The Best Christmas Roast Recipes That Aren't Ham or Turkey

Ham and turkey may be the stars of a holiday feast, but a traditional Christmas roast doesn’t stop at these two dishes. In fact, if we look to the Brits — the inspiration for Australia’s roast culture — beef, duck or roasted dishes are just as likely to appear on a Christmas menu.

If you’re looking for a roast that’s not ham or Turkey, you’ve come to the right place. Our collection of roast recipes celebrates an array of other meats, from chicken to roast pork, lamb and beef. Hey, you may even want to try your hand at a whole roast fish. From classic cuts to chef-created specials, we’ve compiled recipes that will impress your guests and provide a flavourful centrepiece for your table.

While most of the roasts on this page are meat, vegans need not feel left out. We have an excellent collection of vegetarian Christmas recipes to cater to your tastes.

Oh, and if you were after ham and turkey, don’t worry. We still have plenty of Christmas ham and Christmas turkey recipes to choose from!

But now, read on for your ultimate inspiration for your Christmas roast.

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

The best Christmas roasts that aren’t ham or turkey, 2025

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Roast beef

Roast chicken

Roast pork

Roast lamb

Roast duck

Roast fish

Roast vegetables

Christmas roast beef recipes

Rib roast of beef with pan gravy and roast potatoes

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for rib roast of beef with pan gravy and roast potatoes.

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding

A Sunday roast was traditionally served with a French claret, but an Australian one is just as fabulous, writes Max Allen.

Beef rib roast

A classic roast beef that will become the hero of your table.

Perfect match: rare roast beef and sauvignon blanc

Australian Gourmet Traveller wine match recipe for rare roast beef with spring greens and green goddess dressing.

How to make Beef Wellington

The classic dinner party dish gets a modern makeover.

Japanese mustard-miso roasted beef fillet

Australian Gourmet Traveller fast recipe for Japanese mustard-miso roasted beef fillet

Spiced slow-roasted brisket

Pete Evans American-style recipe for spiced slow-roasted brisket.

Tip: If you’re wondering which beef cut is best for a Christmas beef roast, consider this — a rib roast is the most traditional and luxurious, becoming a feast for the eyes and adding sense of grandeur to the table. However, a beef tenderloin may be the most tender, and add a touch of fine dining to the table. Finally, if you’re slow roasting — time economical and no less flavourful — consider a rump roast (your traditional, everyday beef roast) or a brisket.

Christmas roast chicken and pheasant recipes

Roast chicken bread sauce from Sean's in Bondi

Sean Moran’s famous roast chicken with bread sauce

Leave your other roast chicken recipes at the door. This is the best recipe for the perfect roast chook.

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

Nonna’s rice-stuffed chicken by Matteo Tine

The Bar Carolina chef shares a family recipe that’s close to his heart.

Chicken cooked in milk with buttered spinach

A Nonna classic in the rural regions of Italy.

Roast chicken with preserved lemon and herbs

Roast chicken with tarragon, garlic and lemon

A chef shares her go-to roast chicken recipe.

Yoghurt roast chicken

The yoghurt helps slowly tenderise the chook, producing super-moist, pull-apart chicken flesh with a caramelised skin. You’ll never look back.

Lardo-barded lemon chicken

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for lardo-barded lemon chicken.

Roast chicken Marylands and sweet potato with zhoug and tahini yoghurt

Roasted comfort meets vibrant spice in this share-worthy chicken dinner.

Quail in tarragon with winter rémoulade

Quail has a reputation for being fiddly and easy to overcook… this simple recipe takes out all the guesswork for perfectly tender and crisp quail.

Barbecued quail with grapes, beans and macadamia nuts

This barbecued quail with a light, nutty salad is a quick and easy recipe for any time of year.

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

Andrew McConnell’s roast goose with prunes, port and walnuts

Go all out this Christmas with roast goose – it’s worth the investment.

Bar Rochford’s spatchcock roasted in hay with tarragon butter

A typical farmhouse roast chicken, with extra farmhouse.

Christmas roast pork recipes

Neil Perry’s roast pork rack with mustard fruits

Roast pork with golden crackling is the perfect centrepiece for any festive spread.

Sean Moran’s pork belly roasted with fennel, radicchio and figs

A pork roast enhanced with sweet, salty and sharp flavours.

Roast pork rack with lemon myrtle and cranberry stuffing

This aromatic, slow-cooked roast pork rack is a feast for the senses. It marries classic roast flavours like cranberry and garlic with native Australian ingredients.

Twice-cooked pork belly with pickled apple salad and maple-glazed cabbage

Crackling and delicious, this dish showcases twice-cooked pork and apple in a classic flavour combination that’s sure to impress.

Spice-roasted pork with coleslaw

Cooking this pork slowly makes for a wonderfully tender roast that’s heavily scented with the flavours of cinnamon and star anise.

Embla’s fennel-spiced pork rack

“This is all about the quality of your pork. Seek out heritage-breed black Berkshire pigs that have been raised humanely and it will make all the difference,” says Dave Verheul. Begin this recipe a day ahead to marinate the pork.

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

How to make the perfect roast pork

Mike McEnearney, of Kitchen by Mike, on how to get proper pork crackling.

Porchetta is a traditional Italian roast pork recipe that Gourmet Traveller recreated to include insights and tips on the process.

How to make porchetta

Your step-by-step guide to making porchetta, including how to score for the perfect crackling.

Roasted pork with the best crackling and roasted nectarines

However hot it is outside, this roast pork is worth the oven time.

Slow-cooked pork shoulder with plums

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for slow-cooked pork shoulder with plums.

