13 Holiday Roasts That Could Finally Replace the Turkey This Year
Here is a secret a lot of hosts will not admit: they do not even like turkey that much. If your family feels the same, this is your sign to try something new. These holiday roasts are juicy, impressive and often easier than a 20 pound bird. Craving more old school comfort? Browse our Grandma’s Sunday dinner classics too. Which one would make your family gasp when you set it down..
Holiday Roasts Start With Prime Rib and a Glazed Ham
Why choose one centerpiece when you can have two? A sliced prime rib next to a shiny glazed ham makes any table feel like a celebration. Both can cook while you relax, and both make incredible leftovers. Quick poll: A) Prime rib B) Glazed ham C) Both on the same table D) Still team turkey. Of all the holiday roasts, this duo is the true crowd pleaser.
You will need: Ham: 1 fully cooked spiral ham (8 to 10 pounds), 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon cloves.
How to make it: 1. Place the ham cut side down in a roasting pan with 1/2 cup water and cover with foil. 2. Bake at 325 F for about 12 minutes per pound. 3. Simmer brown sugar, honey, mustard, orange juice and cloves for 3 minutes. 4. Brush half the glaze over the ham and bake uncovered 15 minutes. 5. Brush again, rest 15 minutes and slice.
Holiday Roasts Classic: Herb Crusted Prime Rib
Prime rib looks like the most expensive dinner in the world, yet it is one of the simplest to cook. A thick herb and garlic crust, a low oven, and a meat thermometer do all the work. The reverse sear method gives you edge to edge pink meat with a crispy outside. Serve with horseradish cream. How do you like your beef: rare, medium or well done?
You will need: 1 bone in prime rib (6 to 8 pounds), 4 tablespoons butter softened, 6 cloves garlic minced, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper.
How to make it: 1. Salt the roast and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. 2. Mix butter, garlic, herbs and pepper and rub all over. 3. Roast at 250 F until it reaches 120 F inside for medium rare, about 3 to 4 hours. 4. Rest 30 minutes. 5. Blast at 500 F for 8 to 10 minutes to crisp the crust and slice.
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham With a Crosshatch
Scoring a ham in a diamond pattern is not just for looks. The cuts let the sweet glaze sink into every slice, and the edges caramelize into sticky, crispy bites people fight over. A bone in ham also gives you a free bone for split pea soup next week. Do you save the ham bone or toss it?
You will need: 1 bone in smoked ham (8 pounds), 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, whole cloves (optional).
How to make it: 1. Score the ham in a diamond pattern about 1/4 inch deep. 2. Stud with cloves if you like. 3. Bake covered at 325 F for 2 hours. 4. Mix the glaze ingredients and brush over the ham. 5. Bake uncovered 30 minutes more, brushing every 10 minutes.
Budget Friendly Eye of Round Roast Beef
Want a roast beef dinner that does not break the bank? Eye of round is lean and affordable, and when cooked right and sliced paper thin, it is tender and juicy. The trick is a hot start and then turning the oven off completely. Leftovers make the best roast beef sandwiches you have ever had. Would you try the oven off method?
You will need: 1 eye of round roast (3 pounds), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
How to make it: 1. Bring the roast to room temperature for 1 hour. 2. Rub with oil and the seasonings. 3. Roast at 500 F for 7 minutes per pound. 4. Turn the oven off and leave the door closed for 2 1/2 hours. 5. Slice very thin against the grain.
Slow Braised Lamb Shanks
Lamb shanks are what you make when you want the house to smell incredible all afternoon. They braise low and slow in wine, tomatoes and garlic until the meat falls off the bone. Spoon the rich sauce over mashed potatoes or polenta. It is cozy, elegant and almost impossible to mess up. Have you ever cooked lamb at home?
You will need: 4 lamb shanks, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup red wine or broth, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, 2 sprigs rosemary, salt, pepper.
How to make it: 1. Season and brown the shanks in oil, then remove. 2. Cook onion, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes, then stir in tomato paste. 3. Add wine, tomatoes, broth and rosemary. 4. Return the shanks, cover and bake at 325 F for 3 hours. 5. Simmer the sauce to thicken and serve over potatoes.
Holiday Roasts for Small Gatherings: Herb Butter Chicken
Not every holiday means a crowd of twenty. For a small table, a golden roast chicken is perfect. Herb butter under the skin keeps it juicy, and a hot oven gives you that crackly skin everyone wants. It takes about 90 minutes and costs a fraction of a turkey. Who is at your table this year, a big crowd or just a few?
You will need: 1 whole chicken (5 pounds), 4 tablespoons butter softened, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1 lemon, 1 onion quartered, salt, pepper.
How to make it: 1. Pat the chicken very dry and season inside and out. 2. Mix butter, garlic and herbs and spread it under the skin. 3. Stuff with lemon and onion and tie the legs. 4. Roast at 425 F for 1 hour 15 minutes, until 165 F in the thigh. 5. Rest 15 minutes before carving.
Holiday Roasts With Crackling: Pork Shoulder
If you have never had real pork crackling, you are missing out. The skin turns into a crunchy, salty, bubbly shell while the meat underneath stays meltingly tender. The secret is dry skin, lots of salt and a blast of high heat at the end. Serve with roasted carrots and applesauce. Is crackling the best part? We think so.
You will need: 1 bone in pork shoulder with skin (6 pounds), 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 pound carrots, 2 tablespoons honey.
