12 Christmas Main Dishes To Transform Your Holidays

Christmas is the Wonderful Time of The Year

Ready or not, the holiday is upon us, and one of the things that everyone looks forward to is the holiday dinners—specifically those excellent Thanksgiving and Christmas main dishes. Also, the sides, I love my vegetable side dishes (in my air fryer). Christmas is (one of) my favorite holidays; it’s colorful, joyous, hopeful, and brings everyone together.

Let’s talk about the meals we enjoy indulging in this season. The ultimate Christmas cranberry orange bread. The cozy homemade cinnamon rolls;? My favorite is this cinnamon date rolls, our ideal Christmas breakfast. At this moment, though, let’s re-focus on Christmas main dishes! ⬇️

Christmas Parade

There are always several things to do and great opportunities to be happy and merry. We just went to the Christmas Parade in our city last weekend, and it was simply exciting. Tons of community members braced the cold, left their homes, and thronged downtown to watch the parade. My kids, husband, and I really enjoyed it. I took the photo below at Christmas in Bel Air Christmas Parade on December 08, 2024. It was such a beautiful scene! ⬇️

2024 Christmas in Bel Air Maryland was an excellent opportunity for the community to come out together and celebrate the numerous festivities of Christmas. There was a Christmas parade and trains, and the season's beautiful colors were on display. We definitely look forward to the next one.

Christmas Main Dishes to Remember (Best Entrees?)

If you ask me or any member of my household, YES, these are the best entrees for Christmas! All of them are simple and easy to make yet super tasty and finger-licking good! You won’t regret trying any of these holiday dinner ideas. Though I recommend these main dishes for the Christmas holidays, they are, in fact, perfect for weekly Sunday dinners. I am excited to share these super tasty, cozy, hearty, delicious holiday main dishes to elevate your Christmas dinners. These are restaurant-worthy dishes.

Want simple but fancy entrees for Christmas? I got you. Here are some Christmas main dishes you and your guests will enjoy to make this season of the year more merry. I have gathered easy, colorful, restaurant-quality dinner entrees from braised beef short ribs, coconut salmon, and orange-glazed turkey breast. You are simply in for a treat. Need these holiday dinner ideas? Keep reading. Here are 12 Christmas main dishes to wow your family and guests!

12 Easy Christmas Main Dishes To Wow Your Guests During The Holidays!

1. Beef Short Ribs (One of Our Fav Christmas Main Dishes)!

Mouthwatering and finger-licking good braised beef short ribs are flavorful, tasty, juicy, and fall off the bone. I cooked these English – style short ribs without wine in the oven until they were very tender and juicy! Nothing makes more sense rather than braising well-seasoned and well-seared beef short ribs in sauce at low temperature for a long time.

2. Creamy Smothered Garlic Butter Chicken Breast

This easy, creamy, smothered garlic butter chicken breasts recipe is literally the best way to make chicken breasts. You will end up with the tasty chicken breasts smothered in creamy garlic butter sauce.

This easy, creamy, smothered garlic butter chicken breasts recipe is literally the best way to make chicken breasts. You will end up with the tasting chicken breasts smothered in creamy garlic butter sauce. It's so creamy, luscious, and tasty. The best thing is that this recipe requires only a few ingredients, including skinless, boneless chicken breasts, garlic, butter, chicken broth, salt, pepper, etc. You will first brown the breasts, then make the garlic butter sauce and finish cooking the breasts. This chicken breast recipe is perfect for the holidays and family dinners.

3. Oven-Baked Bone-In Leg OF Lamb

This leg of lamb has the perfect crust on the outside and is extraordinarily juicy, tender, and flavorful inside—literally the epitome of a flawless roast. This palatable main is what you need for the holidays! Excellent for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Sunday dinners!

roasted lamb leg has the perfect crust on the outside and is extraordinarily juicy, tender, and flavorful inside—literally the epitome of a flawless roast. The best part is that this lamb roast is super easy to make with only a few ingredients. Second, it doesn't require a special marinade. Furthermore, this roast leg of lamb recipe would be fantastic for a Sunday roast, Easter lunch, Christmas dinner, or better still, put this lamb recipe on your Thanksgiving dinner menu. #Roast #Lamb #legoflamb #Christmasrecipe #Holidayrecipe #keto #glutenfree

4. Marry Me Chicken (Super Easy Main Dish)!

Marry Me Chicken: An unforgettable, delicious, flavorful, finger-licking chicken recipe! It combines garlic, tomatoes, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs to make the most tasting creamy sauce, and your golden brown seared chicken breast simmers in this sauce.

The famous Marry Me Chicken is simply the delectable chicken dish that seals the deal! An unforgettable, delicious, flavorful, finger-licking chicken recipe! It combines garlic, "sun-dried tomatoes" (though I used fresh tomatoes), heavy cream, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs to make the most tasting creamy sauce, and your golden brown seared chicken breast simmers in this sauce. Y'all, this dish is so good that people on the internet believe it can make someone pop the question. This Marry Me Chicken recipe is easy to cook as it is ready in less than 20 minutes! Serve for date nights and special occasions, perfect with any side dish!

