Alternative Christmas roast recipes
Not a fan of turkey or just fancy doing something different this year? Browse our alternative Christmas roast recipes for some new festive inspiration. Choose from beef, game, chicken, goose and showstopping vegetarian dishes.
If you want to stay along the lines of traditional, we’ve got easy twists like our air fryer festive traybake, roast chicken with comté sauce, or Christmas roast goose.
Want something completely different? Herby tamarind lamb with baked jollof rice takes things to the next level. Serve curried lamb shanks with roast potatoes, or try pernil (Puerto Rican slow-roasted pork).
Got the savoury side of things sorted? Satisfy your sweet tooth with our best Christmas baking recipes.
Our Glow Up mini recipes, including a luscious sage and nutmeg garlic butter to rub under the turkey’s skin or toss with veg, are a great way to jazz up your festive alternatives too.
Showing 1-16 of 66 recipes
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Roast chicken
Arun Tilak’s murgh musallam (whole stuffed chicken)
Chef Arun Tilak’s epic murgh musallam (whole stuffed chicken) makes a fabulous festive alternative to turkey or New Year's Eve main course.
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Christmas fish
Roast trout with clementine, ginger, spring onion and herbs
Fancy an alternative to all those heavy festive mains? Try this spectacular whole roast trout, served with a crisp and bright winter salad.
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Lamb shanks
Curried lamb shanks with roast potatoes and red cabbage
Food writer Lara Luck's curried lamb shanks make a wonderful alternative to a classic roast, served with golden roasties and red cabbage.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Air fryer festive traybake with gravy mayo
Everything you love about Christmas dinner in a single traybake, all cooked in the air fryer – perfect if you can’t wait until the big day.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Roast guinea fowl with fennel, shallot and white wine sauce
Guinea fowl with thyme butter, bacon and a rich white wine sauce to serve four: a special roast for a smaller gathering.
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Roasts
Slow-cooked pork shoulder stuffed with orange and prunes
This roast pork shoulder is rich and tender, cut through with apple, orange and sweet prunes. The perfect special occasion roast.
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Christmas recipes from around the world
Pierna mechada (Mexican roast pork leg)
This flavour-packed Mexican roast pork leg with adobo is enjoyed at Christmas, says chef Adriana Cavita, who shares her traditional recipe.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Herby tamarind lamb with baked jollof rice
This tamarind and herb-stuffed lamb with baked jollof rice recipe is a celebratory Senegalese-inspired one-pot by Lerato Umah-Shaylor.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Christmas roast goose
Take a break from turkey and make roast goose the star of Christmas dinner. The spice rub in our roast goose recipe adds aromatic flavour.
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Duck
Sauerkraut-stuffed duck with roast apples and mulled wine gravy
This festive roast duck sings with mulled wine flavours. A rub spices the duck's skin while a mulled wine gravy adds richness.
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Chestnuts
Pot-roast guinea fowl with chestnuts and spiced gravy
Guinea fowl is perfect for a pot-roast, a method ideal for keeping this lean bird moist and tender. The perfect autumnal Sunday lunch.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Pernil (Puerto Rican slow-roasted pork)
Pernil is Puerto Rican slow-roasted pork with tender meat and crispy crackling, often served at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Brioche and thyme butter-stuffed chicken crown
Chicken crown, slathered in butter and whizzed up with thyme and brioche, makes an incredible Christmas main for four. Who needs turkey?
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Alternative Christmas roast
Marmalade porchetta with salsa verde
Cherie Denhamputs a British spin on slow-roast porchetta. The citrussy sweetness in the marmalade works wonders with the punchy salsa verde.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Roast chicken with comté mushroom sauce
Take Sunday roast up a level with this incredible creamy roast chicken. It has a fondue-like Comté sauce, boosted by umami-rich mushrooms.
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Easy vegan
Nut roast balls, onion gravy and greens
Clodagh McKenna's nut roast balls with onion gravy and greens makes a fantastic vegan alternative to roast dinner or a simple Christmas lunch.
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