Christmas roast lamb recipes

slow-cooked lamb with rosemary pesto in baking dish.

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary pesto

Succulent lamb with a swipe of this herbaceous rosemary pesto is a flavourful take on the classic Sunday roast.

Barbecued lamb in baharat and yoghurt

Barbecued lamb leftovers are perfect for wraps and salads to serve on Boxing Day. Begin this recipe a day ahead.

Roast rolled lamb loin with anchovies and rosemary

Roast lamb loin is the perfect match for anchovies and rosemary; a fragrant and salty twist on a classic dish.

Roast lamb rack recipe with braised silverbeet, fennel and macadamia pesto

Roast lamb rack with braised silverbeet, fennel and macadamia pesto

A roast lamb recipe that’s easy and impressive.

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

Eight-hour lamb shoulder with pearl couscous and labne

The ultimate Sunday roast.

Chiswick’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pumpkin, carrots, cumin yoghurt and mint salsa

Chiswick’s foolproof recipe.

Roast lamb leg with pan gravy by Leonardo’s Pizza Palace

The leg is the best part of lamb, according to Nick Stanton. It’s best to roast it simply, with gravy on the side, of course.

Lamb, beetroot and walnut with herb dressing

An everyday lamb recipe that requires little effort.

Sean McConnell’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pistachios, pomegranate and vine leaves

Recipe for slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pistachios, pomegranate and vine leaves by Sean McConnell from Monster in Canberra.

Slow-roasted lamb rack with white beans and black garlic aïoli

Take it low and slow with our recipe for slow-roasted lamb rack with white beans and punchy black garlic aïoli.

Christmas roast duck recipes

Spiced roast duck with peaches and oranges

Made for the Christmas main event.

Osteria Ilaria’s roast duck breast with hazelnut sauce

“Hazelnuts make this dish unique with their fragrance,” says Andreas Papadakis. “It’s a simple dish and making the base sauce in advance makes things a lot simpler.”

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

Roast duck with orange and rhubarb

Rodney Dunn recipe for roast duck with orange and rhubarb.

Roasted mustard-glazed duck with peach, fennel and almond salad by Ben Russell

Ben Russell’s roasted mustard-glazed duck with peach, fennel and almond salad

Try a classic mustard glaze on roast duck and unlock whole new levels of flavour. Aria Brisbane’s Ben Russell leads the way.

Soy-roast duck with mandarin

Soy-roast duck with mandarin recipe – Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add duck breast-side down and cook, turning, until golden brown all over (5-6 minutes).

Roast duck with cherries and roast kipfler potatoes

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for roast duck with cherries and roast kipfler potatoes.

Burnt honey and pineapple-glazed duck

Duck à l’orange meets Chinese barbecued duck in this slightly sweet and sticky centrepiece. Begin this recipe a day ahead.

Slow-roast duck with quinoa, saffron and olives

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for slow-roast duck with quinoa, saffron and olives by Mike McEnearney.

Spice-roasted duck with figs

Duck is the ideal main attraction for a smaller Christmas gathering, particularly when spiced and paired with lush summer figs.

Christmas roast fish recipes

Whole snapper with orange and pistachio sauce

Fish, orange and pistachio may seem like an unlikely combination, but Brigitte Hafner’s touch makes this dish magical.

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

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.

Spiced coral trout with eggplant ezme

Seafood is the star of an Australian holiday table.

Danielle Alvarez’s slow-cooked ocean trout with peas, and Meyer lemon and fennel salsa

This recipe for slow-cooked ocean trout comes courtesy of chef Danielle Alvarez.

Roast baby snapper with potatoes, lemon and capers

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

Jerk-rubbed barramundi with dirty rice

Cooking a whole fish can be intimidating. But we’ve taken all of the guesswork out to make this flavour-packed dish your new weeknight favourite.

Giovanni Pilu’s trout with white wine and rosemary

The fast fish dinner you need.

A baked trout on a pink oval platter, garnished with roasted onions

Coral trout with saffron and Sherry-roasted onions

Is there anything more showstopping than a whole baked fish?

Snapper and clams en papillote with tarragon beurre blanc

Recipe for snapper and clams en papillote with tarragon beurre blanc from Les Bistronomes restaurant in Canberra.

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38 new Christmas recipes for a fresh, festive menu

Christmas roast vegetable recipes

Whole roasted cauliflower with rendang sauce

This fragrant roast cauliflower recipe makes for an impressive vegetarian dish.

Miznon’s whole roasted cabbage cake

Cabbage cake? Yes, you read that right. And it’s nothing short of magnificent.

Whole roasted cauliflower with miso-almond cream

Your new favourite way to roast cauliflower.

Monique Fiso’s roasted cabbage with XO sauce

The humble vegetable receives an umami upgrade.

Miso-roasted pumpkin with farro

A speedy, flavour-packed vegetarian option for weekday dinners.

What is a traditional Christmas roast dinner?

A traditional Christmas roast is typically turkey. Christmas roasts are popular in England and their colonised nations, including Australia. The tradition of eating turkey on Christmas dates back to Henry VIII, who was the first English monarch to eat turkey at Christmas. Its enduring popularity could be due to its size and visual appeal on the Christmas table, both of which contribute to a sense of ceremony. Other traditional roast meats include goose, beef, lamb and, of course, ham.

What to have with a Christmas roast?

A traditional English Christmas roast would come with sides of roast vegetables — roast potatoes, carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts — plus, Yorkshire puddings, gravy, and perhaps some stuffing, depending on the meat! In Australia, you can serve your Christmas roast with an array of salads or seafood sides to complement the summer season. Check out our handy guide to the best Christmas sides to help guide your menu.

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.

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.