Parkerhouse rolls, mashed potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. You can make the classic recipe or try a mushroom, apple, apricot, or cranberry variation included below.

Why We Love Chestnut Stuffing

We love historical recipes, like making pecan pie without corn syrup or pumpkin pie completely from scratch. Recapturing traditional recipes from times past creates a connection to our roots, and quite frankly, they taste better, too!

Chestnut stuffing is a truly American Thanksgiving side dish. In fact, the first stuffing recipe published in the United States was from 1772 and included chestnuts. However, chestnuts have fallen out of regular rotation in American cuisine, partly because of a blight that killed off up to 99 percent of American chestnut trees by 1940. 

If you struggle to find chestnuts locally, I recommend talking to the produce manager at your local grocery store – they can often special order them for you. This chestnut stuffing is a staple on our holiday table. The flavor can’t be beat. We love it, and I think you will, too!

Chestnut Stuffing Recipe Variations

Do you like to add a twist to your holiday dishes to make them unique? These variations offer a range of flavors to suit any taste. Feel free to experiment and create a stuffing that’s uniquely yours.

Ingredient	Flavor Profile	Suggested Combinations
Sausage	Savory	Chestnuts, fresh herbs, cranberries
Apple	Sweet and Tart	Chestnuts, onions, celery
Cranberry	Tangy	Chestnuts, sausage, fresh thyme
Mushroom	Earthy	Chestnuts, garlic, fresh sage
Apricot	Fruity	Chestnuts, parsley, almonds

Tips for the Best Chestnut Stuffing

Following these cooking tips can turn a simple dish into a perfect chestnut stuffing. It will be full of flavor and have the perfect texture:

• Use Fresh Ingredients – Start with the freshest ingredients. Fresh chestnuts really make a difference in taste and texture.
• Properly Prepare the Chestnuts – Make sure to peel them well to avoid bad textures in your stuffing. You can also prepare roasted and peeled chestnuts ahead of time. Roast them, peel them and then freeze them whole in a freezer-safe container (remove as much air as possible). Freeze them for up to three months. When ready to bake, thaw them in the refrigerator, chop them and continue with the stuffing recipe.
• Keep it Moist – It’s important to add enough broth or stock. No one wants dry stuffing, but take care not to add too much, or it can also become soggy.
• Day-old Bread is Best – Slightly stale bread works best, so be sure to take your bread out a day in advance, cube it and leave it uncovered in a bowl or spread on a baking sheet to get stale. Stale bread absorbs liquid better, giving your stuffing a great texture. The size of the bread will also affect the texture. Larger pieces will be less soft, while smaller pieces will create more of a “bread pudding” texture.
• Season Generously – Don’t hold back on herbs and spices. Good seasoning brings out the chestnut and other flavors.

In The Homestead Kitchen

This recipe was featured in issue no. 27 of In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine. This is the magazine we wish we had when we first started homesteading! 

I wanted to make healthy, delicious meals from scratch that my family loved, but Better Homes & Gardens didn’t really prepare me for the overwhelming abundance of the seasonal, homesteading life. What do you do with all those eggs? Those bushels of green beans? That 25-lb bag of wheat berries? Or all that basil? 

We started publishing In the Homestead Kitchen Digital Magazine to give homesteaders an affordable, inspiring read chock-full of the BEST recipes, DIY projects, and tips to make homesteading doable and FUN.

It’s become so popular that In the Homestead Kitchen will go to PRINT starting in 2025! If you subscribe now, you will lock in your low digital price!

Now, onto the chestnut stuffing recipe…

How to Make Chestnut Stuffing

Supplies Needed

• Sharp Knife – Practice basic knife sharpening skills to keep your tools in safe working order.
• Saucepan – A one-quart saucepan is a good size.
• Large Skillet – We generally choose cast iron cookware but use whatever skillet you have.
• 9×13″ Baking Dish – You can use an equal-sized casserole dish or split the recipe between two 8×8″ baking dishes.
• Mixing Bowl – We love these glass mixing bowls, but any medium-sized bowl will do.
• Whisk – If you don’t have a whisk handy, you can just use a fork.

Ingredients Needed

• 2 Cups Chestnuts – If you have difficulty finding chestnuts in your area, talk to your local produce manager about placing a special order.
• 1 1⁄2 Cups Butter – Learn how to make homemade butter here. If you’re using unsalted butter, you may want to increase the amount of salt in the recipe.
• 1⁄2 Cup Chopped Onion – Yellow, white, or red onions work great for this recipe.
• 1 tsp Salt – I highly recommend a high-quality salt such as Redmond Real Salt or kosher salt. (Using that link for Redmond Salt will automatically give you 15% off your order!)
• 1⁄4 tsp Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is more potent. If you don’t have freshly ground, you may need to use a bit more. Follow your taste buds! 
• 2 tsp Poultry Seasoning – If you don’t have poultry seasoning on hand, you can make your own by mixing 2 parts sage, 1 ½ parts thyme, 1 part marjoram, 1 part rosemary, and ½ part nutmeg. 
• 1 Loaf of Bread, Cubed – Choose a bread with a mild flavor, such as sourdough, whole wheat sandwich bread, basic gluten-free bread, or an artisan loaf made from no-knead dough.
• 3 Eggs – Always use best practices when handling farm-fresh eggs.
• 1⁄4 Cup Milk – Always use best practices to process raw milk at home.
• Chicken Stock – We use homemade bone broth, but store-bought chicken or vegetable stock also works.

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. With a sharp knife, score an X in each chestnut. Put scored chestnuts in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 20-30 minutes.
3. Drain boiled chestnuts, peel off their hard skins and chop the meat inside.
4. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped chestnuts, onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, 3-5 minutes.
5. Toss chestnut mix with bread cubes in a 9×13 pan.
6. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk until consistent. Drizzle this liquid over the bread mixture. If the bread still appears very dry, drizzle broth over the top to add moisture.
7. Bake stuffing in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until the top is crispy and golden brown.

Did you try this chestnut stuffing recipe? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!

How to Store Chestnut Stuffing

If preparing this recipe ahead of time, cool the stuffing to room temperature and store it in an airtight container in the fridge (either wrapped in plastic wrap or in a food-safe, air-tight container). Reheat by adding a bit of stock, covering with foil, and warming in the oven. Always check food safety and consume within a few days.

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• Parker House Rolls Made With Sourdough
• Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe – From Scratch
• Homemade Pie Crust Recipe
• Creamed Onions