Best Christmas seafood recipes for an easy but impressive feast

Is an Australian Christmas spread really complete without an array of seafood recipes? Proximity to the ocean and our balmy Christmas days make for the perfect combination to knock back fresh oysters (with your choice of oyster dressings), raw prawns or your own salmon gravlax. Whether fresh, baked or barbecued, having a seafood entree or centrepiece dish will enhance your Christmas feast. If you’re looking for crowd pleasers, check out our collection of the best Christmas seafood recipes to try this year.

Looking for something specific? Try our other seafood recipe collections:

Best Christmas seafood recipes for 2025

Roast ocean trout with cucumber and preserved lemon salad

Excellent served warm or cold, so you could cook the trout a day ahead and just whip up the salad before serving.

Grilled lobster with beurre blanc and chives

Lobster is the ultimate show-stopping centrepiece, always.

Prawn cocktail tower

And that’s a wrap – the perfect self-serve summer dish.

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Scallop, Japanese seaweed and avocado on a bed of sushi rice

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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.

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Swordfish and chorizo skewers with macadamia romesco

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Cardamom nut cake is a great Valentine's Day recipe

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Prawn linguine with semi-dried tomatoes and olives

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Aerial view of Kylie Kwong's prawn dumplings with chilli

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Pan-fried barramundi with creamy Grenobloise sauce and colcannon

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Five scallops in a half-shell topped with herbs and a soy dressing, on an off-white plate, on a white marble background. — Louis Tikaram's grilled Hervey Bay scallops with soy and ginger *(Credits: Kara Rosenlund)*

Louis Tikaram’s grilled Hervey Bay scallops with soy and ginger

The perfect dish to whip up after a day at the beach, according to the Stanley chef.

Oysters two ways, with cucumber-lime dressing and cabbage-ginger tsukemono

Why settle for just one dressing when you can have two?

Neil Perry’s king prawn, mango and hazelnut salad

Another Australian summer classic, and for good reason.

Roast baby snapper with potatoes, lemon and capers

Fresh and breezy, this dish will become a warm weather staple.

Gravlax recipe — Salmon gravlax with micro herbs, crushed pink peppercorns, and edible flowers (as referenced in our serving suggestion below). *(Credits: Alicia Taylor)*

How to make salmon gravlax

Set up a celebration station at your next party with this show-stopping gin-cured salmon gravlax as the hero.

Barbecued lobster with lemongrass and coconut sugar FB — *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

Thai-style barbecued lobster with lemongrass, makrut lime and palm sugar

A vibrant take on a classic seafood Christmas dish.

Pickled pineapple and pink peppercorn granita oysters — *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

Oysters with pickled pineapple and pink peppercorn granita

Pink peppercorns bring a hit of spice to these oysters.

Saint Peter’s scallops with citrus dressing

“Scallops and citrus have a wonderful synergy whether they’re raw or cooked,” says Saint Peter’s Josh Niland.

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Blue swimmer crab cocktail with avocado cream

This riff on the classic prawn cocktail is dressed to impress.

Image of halved Balmain bugs and a bunch of red grapes on a white platter — Grilled Balmain bugs with charred grapes and ouzo; Photo: Alicia Taylor *(Credits: Alicia Taylor)*

Grilled Balmain bugs with charred grapes and ouzo

Spring is in the air, and what better way to celebrate than with fresh Balmain bugs?

Mediterranean whole flounder recipe with green olive salsa — *(Credits: James Moffatt)*

Mediterranean-style whole flounder recipe with green olive salsa

Sicilian green olives deliver a salty punch to this whole flounder.

bowls-of-mixed-seafood-salad-and-bread-sticks — Photo: Alicia Taylor *(Credits: Alicia Taylor)*

Mixed grilled seafood salad with lemon mignonette

Feeling like something fresh this Christmas? Look no further.

Spiced tuna, radishes, micro greens and finger lime with a gold fork on a white plate. — *(Credits: Ben Dearnley)*

Seared tuna salad with radish, finger lime and citrus vinaigrette

This zingy seared tuna salad, topped with citrus vinaigrette and finger lime, will be a crowd-pleaser at your next lunch party.

A baked trout on a pink oval platter, garnished with roasted onions — Coral trout with saffron and Sherry-roasted onions *(Credits: Alicia Taylor )*

Coral trout with saffron and Sherry-roasted onions

Is there anything more showstopping than a whole baked fish?

Jordan Toft’s dressed crab

Roasted mud crab dressed with its own juice, then enlivened even more with tangy mayonnaise – does lunch get much better than this?

Oysters with two sauces

Add a little zing to your oysters with two vibrant mignonettes.

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Scampi with green mango and fried shallots

A luxurious summertime starter.

Spiced coral trout with eggplant ezme

Seafood is the star of an Australian holiday table.

Grilled scallops in the shell

With garlic butter too.

Sean Moran’s freshly shucked oysters with tarragon dressing

Match sea-briney oysters with the herby high notes of tarragon and chives.

halved-lobsters-on-colourful-plates — Lobster with lemon myrtle, tarragon and crab butter *(Credits: Alicia Taylor)*

Lobster with lemon myrtle, tarragon and crab butter

A simple and decadent way to enjoy lobster — particularly at Christmas.

