Christmas recipes: from seafood, roasts and festive drinks
Celebrate this silly season with our ultimate guide to Christmas recipes. From showstopping seafood dishes to perfect roasts, delicious desserts, and festive drinks, these recipes are holiday table must-haves. Explore our curated collection to make this Christmas a real treat.
Christmas is a time to gather, celebrate, and savor the best of the season’s flavours. Whether you’re hosting a traditional feast or creating a laid-back coastal spread, the right recipes can make your festive table truly special. From indulgent seafood platters to perfectly roasted mains, vibrant side dishes, decadent desserts and celebratory drinks, this collection has something special for every type of holiday occasion.
Christmas seafood recipes
Seafood takes pride of place on many Australian Christmas tables, offering a fresh and vibrant alternative to traditional roasts. From zesty prawn salads to rich fish bakes and buttery shellfish, these recipes celebrate the best of the ocean’s bounty, with options to prepare ahead of time, serve whole or pack with bold, festive flavours.
David Herbert’s Thai prawn salad
The best Thai salads combine contrasting tastes and textures, says David Herbert. Use recipes as a guide only — the intensity of the ingredients can vary, and only your tongue can tell you how much more of something you need to add.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s Thai prawn salad.
Sean Moran’s Murray Cod baked in salt dough buried in charcoal
Forget shrimps on the barbie, have you tried cod on charcoal? Chef Sean Moran shares his recipe of murray cod baked in salt dough buried in charcoal.
Get the recipe for Sean Moran’s cod baked in salt dough.
Jordan Toft’s yabby sliders
Peeling, shucking and dressing your own yabbies gets everyone into the Christmas spirit and leads to conversations, says chef Jordan Toft. His other seafood recipes are just as moreish – and well worth adding to the Christmas menu.
Get the recipe for Jordan Toft’s yabby sliders.
Lennox Hastie’s ‘shrimp’ on the barbie
Succulent grilled butterflied prawns, infused with the vibrant flavours of a zesty mango, caper and finger lime salsa, are sensational ingredients that are best cooked simply, allowing you to embrace the true joy of the season.
Get the recipe for Lennox Hastie’s ‘shrimp’ on the barbie.
Bill Granger’s grilled lobster, spring onion and turmeric relish
Bill Granger’s Christmas menu is purposely “light and low key, with as little cooking as possible”. The simplicity of this grilled lobster proves just that.
Get the recipe for Bill Granger’s Australian grilled lobster.
Oysters with green chilli and yuzu vinaigrette
“Christmas is always about seafood for me,” Granger says of cold-water oysters. This zesty spin is a perfect start to any silly season meal.
Get the recipe for Bill Granger’s oyster’s with green chilli and yuzu vinaigrette.
Christmas roast recipes
A perfectly cooked roast is the heart of any traditional Christmas feast. Whether it’s a succulent leg of lamb, a flavourful pork rack with fennel, or a tender turkey roll, these recipes bring warmth and celebration to the table. Pair them with vibrant Christmas side dishes for a complete spread, and explore our dedicated guide to roast recipes for more inspiration.
David Herbert’s leg of lamb and smashed beans
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s leg of lamb and smashed beans.
Pork rack, fennel and nectarines
Sean Moran’s pork is sliced and served with nectarines and fennel – both ingredients bring a fresh touch to the classic roast. Serve with a spoonful of reduced sauce and a scattering of crackling.
Get the recipe for Pork rack, fennel and nectarines.
Elizabeth Hewson’s turkey roll
Elizabeth Hewson always preps a rolled turkey breast on Christmas Eve – and it’s a task that usually comes without any drama. A whole turkey can feel out of place on an Australian Christmas table but this zesty, herb turkey breast roll feels just right. It’s perfect served warm or at room temperature among a Christmas spread, and makes for the best left-over sandwiches.
Get the recipe for Elizabeth Hewson’s turkey roll.
David Herbert’s glazed Christmas ham
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s glazed Christmas ham.
