Holiday Dinner Without Turkey: Thanksgiving & Christmas Main Dish Ideas

Not every holiday table needs a turkey.

 Maybe you’re cooking for a smaller crowd, you hosted the big bird at Thanksgiving and want something different for Christmas, or you’d simply rather spend the day on a centerpiece you love. Whatever the reason, a holiday dinner without turkey can feel every bit as special.

Below, we’ve split the ideas in two. The Thanksgiving mains keep the fall flavors and cozy feel of the classic meal, with a lot less time in the oven. The Christmas centerpieces are the showstoppers, from a pepper-crusted prime rib to a slow-smoked brisket. Each one comes with the technique that makes it work and a few sides and desserts to round out the table. If you’re sticking with tradition this year, our Thanksgiving Cooking Essentials guide walks through the classic turkey dinner.

Planning a Holiday Dinner Without Turkey

One of the best things about skipping the turkey is how much easier the day gets. A turkey takes over the oven for most of the afternoon. Every centerpiece below either cooks faster or rests long enough to free up the oven for the sides.

Pick one showpiece, then keep everything else simple. The main dish is where your time and attention should go. Choose sides that can be made ahead or finished on the stovetop, and plan a dessert you can make the day before.

Use the resting time. Roasts need to rest after they come out of the oven: about 15 minutes for chicken or ham, 20 to 30 for prime rib, and at least an hour for brisket. That’s your window to crank the oven up for roasted vegetables or potatoes.

Buy the right amount. A few rules of thumb for a crowd:

Season early. Salting a roast the day before works like a brine. The salt seasons the meat all the way through and dries the surface so it browns better. It’s the single biggest upgrade you can make to any of the meat centerpieces below.

If you love the Thanksgiving sides but not the turkey, these mains keep the fall flavors and the cozy feel of the classic meal, in a fraction of the time.

Whole Roast Chicken

Serve with: Cornbread Stuffing, Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnuts & Lemon Pepper Butter, and Grandma Menard’s Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.

A whole roast chicken is the closest thing to a Thanksgiving turkey, in a size that makes sense for four to six people. It gives you the same golden skin and juicy meat in a fraction of the time, and the leftovers make great sandwiches.

Salt the bird the night before and leave it uncovered in the fridge, just like a turkey. The next day, rub the seasoning under and over the skin. Nantucket Herb & Citrus Rub gives it a bright, herby flavor with rosemary and citrus peel, while Wash Park Garlic Pepper leans bold and savory.

Roast the chicken on a bed of potatoes and fennel, so the vegetables soak up the drippings as it cooks. Pull it when the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, and let it rest about 15 minutes before carving.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Onion Pan Sauce

Serve with: Herbed Mashed Potatoes, Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Walnut Oil, and Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie.

Pork and apples are a classic fall pairing, and a tenderloin cooks in under 30 minutes, which leaves the rest of the day for the sides. Trim off the thin, shiny silverskin first, since it turns tough and chewy as it cooks.

Season the pork with Bohemian Forest, sear it on all sides in an oven-safe skillet, then finish it in the oven until it reaches 145°F. While it rests, build the sauce in the same pan with sliced apples, onion, and broth. A spoonful ofFour Mushroom Umami Blend gives the sauce a deep, savory backbone, and pomegranate seeds add a festive pop of color.

One tenderloin feeds two or three people, so for a bigger crowd, cook two or three side by side in a large skillet.

Sage & Roasted Squash Risotto (Vegetarian)

Serve with: Roasted Cauliflower with Chard, Chickpeas and Dukka, Four Mushroom Umami Garlic Bread, and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.

A vegetarian holiday main should feel like the centerpiece, not a side dish that got promoted. A creamy, golden squash risotto does exactly that, with the same sage-and-herb flavors people expect from a Thanksgiving table.

The secret is roasting the squash separately. Toss the cubes with olive oil and Ground Jamaican Allspice, and roast them until the edges caramelize. Meanwhile, the risotto gets its holiday flavor from Poultry Seasoning, which, despite the name, is a meat-free blend of sage, rosemary, onion, and garlic. Toast the rice in olive oil first, then add warm vegetable broth a ladle at a time, stirring often, so the rice releases its starch and turns creamy without any cream.

To get ahead, cook the risotto about halfway, spread it on a sheet pan to cool, and refrigerate it. Right before dinner, return it to the pot with more warm broth and finish it in about 10 minutes. The Parmesan and crème fraîche are optional, so it’s easy to make vegan.

