The best Christmas recipes 2025: mains, sides, drinks and dessert

Christmas is almost here, and we’re all planning our festive menus. Whether you’re looking for an easy but delicious ham recipe to act as your centrepiece, or the perfect side dish, salad or dessert to tie it all together—we’ve got you covered! Discover new ways to work with your favourite Christmas dishes. From Christmas mains of pork, ham, turkey, lamb or seafood, to all the summer salads that will make it sing, we’ve compiled our best Christmas recipe collections all in one place.

Arranged by ingredient, dish or course, you can scroll on to find a solution for the exact part of your Christmas menu that needs help. Whatever your festive food plight, look no further for Christmas menu inspiration. Discover Gourmet Traveller‘s best Christmas mains, sides, drinks and desserts for the year.

Best Christmas recipes, 2025

20 Christmas ham recipes for a festive feast

Discover the Christmas ham recipe they’ll be talking about all year.

47 of the best Christmas seafood recipes for 2025

The ultimate Christmas feast is not complete without a fresh seafood centrepiece.

Photo of a bright platter of tabbouleh with eggplant and grilled peaches. — *(Credits: Photo: Ben Dearnley)*

63 of our best Christmas salads to add variety to your Christmas Day spread

You’ll make a lot of friends with these festive salads.

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20 Christmas ham recipes for a festive feast

Best Christmas desserts: a semifreddo bomb alaska with layers of raspberry pink ice-cream and torched merringue — Cherry and gingerbread bombe Alaska

Christmas desserts to end your festive feasting on a high

Be it a traditional pudding, a layered trifle or a pavlova adorned with summer fruit, there’s only one rule: make it unforgettable.

Barbecued lamb in baharat and yoghurt *(Credits: Alicia Taylor)*

The best-ever Christmas roasts (that aren’t ham or turkey)

Sometimes it pays to switch things up a little. So this festive season, why not try a Christmas roast recipe that isn’t ham or turkey?

Date, gingerbread and yoghurt naked layer cake with burnt orange caramel — Gingerbread layer cake topped with figs *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

18 new Christmas recipes for your festive feast

From turkey to trifle, we’ve got all you need to celebrate this Christmas.

How to master your Christmas ham glaze — *(Credits: John Paul Urizar (main))*

Christmas ham glazes from Australia’s best chefs

If a ham is the ruler of the Christmas table, a well-made glaze is its crown. Here some of our leading culinary lights share their favourite formulas. It’s brush hour.

Jock Zonfrillo's roast turkey with native herbs and spices — Christmas turkey recipes for your festive feast *(Credits: Photo: Ben Dearnley)*

Christmas turkey recipes for your festive feast

If not during Christmas, then when?

Heirloom tomatoes and peaches with white bean and hazelnut tarator *(Credits: Con Poulos)*

Vegetarian Christmas recipes, from snacks through to mains

Because Christmas doesn’t have to be an all-ham affair.

Photo of 15-hour salt and vinegar potato bites topped with crème fraîche and caviar — 15-hour salt and vinegar potato bites topped with crème fraîche and caviar

50 Christmas entrées and side dishes that might just eclipse the main meal

Whether you prefer simple and traditional or something with a bit of flair, these are the only Christmas sides you’ll need.

pavlova recipes with cherry and chocolate on top — *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

The best pavlova recipes for Christmas dessert

The undeniable dessert hero of the festive season.

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20 Christmas ham recipes for a festive feast

Picture of a clear glass bowl filled with layers of peach pavlova trifle with brandy custard — Peach pavlova with brandy custard trifle

Our best trifle recipes for Christmas and beyond

When baking is too much of a tall order, trifles rise to the occasion.

Gin-cured salmon gravlax — How to make gin-cured salmon gravlax *(Credits: Alicia Taylor)*

Stay sane with these make-ahead Christmas recipes

A merry Christmas is a stress-free Christmas with these make-ahead recipes.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with black garlic and mint persillade on pink dish with white and orange check napkin and two grapefruit palomas with burnt grapefruit and a sprig of rosemary. — Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with black garlic and mint persillade *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

34 lamb recipes for Christmas

For gatherings big or small, there’s a festive lamb main for you.

Chefs' best Christmas mains: Jock Zonfrillo's roast turkey with native herbs and spices — Jock Zonfrillo's roast turkey with native herbs and spices *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

Top chefs share their best Christmas mains for a memorable feast

Brace for impact.

12 Christmas pudding recipes we dream about all year

It’s time to start making that Christmas pudding!

Sunset Negroni *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

36 of the best Christmas cocktail recipes for sipping this season

This is going to be one very merry Christmas.

Cranberry, pistachio and almond nougat *(Credits: James Moffatt)*

Bookmark these nougat recipes for Christmas

Soft and chewy or firm and crunchy – the choice is yours.

What is the most popular Christmas food in Australia?

Australia’s most popular Christmas food is often thought to be ham or prawns. While we can’t speak for all Australians, we do know the most popular Christmas recipes on Australian Gourmet Traveller. So, if you’re wondering which festive dishes are always a hit, here’s our definitive list. These are Gourmet Traveller‘s top 10 best Christmas recipes:

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20 Christmas ham recipes for a festive feast

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Rebecca Mitchell Contributor

Rebecca Mitchell is an Australian freelance journalist and digital editor. A former Senior Writer at Marie Claire and ELLE, Rebecca brings a wealth of experience in luxury lifestyle and prestige brands to Gourmet Traveller. Her love of travel, fashion, film, and art continues to inspire her work.

Best Christmas recipes, 2025

What is the most popular Christmas food in Australia?

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