On top of all the shopping, gift wrapping, and baking you do for the holidays, planning the Christmas Day main dinner entree might slip your mind. It’s not like Thanksgiving when you know you’ll cook a turkey. Christmas Day entrees range from roasted chicken to prime rib—and there is no right or wrong answer.
Center your meal on one of these festive and hearty main dish recipes. Not only are these entrees delicious, but they also are the elegant centerpiece your holiday table needs. Check another thing off your holiday planning list by choosing one of these main Christmas dishes that all your guests will love.
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Between marinating, seasoning, roasting, coating in a crispy panko crust, and topping with a fresh Herb Sauce, every step of this recipe is there to make it even more flavorful.
Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
If you’ve never been in charge of the Christmas dinner main dish before, this easy turkey recipe is a great place to start. Our Test Kitchen recommends serving it with your favorite gravy recipe.
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Micah Morton; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch
Talk about a photo finish. This stunner is a labor of love, but the reactions to both the look and taste of it will be worth it all.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Surprising ingredients like orange marmalade, grated fresh ginger, and rice vinegar add incredible depth of flavor to a classic Honey-Glazed Ham.
Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
If you want gorgeous results for your holiday meal, don’t ignore our Test Kitchen’s biggest piece of advice for this main dish recipe: Use a probe thermometer. “This way, you can monitor the temperature of the roast without having to move it from the oven and open the oven door a lot.”
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
This chicken dish is a great option for smaller Christmas crowds. Since it’s cooked with carrots and baby new potatoes, it also comes with a side dish.
Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Perhaps no main dish feels more luxurious than prime rib, and this go-to recipe has perfected the cooking process for it.
Dane Tashima; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
You haven’t had turkey like this before! If you love the flavor of French onion soup, you’re going to want to make this new take on roast turkey year after year.
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Bring an old-fashioned Christmas favorite back this year with a truly traditional main dish recipe.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Take it from a reader who left this recipe a five-star review: “Made it exactly as stated. Incredible, and received rave reviews!”
Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
This elegant chicken dish is dressy enough for a holiday, and the reviews are stunning.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
If you’re having a small Christmas dinner, serve an elegant steak with mushroom sauce to wow your crew. This luxurious steak cooks in your cast-iron skillet on the stovetop and in the oven, so you don’t have to worry about grilling in the winter cold.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Boneless pork loin is a more budget-friendly option than a cut of beef, but it’s oh-so-flavorful. With this slow-cooker recipe, you don’t have to give up valuable oven space you need for sides and desserts.
The actual cooking process for these elegant lamb chops is very quick, but be sure to carve out enough time for them to marinate beforehand.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin wasn’t delicious enough on its own, the easy glaze that’s served with it is over-the-top tasty.
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Roast chicken has never looked so beautiful! The cast-iron skillet and a rainbow of veggies make for pretty presentation and delicious results.
Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
“My mother’s brisket has hands-down been the best I’ve ever tasted…until now,” says Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe Developer and Tester Amanda Holstein. If that isn’t high praise, we don’t know what is!
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Time to make the onions shine in this deliciously flavorful pot roast that is perfect for serving on a holiday. Our Test Kitchen loves serving this over creamy mashed potatoes.
Alison Miksch
Since beef tenderloin doesn’t have much fat, it can quickly dry and be overcooked. For tender slices, don’t cook past a meat thermometer registering 130°F in the center. Serve with a Mustard-Cream Sauce.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Classic baked ham belongs at nearly any holiday table. This cooking technique yields moist, tender ham with a caramelized and crispy rind. Serve with a sauce for the perfect holiday dish.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Cooked low and slow in a slow cooker, this brisket emerges fork tender and ready for your holiday table. The herbaceous parsley sauce adds a welcome note of brightness to the meat.
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
The secret to roasting a leg of lamb is cooking it low and slow, turning up the heat so the exterior can brown and form a crust. This very flavorful and tender lamb pairs well with couscous or butternut puree. Serve with parsley-mint sauce on the side.
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Hosting a small crowd but in the mood for turkey? This recipe for turkey breast is cooked it in a Dutch oven, which also eliminates the need to make gravy in a second pan.
Iain Bagwell
When seasoning roasts, this will generally do the trick. Add one teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. Plan on about five pounds of meat for every 12 guests. The beef goes pairs well with Homemade Hot Mustard.
Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
If your holiday crowd is a handful or fewer, turkey tenderloins are the perfect option. Each one is about the same size as a chicken breast, but the spice rub feels every bit a holiday feast, with warm notes of sage and thyme.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
A holiday ham doesn’t get much prettier than this one. Fresh orange juice and marmalade give this glaze tons of citrus flavor and create a glossy, sticky exterior.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
If you’re feeding a small crowd, a roast chicken can be much more manageable than a turkey or a ham. This one is packed with flavor and looks great on the table thanks to rainbow carrots, herbs, and lemons.
Greg DuPree; Prop Stylist: Ginny Branch; Food Stylist: Cat Steele
You’ll have no fear of a bland bird thanks to this recipe. After you dry-brine the turkey with an aromatic spice rub, you roast it with a honey-hot sauce glaze for a spicy exterior that has a beautiful bronzed look.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Missie Neville Crawford
For many families, the holidays mean glazed ham. This recipe gives you three delicious options depending on what your crowd will like—sweet, herby, or spicy.
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith
If you really want to impress, this stuffed and rolled beef tenderloin makes a special treat for the holidays. The meat is filled with creamy spinach and leeks and served with a rich mushroom sauce.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
A salty-sweet brine and tangy-sweet lemon glaze makes this ham stand out from any other you’ve tried.
GREG DUPREE; FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY
This simple but decadent beef tenderloin makes a fantastic holiday main dish. A mixture of mustard and mayonnaise keeps the meat moist and helps the herbed breadcrumbs adhere.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Rich, comforting, and made in a slow cooker—what more could you want from a holiday main? Serve with a rustic loaf of bread and plenty of red wine and you’ve got a fabulous Christmas meal.
Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Made with six ingredients—including the ham itself—this sweet, richly spiced glaze has a little kick thanks to the bourbon.
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
A container of refrigerated pesto adds distinctive flavor to this basic beef-and-cheese lasagna. Freeze the unbaked lasagna for up to three months if you want to plan that far in advance. Bake until the cheese is browned.