Goose with caviar
Goose is a rich and decadent bird. It is harder to find in Australia but worth the effort. Cook it slowly so it also renders in its own fat and falls of the bone. Serve with some umami caviar on the crunchy skin.
Get the recipe for Goose with caviar.
Crispy pork belly with native caramel citrus
Mindy Woods perfects the crispy pork belly by putting her own spin on it. Serve with this native caramel citrus to really wow your guests.
Get the recipe for crispy pork belly with native caramel citrus.
Christmas side dishes
No Christmas feast is complete without an array of vibrant side dishes to complement the main event. From crisp sweet potato wedges to easy salad recipes these sides are stars in their own right – and bring the extra bonus of adding colour, flavour and balance to your holiday table. Explore our curated collection of Christmas sides to find the perfect pairing for your roast or seafood centrepiece.
David Herbert’s pomegranate tabouleh and sweet potato wedges
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s pomegranate tabouleh and sweet potato wedges.
Tomato salad, buffalo mozzarella, pounded basil and olives
Get the recipe for tomato salad, buffalo mozzarella, pounded basil and olives.
Romaine ribs, mustard and verjus dressing
Get the recipe for Romaine ribs, mustard and verjus dressing.
Perfect roast potatoes
Get the recipe for perfect roast potatoes.
Lennox Hastie’s potato salad
Get the recipe for Lennox Hastie’s potato salad.
Christmas dessert recipes
End your christmas feast on a sweet note with desserts that will impress every guest. From a refreshing passionfruit parfait to a strawberry twist on a classic pavlova, buttery shortbread biscuits and spiced gingerbread, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. For more festive inspiration, explore our collection of tart recipes, perfect for adding a touch of elegance to your holiday spread.
David Herbert’s boozy cherry and passionfruit parfait
For Christmas, serve up one of David Herbert’s festive recipes like this boozy cherry and passionfruit parfait.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s boozy cherry and passionfruit parfait.
Strawberry gum and lillypilly pavlova
Using native ingredients gives this classic Aussie pav a real taste of the bush. Nothing screams summer Christmas like this recipe does.
Get the recipe for Mindy Woods’s strawberry gum and lillypilly pavlova.
Candied peel tart
This candied peel tart by Sean Moran is an innovative Australian version of sweet American pies, many of which are served around the holiday period. For a summery twist, serve this to your guests with a side of ice cream.
Get the recipe for Sean Moran’s candid peel tart.
Raspberry marshmallows
Once you start on these raspberry marshmallows you’ll find it hard to stop. Luckily, this recipe makes 30 pieces. For bigger Christmas parties, double the recipe.
Get the recipe for Sean Moran’s raspberry marshmallows.
David Herbert’s classic shortbread biscuits
These classic biscuits should be satisfyingly crumbly and dry, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture. They’re the perfect Christmas party favours.
Get the recipe for David Herbert’s classic shortbread.
Lennox Hastie’s eton mess
This Eton mess is a showstopper. If you want to miss the baking altogether, store-bought meringues do the trick.
Get the recipe for Lennox Hastie’s vanilla, clove & cherry Eton mess.
Tessa Kiros’s gingerbread
Enjoy this not-too-sweet gingerbread with molasses. The cake will keep in the tin and it is so wonderful to have it in the house – Christmas or not.
Get the recipe for Tessa Kiros’ gingerbread.
Christmas drinks
Raise a glass to the festive season with sommelier-grade Christmas drinks that elevate your celebrations. From refreshing punches to sophisticated martinis and classic Negronis, these cocktail recipes offer the perfect opportunity to broaden your repertoire and showcase your bar cart in style.
Get the recipe for Bec Vrana Dickinson’s festive cocktails.
Not sure what to do with all the Christmas leftovers? Try out these recipes from our favourite chefs for your Boxing Day fix. For more food ideas, go to theaustralian.com.au/life/food-drink. For weekly recipes, sign up to our weekly food and wine newsletter.