How to make it: 1. Score the skin and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight. 2. Rub the meat side with garlic, fennel and pepper and the skin with oil and salt. 3. Roast at 325 F for 4 hours. 4. Add honey coated carrots for the last 40 minutes. 5. Turn the oven to 475 F for 20 minutes until the skin crackles.
Beef Wellington Without the Stress
Beef Wellington is the dish that makes people say wow. A tender beef fillet wrapped in mushroom paste and golden puff pastry. It looks hard, but store bought pastry and a make ahead plan make it doable for home cooks. You can wrap it the day before and bake it when guests arrive. Quick poll: A) Would make it B) Would order it C) Would only watch it on TV.
You will need: 1 center cut beef tenderloin (2 pounds), 1 pound mushrooms finely chopped, 2 shallots, 2 tablespoons butter, 8 slices prosciutto, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 sheet puff pastry, 1 egg, salt, pepper.
How to make it: 1. Sear the seasoned beef on all sides, brush with mustard and cool. 2. Cook mushrooms and shallots in butter until dry. 3. Lay prosciutto on plastic wrap, spread the mushrooms and roll the beef inside, then chill 30 minutes. 4. Wrap in pastry, brush with egg and chill again. 5. Bake at 425 F for 35 to 40 minutes until 125 F inside, rest 10 minutes.
Crispy Roast Duck With Orange Glaze
Roast duck feels like a fancy restaurant dinner, but it is surprisingly easy. The fat melts away during roasting and leaves skin so crispy it shatters. Bonus: save the duck fat for the best roasted potatoes of your life. An orange and honey glaze gives it a sweet and tangy finish. Have you ever tasted duck?
You will need: 1 whole duck (5 pounds), 1 orange quartered, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon five spice powder. Glaze: 1/2 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
How to make it: 1. Prick the skin all over without piercing the meat. 2. Rub with salt and five spice and stuff with orange and garlic. 3. Roast at 325 F for 2 1/2 hours, pouring off the fat every 45 minutes. 4. Simmer the glaze for 5 minutes. 5. Brush on the glaze, roast at 425 F for 15 minutes more and rest.
Holiday Roasts in 30 Minutes: Garlic Rack of Lamb
Want something elegant that cooks while the potatoes finish? A rack of lamb is ready in about half an hour. A crust of Dijon, garlic, herbs and breadcrumbs keeps it juicy and adds crunch. Cut it into chops and arrange them on a platter, and you have a restaurant moment at home. Would you serve it with mint sauce or skip it?
You will need: 2 racks of lamb (about 1 1/2 pounds each), 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper.
How to make it: 1. Season the lamb and sear the fat side in a hot pan. 2. Brush the meat with Dijon. 3. Mix panko, garlic, herbs and oil and press onto the mustard. 4. Roast at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes until 130 F inside. 5. Rest 10 minutes and slice between the bones.
Sunday Style Pot Roast With Carrots
Some people want a fancy holiday. Others want the food that tastes like Grandma’s kitchen. This pot roast is for the second group. A cheap chuck roast becomes fork tender after a few hours in the oven with onions, carrots and rich gravy. Pile it over mashed potatoes and watch everyone go quiet. Did your family have a pot roast night?
You will need: 1 chuck roast (4 pounds), 2 tablespoons oil, 1 onion, 6 carrots in chunks, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire, 2 sprigs thyme, salt, pepper.
How to make it: 1. Season the roast well and sear on all sides in a Dutch oven. 2. Add onion, garlic and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. 3. Pour in broth and Worcestershire and add thyme. 4. Cover and bake at 300 F for 3 hours, then add carrots and bake 1 hour more. 5. Shred or slice and spoon the gravy over.
Holiday Roasts From Italy: Porchetta
Porchetta is the Italian street food star: a pork roast rolled with garlic, fennel, rosemary and lemon zest, with crispy skin all around. The smell alone will bring everyone into the kitchen. Slice it thick for dinner and pile the leftovers on crusty rolls the next day. Is it the most underrated of all holiday roasts? We think so!
You will need: 1 pork belly with skin (4 pounds), 1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), 6 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fennel seeds toasted, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, zest of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, 2 tablespoons salt, kitchen string.
How to make it: 1. Score the meat side of the belly and rub with garlic, fennel, rosemary, zest, chili and salt. 2. Place the tenderloin in the middle and roll tight, tying every inch. 3. Salt the skin and chill uncovered overnight. 4. Roast at 300 F for 3 hours until 160 F inside. 5. Raise to 475 F for 20 minutes to crisp, rest 20 minutes and slice.
Whole Beef Tenderloin for a Crowd
A whole beef tenderloin is a splurge, but it serves a crowd and there is zero waste. It cooks in under an hour and slices like butter. Serve it warm for dinner or cold on a platter with horseradish sauce and rolls for a holiday buffet. This is the one to make for a milestone celebration. What would you be celebrating?
You will need: 1 trimmed beef tenderloin (4 to 5 pounds), 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves garlic minced, 2 tablespoons coarse salt, 1 tablespoon cracked pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme. Sauce: 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons horseradish, 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
How to make it: 1. Tie the tenderloin every 2 inches so it cooks evenly. 2. Rub with oil, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme. 3. Sear on all sides in a hot pan. 4. Roast at 425 F for 25 to 35 minutes until 125 F inside. 5. Rest 15 minutes, slice and serve with the horseradish sauce.