5. Gluten-free Stuffed Turkey Breast

This easy gluten-free stuffed turkey breast is the perfect healthy and nutritious Thanksgiving turkey your friends and family will love. The gluten-free stuffing makes this an ideal recipe for everyone, even if on a special diet. Here’s the full video recipe this turkey breast.

Take the stress out of your holiday cooking with this easy oven-baked stuffed turkey breast recipe. Oven roasted boneless stuffed turkey breast is moist, juicy, tender, and incredibly delicious! This simple baked turkey breast is the perfect alternative to a full-size turkey for small families during the holidays and beyond. Making turkey breast takes way less time than a whole turkey, and yet very flavorful and perfect for a small gathering! With its crispy skin yet tender on the inside, your whole family is going to love this well-seasoned turkey meat! #turkeybreast #ovenroastedturkey #thanksgivingturkey #bonelessturkeybreast #holidays

6. Air Fryer Marinated Lamb Chops

These marinated lamb chops are bursting with a variety of pungent, tangy, savory, and absolutely delicious flavors. You’ve got to try them! So easy to make and perfect for the holidays! Remember that sizes of your chops may differ. I used organic lamb chops from my local farmer/butcher.

These easy and tasty lamb chops in the air fryer are tender and juicy with slightly crispy edges. First, they are marinated in the cilantro lime marinade to lock in the juiciness, and the air fryer cooks them to perfection. You get a crisp exterior and perfect meat inside that will impress your family and your guests. These marinated lamb chops are flavorful and perfect with every main dish. Also, this recipe is keto, gluten-free and low-carb. #Lambchops #keto #Airfryer

7. Orange-Glazed Turkey Breasts (One of our BEST Christmas Main Dishes)!

Oven Roasted Orange Glazed Turkey Breast is tender, juicy, citrusy, and incredibly flavorful! Turkey breast makes a perfect alternative to a full-size turkey during the holidays! This is one of those Christmas main dishes that stands on business.

Simple Oven Roasted Orange glazed Turkey Breast is tender, juicy, citrusy, and incredibly flavorful! Oven-baked turkey breast makes a perfect alternative to a full-size turkey for Thanksgiving, especially for small families. The orange glaze gives this turkey a perfectly crispy exterior yet super tasty, tender, and juicy meat. Your whole family and guest will love this recipe, and honestly, you may never have to bother with the whole turkey again!

8. Air Fryer Chicken Thighs (One of Our Quick AF Christmas Main Dishes)!

These bone in chicken thighs in the Air Fryer are crispy on the outside and yet very juicy on the inside. Air fryer thighs are packed with flavors, easy to cook, and ready in 30 minutes or less. Serve with mashed sweet potatoes or braised red cabbage. YUM.

9. Coconut Lime Salmon (BEST Seafood Christmas Main)

An easy low-carb salmon recipe, pan-seared on the stove with coconut oil and then soaked in creamy coconut lime sauce, is a dinner you will never forget. If you love seafood and do not want spend the entire in the kitchen on Christmas Day making, this is for you.

Creamy Pan-fried Salmon in Coconut Lime Garlic Sauce is calling! This is seriously the BEST Ever Coconut Lime Sauce Salmon Recipe! Salmon is quick and simple to cook, making it a great dinner, lunch, or brunch, especially when pressed for time! This salmon recipe isn't only quick to come together, but it is also tasty, nutritious, succulent, and satisfyingly impressive. This salmon recipe is keto-friendly, gluten-free as well as dairy-free. Let's take a moment to clap it up for my creamy pan-fried salmon in coconut lime sauce. It is on a monthly rotation in my house. Serve it with coconut basmati rice, mashed sweet potatoes, or a side of your choice.

10. Air Fryer Salmon with Pureed Beetroot

The best thing about this healthy salmon recipe is that it cooks in no time, we are talking about less than 10 minutes, and the pureed red beets takes this to another level. A simple colorful Christmas main dish!

Silky red beet puree, aka beetroot puree, is simply a recipe of pureed cooked beets, coconut milk, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. Red beet puree is sweet, savory, flavorful, colorful, and comes with a perfect kick of freshness from the fresh raw garlic.

11. Smothered Oven-Baked Turkey Legs

Get ready for the easiest dinner ever with this one-pot turkey leg dish! Legitimately, the most comforting and hearty fall-off-the-bone oven-baked smothered turkey legs! This is one of those Christmas main dishes you will never forget!

12. Juicy Baked Turkey Wings

Juicy, tasty, flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone turkey wings baked in the oven are the turkey wings of your dreams. You will want to make this turkey wings recipe all year round. Though was an excellent Thanksgiving dinner, it makes an unforgettable Christmas main too!

Easy Side Dishes That Go With Christmas Main Dishes

More Special Occassion Recipe Guide:

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