Christmas is when a showpiece main feels right. These are the dishes that get carved at the table, photographed before anyone eats, and requested again next year.

Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib

Serve with: Fondant Potatoes, Sweet Rosemary Roasted Carrots, and Mulling-Spiced Panna Cotta with Caramelized Apples.

Nothing says celebration like a standing rib roast. It’s also more forgiving than its price tag suggests, as long as you go by temperature. Start the day before: season the roast generously with salt and let it sit uncovered in the fridge overnight. The next day, coat it with Flat Irons Prime Rib Rub and Whiskey Barrel Smoked Black Pepper, which gives the crust a subtle smokiness.

Let the roast sit at room temperature for about an hour so it cooks evenly, then pull it when the center reads 120 to 125°F for medium-rare. The temperature keeps climbing as it rests for 20 to 30 minutes. Use that time to make a quick pan sauce with the drippings and beef broth. To carve, slice along the bones to remove them in one piece, then cut the roast into thick slices.

Spiced Baked Ham

Serve with: Ghee Roasted Potatoes, Sweet Roasted Root Vegetables, and Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie.

Ham is the easiest holiday centerpiece there is, because most of the work is already done. Most store-bought hams are fully cooked, so you’re really reheating it and building flavor on the outside. Look for bone-in. The bone adds flavor as it warms, and it makes a great base for soup the week after.

Score the fat in a diamond pattern, about ¼ inch deep, then rub on about 1 teaspoon of seasoning per pound. Longs Peak Pork Chop Spice brings a savory, herby edge, while salt-free Park Hill Maple & Spice leans sweet and warm. Bake it covered at 325°F until the center reaches 140°F, then uncover it for the last 20 to 30 minutes so the outside caramelizes.

Let it rest about 15 minutes before slicing, and use that window to crisp the potatoes in a hot oven.

Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops

Serve with: Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes, Saffron Honey Glazed Roasted Radishes, and Orange Spice Cookies.

Frenched lamb rib chops look elegant on the plate and cook in minutes, which makes them perfect for a smaller Christmas dinner. They’re also a great second main alongside a ham or roast.

Season the chops with Mt. Olympus Greek Seasoning and a little lemon zest. The blend’s garlic, oregano, and spearmint are a natural match for lamb. Sear them in a very hot skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then add butter, a smashed garlic clove, and a sprig of rosemary, and spoon the foaming butter over the chops as they finish. Pull them at 130 to 135°F for medium-rare and let them rest about 5 minutes.

A bright lemon-mint gremolata spooned over the top cuts through the richness, so the whole plate tastes fresh.

Smoked Texas Brisket

Serve with: Baby Potatoes with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli, BBQ Roasted Cauliflower, and Candy Cane Cookies.

If there’s a pitmaster in the family, a smoked brisket might be the most memorable Christmas dinner you’ll ever serve. It also frees up the oven entirely, since the whole thing happens outside.

Start with a whole “packer cut” brisket and season it heavily with Texas Brisket Rub, a classic Texas blend built on coarse black pepper and salt. Smoke it low and slow at 225 to 250°F. When the internal temperature stalls around 165°F, wrap it in butcher paper to push through. It’s done when a probe slides in like butter, usually around 200 to 205°F.

The rest is just as important as the cook. Wrap the finished brisket in towels and let it rest in an empty cooler for at least an hour so the juices settle. Slice against the grain right before serving.

Maple-Glazed Salmon

Serve with: Spicy Orange & Watercress Salad, Maple Roasted Root Vegetables and Quinoa Salad, and Pfeffernusse Cookies for dessert.

For a lighter Christmas dinner, salmon is elegant, colorful, and ready in about 15 minutes. Park Hill Maple & Spice brings maple sugar and warm spices like ginger and cardamom, and it caramelizes into a glossy crust in the oven.

Pat the fillets dry, brush them with olive oil, and season generously, adding kosher salt since the blend is salt-free. Roast at 400°F, skin-side down, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily. For a crowd, use a whole side of salmon and add 5 to 10 minutes.

Your Make-Ahead Game Plan

Whichever main you choose, a little work in the days before makes the holiday itself feel easy.

Essential Holiday Spices to have on hand:

The best holiday meals aren’t about following tradition. 

They’re about cooking something your people will love. Pick your centerpiece, then take a quick look at your spice cabinet. If a jar is running low or has been open since last year, a refill bag tops it off with fresh flavor, so everything tastes the way it should. 

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