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Christmas dinner deserves a main dish that makes everyone stop and stare when it hits the table, and these 32 Christmas main dishes are the ones we lean on all December long. You will find cozy beef roasts and braised short ribs, steakhouse ribeyes and sirloin, popovers and garlic butter mushrooms to serve alongside, juicy pork tenderloin, roast chicken, duck, lamb chops, and a whole lineup of seafood for Christmas Eve. Most of them are from scratch, plenty are hands off in the slow cooker or oven, and every one of them is cozy enough to anchor a holiday table. We also invited two blogger friends to share a favorite holiday roast and a steakhouse filet mignon. Pick your main, add a few sides, and let’s get cooking.
Holiday Beef Roasts and Braises
Easy Crock Pot Pot Roast (Slow Cooker Pot Roast)
An honest chuck roast goes low and slow until it falls apart into tender carrots and potatoes and a rich gravy. It is the coziest Christmas Eve dinner I know, and it waits patiently while you wrap presents. Get the recipe →
Eye of Round Roast
A golden, herb crusted roast sliced thin and spooned with gravy, from my friend Jennifer over at Foodess. Her method makes this budget friendly cut extra tender and juicy, so it is perfect for feeding a holiday crowd. Get the recipe →
The BEST Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe (Slow Cooker)
Just a handful of ingredients go into the slow cooker in the morning and come out as the most tender, tangy, buttery roast by dinner. It is my secret for a holiday main that takes five minutes of real work. Get the recipe →
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Bone in short ribs braised in the oven until they melt off the bone in a glossy red wine sauce. They taste like you fussed all day, but the oven does nearly all of the work. Get the recipe →
Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Boneless short ribs braised low and slow until they are spoon tender and impossibly rich. Serve them over mashed potatoes and your Christmas table will go quiet in the best way. Get the recipe →
Easy Beef Stew in the Oven (with Red Wine)
Big chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes simmered in a red wine gravy right in the oven. It is a cozy, make ahead main that only gets better the next day. Get the recipe →
Steakhouse Steaks for Christmas Night
Best Ribeye Marinade Recipe (for Grilling)
A seven ingredient marinade turns grocery store ribeyes into steaks that taste like they came from a fancy steakhouse. They are a fun Christmas night splurge for a smaller crowd. Get the recipe →
Filet Mignon
Perfectly seared, buttery filet mignon with a rosy center, from my friend Amy over at House of Nash Eats. It is ready in about 20 minutes, which makes it my favorite way to turn Christmas night into a steakhouse dinner at home. Get the recipe →
Marinated Air Fryer Ribeye Steak Recipe (Bone-In)
Thick bone in ribeyes get a beautiful char in the air fryer in under 20 minutes, no grill needed in the middle of winter. It is the easiest way I know to make a holiday steak dinner. Get the recipe →
Best Sirloin Steak Marinade (Grilled Sirloin Steak)
A quick brown sugar and Worcestershire marinade turns budget sirloin into juicy, crave worthy steak. Slice it thin on a platter and let everyone dig in. Get the recipe →
Best Flank Steak Marinade Recipe
A balsamic, garlic, and fresh herb marinade does all the work and turns an affordable cut into tender, flavorful steak. Sliced across the grain, it makes a gorgeous holiday platter. Get the recipe →
Best London Broil Marinade (No Soy Sauce)
This balsamic herb marinade turns a lean London broil into a juicy, tender, flavor packed steak. It is a budget friendly main that still feels special on a holiday table. Get the recipe →
Butters, Gravies and Popovers for Your Roast
Easy Compound Butter Recipe (3 Ways)
Three easy flavored butters you can roll into logs and keep in the fridge all season long. A slice melting over a hot steak or roast is pure holiday magic. Get the recipe →
Popover Recipe
A few pantry staples puff into tall, golden, custardy rolls that are made for soaking up roast drippings. Serve them warm next to a beef roast and watch them disappear. Get the recipe →
Easy Mushroom Gravy (Ready in 20 Minutes)
