How to Cook Water Chestnuts

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 21, 2021

If you love the crunch of water chestnuts, try finding a few new ways to cook them. From covering them in bacon to cooking them on their own, Water Chestnuts are a delicious snack or side dish for any occasion. If you want to learn a few ways to cook them, then read on.

Ingredients

Stir-Fried Water Chestnuts with Snow Peas

1 tablespoon (15 ml) peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 1/2 cups (186 g) water chestnuts, peeled and sliced
2 cups (300 g) snow peas
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) salt

Makes 2 servings

Roasted Water Chestnuts

1 20-ounce (540 g) can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) black pepper

Makes about 2 cups (540 g)

Broiled Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts - Rumaki

¹⁄₄ pound (110 g) chicken livers, trimmed and rinsed
¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (6 g) finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons (25 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) curry powder
12 canned whole water chestnuts, peeled
8 bacon slices, cut crosswise into thirds

Makes 24 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Stir-Fried Water Chestnuts with Snow Peas

1
Sauté the garlic in peanut oil for 20 seconds. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of peanut oil into a non-stick skillet and turn the burner to medium-high. When the oil shimmers, add 3 sliced cloves of garlic and stir it for 20 seconds.^{[1]
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- The garlic should become fragrant.
2
Slice and sauté 1 carrot for 40 seconds. Peel a carrot and cut it into 1/4 in (0.6 cm) slices. Stir the carrot into the skillet with the garlic and cook it until it softens a little.^{[2]
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3
Add the water chestnuts and snow peas. Get out 1 1/2 cups (186 g) of sliced water chestnuts and drain them, if you're using canned chestnuts. Stir the water chestnuts into the skillet along with 2 cups (300 g) of snow peas.^{[3]
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4
Add salt and stir-fry the mixture for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt and continue to cook and stir the vegetables until they've softened a little. The vegetables should still be crunchy once they've finished.^{[4]
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5
Serve the stir-fried water chestnuts and snow peas. Turn off the burner and transfer the vegetables to a serving platter or bowl. Serve them immediately with steamed rice or cooked noodles.^{[5]
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- While you can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, the snow peas may soften.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Roasted Water Chestnuts

1
Preheat the oven to 475 °F (246 °C) and drain the water chestnuts. Open a 20-ounce (540 g) can of sliced water chestnuts and discard the liquid. If you're using fresh water chestnuts, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then slice the chestnuts into 1/4 in (0.6 cm) slices.^{[6]
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2
Mix the water chestnuts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put the water chestnuts into a small bowl and pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil over them. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt and 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of black pepper over. Stir the water chestnuts until they're seasoned.^{[7]
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3
Spread the chestnuts on a pan and roast them for 15 minutes. Transfer the seasoned water chestnuts to a roasting dish and spread them so they're in a single layer. Put the chestnuts in the oven and cook them for 15 minutes. Stir them occasionally so they cook evenly.^{[8]
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4
Remove and serve the roasted water chestnuts. Once the chestnuts are hot and golden around the edges, take the pan out of the oven. Serve the roasted chestnuts as a side dish for roasted meats or as a garnish for soups.^{[9]
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- Store the leftover roasted water chestnuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Broiled Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts - Rumaki

1
Cut the chicken livers into 1/2 in (1.3 cm) pieces. Take ¹⁄₄ pound (110 g) of clean chicken livers and put them on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the livers into 24 pieces that are about 1/2 in (1.3 cm) in size.^{[10]
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2
Mix together the soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and curry powder. Pour ¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) of soy sauce into a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon (6 g) of finely grated peeled fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of packed light brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of curry powder. Stir until the spices dissolve.^{[11]
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- This will make the marinade for the chicken livers.
3
Marinate the chicken livers for 1 hour. Stir the chopped chicken livers into the bowl with the marinade so they're coated with the mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the livers for 1 hour.^{[12]
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4
Soak toothpicks in cold water for 1 hour. While the chicken livers marinate, soak 24 toothpicks in a bowl of cold water. Leave them to soak for 1 hour so they don't burn when you put them in the oven. Drain the water just before you're ready to assemble the water chestnuts.^{[13]
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5
Preheat the boiler to high and slice 12 water chestnuts in half. Place the water chestnuts on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut each of them in half horizontally.^{[14]
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- You'll end up with 24 water chestnut pieces.
6
Wrap 1 piece of bacon around 1 piece of liver and 1 water chestnut. Take 8 slices of bacon that you've cut crosswise into thirds and lay 1 piece on your work surface. Remove the chicken livers from the marinade and put 1 piece on the bacon along with 1 water chestnut. Wrap the bacon around them and stick a soaked toothpick through it.^{[15]
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- Wrap each of the water chestnuts so you have 24 bacon-wrapped water chestnuts.
- The toothpick will secure the bacon to the liver and chestnut.
7
Arrange the water chestnuts on a sheet or broiler pan. Put all of the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts on a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan so they're in a single layer.
8
Broil the water chestnuts for 5 to 6 minutes. Put the pan with the chestnuts 2 in (10 cm) below the broiler element. Cook the water chestnuts until the bacon becomes crispy and the livers are cooked. You'll need to use tongs to turn the water chestnuts once so they cook evenly.^{[16]
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9
Remove and serve the water chestnuts. Turn off the broiler and remove the pan. Transfer the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts to a serving platter and serve them immediately.^{[17]
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- Avoid storing the leftovers because the bacon will become soft.