Fish sandwich recipe — GT's ultimate fish sando *(Credits: James Moffatt)*

Ultimate fish sandwich

Calling upon Australian fish shop nostalgia and native ingredients, this is our step-by-step guide to creating the perfect summer fish sandwich.

Si Paradiso’s charred octopus with almonds and mandarin

Octopus might not be the easiest dish to make, especially when a hibachi is involved. But this recipe by Paul Greenham of Si Paradiso fame is worth it.

Seafood platter with chervil butter and a trio of sauces

The quintessential festive crowd-pleaser.

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Crab crostini by Leonardo’s Pizza Palace

Spanner crab, avocado and toast. Is there a more Australian way to start your dinner party?

Salmon skewers with za’atar and walnut salsa

Summer barbecues are calling. Answer with these piquant salmon skewers.

Louis Tikaram’s Mooloolaba prawn ceviche with green chilli dressing

An ideal summer starter that’s all zing and spice.

Amy Hamilton’s grilled scallops with spring onion and peanuts

This modern take on the classic Vietnamese street-food dish will be ready in a flash.

Phil Wood’s mussels with chilli and shiitake

The Laura chef cleverly pairs sweet steamed mussels with a spicy, super-savoury topping.

Lobster mousse

Was the ’60s the high-watermark of the savoury mousse? We’ve taken inspiration from parties of the past for our lobster mousse, served with golden oily Melba toast for dipping.

Scallop crudo by Leonardo’s Pizza Palace

How best to appreciate the silkiness of scallops? Raw, and drizzled with a light citrus dressing.

Napier Quarter’s mussels dressed with spring-onion and verjuice vinaigrette

A fresh take on steamed mussels.

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Snapper crudo with roe and cucumber

Snapper crudo with roe and cucumber recipe – For buttermilk dressing, whisk ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste.

Mike McEnearney’s grilled prawn, watermelon and tomato salad

Summer’s greatest hits, all in one bowl.

White fish crudo with avocado, herbs and cucumber-lime dressing

In this white fish crudo, the fish in question can also be marinated in a little dressing, ceviche-style – for 15 minutes or a couple of hours, depending how “cooked” you like it.

Rockmelon, lime and poppy-seed prawn cocktails

We’re saying cheers to a classic with this tweak of the unbeatable prawn cocktail. Thinly mandolined rockmelon adds a sweet touch, which you can always offset with as little or as much Tabasco as you’d like.

In the foreground, a grey dish holding a pile of steamed mussels with chopped tomatoes and basil, on a dark blue tablecloth. In the background, a copper pot holding more of said mussels. — *(Credits: William Meppem)*

Bar Alto’s mussels with chilli, garlic and white wine

Mussels steamed in white wine and spiked with chilli – it’s a combination that can’t be beat.

Prawn and pomelo salad with roasted chilli dressing

The prawns in this salad can also be left whole and barbecued in their shells for extra flavour.

Prawn tostadas with corn relish and chipotle crème fraîche

The perfect combination of fresh prawns, chipotle chillies whipped into a crème fraîche and a tangy corn relish on canape-sized tostadas.

Salt and pepper prawns with lemon

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for salt and pepper prawns with lemon.

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Charred prawns on skewers with lime

Because barbecued things on sticks just taste better.

Liberté’s garlic prawns with chilli and Thai basil

A tried-and-true combination.

Christmas seafood FAQs

What should I put on my Christmas seafood platter?

If you’re pulling together a summer seafood platter, remember that variety may not be as important as generosity! (I.e. make sure there’s enough to go around!) An easy way to think about your seafood platter is to stock up on only a few different types of seafood, and then prepare them differently (cooked vs. raw, crumbed vs. grilled). An array of sauces can also aid in the feeling of variety.
Start with your shellfish and molluscs (prawns, Balmain bugs, oysters, scallops). If you’re looking for hot seafood recipes to add to your platter, consider small pieces of crumbed fish, fish skewers, calamari, or grilled scallops.
– How to put together an impressive seafood platter
– Seafood platter with three sauces
– Fleet’s seafood platter with Marie Rose sauce

What is a good Christmas fish main course?

If you’re looking to grill a whole fish this Christmas, snapper and barramundi could be a good place to start, especially if you’re a beginner. For an Asian flavour, consider barbecued snapper with a simple papaya salad accompaniment. Also, here’s our most basic whole fish with lemon recipe, which you can jazz up with your own dressings or salads. Read more of our favourite whole fish recipe ideas.

“Selecting sustainable seafood is important when it comes to fish. While nine in 10 Australians say that they’re concerned about fish sustainability, only a fraction of us put our money where our mouth is. So, Gourmet Traveller created a sustainable seafood guide to shine a light on the ways you can be a better fish eater, from buying local and lesser-known fish species to handy online tool Good Fish Bad Fish. Or check out Australia’s independent sustainable seafood guide, Good Fish.”

A note on buying sustainable seafood

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 seafood recipes for 2025

Christmas seafood FAQs

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