Mushrooms sauteed in butter, a quick roux, and a splash of red wine come together into a rich gravy in 20 minutes. Ladle it over roast beef, steak, or mashed potatoes. Get the recipe →
Roasted Mushrooms in Garlic Butter Sauce
Golden roasted mushrooms tossed in a garlic butter sauce with fresh herbs. They are the steakhouse side that makes any holiday main feel extra special. Get the recipe →
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
A whole head of sweet roasted garlic goes into the creamiest mashed potatoes you will ever make. No roast or steak dinner is complete without a big bowl of these. Get the recipe →
Holiday Pork Mains
Easy Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe (Pesto Marinade)
A juicy pork tenderloin with an herby pesto crust that looks fancy and is secretly almost effortless. It is a lovely lighter main when the holiday menu is already heavy. Get the recipe →
Juicy Marinated Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin Recipe
A simple marinade and the air fryer give you a juicy, restaurant worthy pork tenderloin in about 25 minutes. It is perfect when the oven is already packed with sides. Get the recipe →
The BEST Pork Tenderloin Marinade Recipe
Brown sugar and balsamic caramelize into a glossy, sweet and tangy crust on the juiciest pork tenderloin. Slice it into medallions for a pretty holiday platter. Get the recipe →
Baked Ritz Cracker Pork Chops
A buttery Ritz cracker crust bakes into a crispy golden coating on tender pork chops. My family asks for these on repeat, and they make a fun, cozy main for a casual Christmas dinner. Get the recipe →
Brown Sugar Brined Grilled Pork Chops
A quick brown sugar brine is the secret to pork chops that are juicy and tender every single time. It is an easy main that never comes out dry. Get the recipe →
Roast Chicken, Duck and Lamb
Easy Smoked Spatchcock Chicken Recipe
Flattening the bird is the trick to crackly, smoky skin and impossibly juicy meat in a fraction of the time. It is a showstopper main for a smaller Christmas gathering. Get the recipe →
Best Peking Duck Recipe (What to Serve With It)
Crispy skinned, restaurant worthy duck roasted right in your own oven. If you want a holiday main that feels like a true celebration, this is the one. Get the recipe →
5 Ingredient Air Fryer Lamb Chops
Just five simple ingredients and the air fryer give you tender, beautifully browned lamb chops. They look and taste fancy with almost no effort at all. Get the recipe →
Slow Cooker Cajun Turkey Breast
A turkey breast with bold Cajun flavor cooks low and slow with zero oven space required. It is a lifesaver on a busy holiday when the oven is full. Get the recipe →
Alice Springs Chicken (Copycat Outback Steakhouse)
Juicy chicken smothered in honey mustard, mushrooms, crispy bacon, and melty cheese, all in one skillet. It is a steakhouse copycat the whole family begs for. Get the recipe →
Seafood Mains for Christmas Eve
Buttery Air Fryer Lobster Tails
Buttery, tender lobster tails cook in about 10 minutes flat in the air fryer. It is the easiest way to make Christmas Eve dinner feel special without the fuss. Get the recipe →
Asian Glazed Chilean Sea Bass Recipe
Buttery sea bass under a sweet and savory Asian glaze that caramelizes under the broiler in under 15 minutes. It is a restaurant worthy main for a cozy holiday night. Get the recipe →
Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon Recipe (In the Smoker)
A cheap cedar plank and one simple temperature are the secrets to smoky, flaky salmon. It makes a gorgeous centerpiece for a Christmas Eve seafood dinner. Get the recipe →
Pan Seared Salmon with Maple Vinaigrette
A crispy, golden pan seared salmon finished with a bright, sweet and tangy maple vinaigrette. It comes together in 15 minutes and feels like a restaurant main. Get the recipe →
Creamy Lemon Shrimp (Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce)
Juicy shrimp in a silky lemon garlic parmesan cream sauce with caramelized lemon slices. It tastes like a white tablecloth dinner and comes together in one skillet. Get the recipe →
Save These Christmas Main Dishes
Pin this roundup so your Christmas main is one tap away when you start planning the menu, and if you make one of these, leave a comment on the recipe and tell us what landed in the center of your holiday table. From our kitchen to your table!
