Chef John’s Best Christmas Dinner Recipes

Chef John’s Perfect Prime Rib

Chef John’s roasting method hits that magical sweet spot between rare and medium rare—perfectly pink and extra moist in the center with a delicious crispy crust. “Prime rib was perfect, juicy and perfectly pink,” says karenkooks. “Loved it! Love the video to really get a good sense of how to apply the butter and herbs.”

Serve it with his Prime Rib Gravy and Homemade Horseradish Sauce.

For more inspiration, check out Chef John’s Low and Slow Prime Rib recipe. Or, if you’re really planning ahead, give this Dry-Aged Prime Rib technique a try.

Traditional Yorkshire Pudding

Here’s the perfect partner for prime rib. Sizzling beef fat helps create warm, fluffy Yorkshire pudding that smell like Christmas! “Perfect, just the way my dad from London made them,” says tekecat.

French Onion Green Bean Casserole

Chef John reworks the iconic green bean casserole, introducing the flavors of French onion soup, with caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese. “Absolutely the best green bean casserole I have ever made!” says Debra Power. “The star of Christmas dinner! I will never go back to the canned version of this casserole, and I don’t think my husband would let me! Delicious in every way!”

Chef John’s Honey-Glazed Ham

“A great holiday ham glaze needs to have three things: wonderful flavor, gorgeous, shiny appearance, and a crispy, crackling crust you can hear across the room,” says Chef John. “I’m happy to report this easy-to-make glaze has all those things in abundance.”

For real mealtime bragging rights, try curing your own ham with Chef John’s Home-Cured Holiday Ham recipe.

Mom’s Scalloped Potato Gratin

“These scalloped potatoes were one of my favorite foods growing up, but then I went to culinary school and learned, according to classical methods, how it was ‘supposed’ to be made—and that’s how I’ve been making it ever since. But recently, for whatever reason, I went back and tried to recreate my mother’s version and was reminded of why I loved hers in the first place,” says Chef John. “By the way, I’m not saying these are better or worse than the classic French method, just that they’re different and wonderful, and I want to have both in my life.”

Stuffed Hasselback Turkey Breast

This gorgeous, golden turkey breast is juicy and delicious with the stuffing built right it! After slicing the turkey, fill each slice with stuffing, season, brush with butter, and bake. “Much easier than a traditional roast turkey, this sliced and stuffed turkey breast takes far less time than a whole bird, and it’s perfect for an everyday or holiday dinner for a smaller group.”

For a big holiday table, make Chef John’s Roast Turkey and Gravy recipe or his Boneless Whole Turkey.

Moroccan-Spiced Pork Roast

“Serving a gorgeous, fancy-looking holiday roast doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. This pork loin proves exactly that. This is fast, easy, and affordable, but when you bring it to the table, it looks like a million dollars. The beautifully warming and aromatic spices really work so well with a pork roast.”

Chef John’s Candied Yams

Sweet potatoes and maple syrup pair perfectly with tart lemon juice. “I didn’t expect it to be a star dish, because my family isn’t big on sweet potato casserole, but they all loved it!” raves Marie. “In fact, my son said it was his favorite dish of the night, and most agreed and asked me to save the recipe for next year!” Top them with chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios.

Lamb Braised in Pomegranate

Braised lamb makes an amazing special occasion meal. “My mother-in-law made this for Christmas dinner, using a leg of lamb instead of chops. It was fantastic, and so festive with the pomegranate seeds!” says reviewer FrancesC.

Bacon-Wrapped Cranberry Walnut Pork

“This amazing roast pork recipe is more than festive enough for the fanciest of holiday menus, but it’s also fast and easy enough for any old weeknight,” says Chef John. “Just keep that last part to yourself, so as not to ruin the mystique. Beyond being able to adapt this to your tastes, another advantage is that we can prep it ahead of time, and just pop it into the oven when we’re ready to rock, and by ‘rock,’ I mean impress our guests.”

Chef John’s Scalloped Oysters

“This was the prettiest oyster casserole I have ever made! Every last bite eaten up—hard to go wrong with these ingredients, though!,” says reviewer STC5. “This will be my ‘go to’ oyster recipe from now on! Awesome!”

Chef John’s Individual Beef Wellingtons

Perfectly cooked filet mignon steaks are topped with a rich, savory mushroom pate, wrapped in a crispy pastry crust, and served on top of a buttery pastry base. “It’s a 1-2 punch that’s hard to beat,” says Chef John. “Enjoy these individual beef Wellingtons with no regrets and no second thoughts!”

Chef John’s Duchess Potatoes

“Duchess potatoes are the perfect special occasion side dish. You can prepare them in advance and then bake them when you need them,” says Chef John.

Looking for mashed, fondant, or au gratin potatoes? Find them in this collection of Chef John’s Best Potato Side Dishes.

Chef John’s Porchetta

This Italian pork roast will feed a crowd—and if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you’ll be in sandwich heaven. “My husband and I hosted a get-together [for 20 people and took] this recipe one step further. [We] purchased a slab of pork belly from the butcher counter. We laid the pork belly flat, seasoned it well, and then placed the butterflied boneless pork shoulder on top and seasoned that before rolling and tying,” says Kim’s Cooking Now. “My husband is from Italy, not far from Ariccia, famous for ‘Porchetta di Ariccia.’ With the addition of the pork belly wrapped around, this is pretty darn close to the ones you find near Rome. It was a hit at our party, and we will definitely be making this again.”

Chef John’s Roast Christmas Goose

Here’s the easy way to roast a goose: you’re starting with a pre-cooked smoked goose. So the pressure’s off. The recipe also features a simple wine reduction sauce. “This goose was the undisputed star of the easiest, most elegant, and delicious holiday meal ever! We served the beautiful bird with an arugula, orange and fennel salad, sweet potato with rosemary and Parmesan stacks, garlicky mashed new potatoes, and wild rice, followed by a plum pudding and lemon sauce dessert,” says reviewer Elizabeth McClard. “I am one of those cooks who can rarely enjoy a meal after preparing it, but even I am clamoring for an encore.”

Tartiflette (French Potato, Bacon, and Cheese Casserole)

Sliced potatoes are layered with fried onions and bacon and topped with crème fraiche and melty cheese. “This is an excellent dish, the flavor profiles are so striking, and go together so well, that it almost overwhelms the taste buds!” says Dennis Hyman.

Tourtiere (French Canadian Meat Pie)

This is a Christmas Eve staple in Quebec and parts of New England. “Chef John…THANK YOU! I love this recipe; my family is from northern Quebec [and] my husband is from P.E.I. The seasonings from your recipe are reminiscent of the meat pie to satisfy him and are still true to my Memere’s recipe. Also this crust is my new go-to for savory pies.”

Pepper Parm Prime Rib

A compound butter made of coarsely ground black pepper and fresh grated Parmesan coats the outside of this beef rib roast. Top it with more fresh Parmesan before serving each thick slice with its rich pan sauce.

Chef John’s Mini Christmas Hams

“These cute, individually sized hams are firm, moist, and perfectly salty,” says Chef John. (He calls them “Hamlets,” but you don’t have to.)

Cranberry Stuffed Game Hens

“If you’ve never worked with game hens before, they’re very user-friendly,” says Chef John. Reviewers agree: “AMAZING. I am not a confident cook and this was a perfect dish—so tasty and the stuffing was perfect!” says Dana Simon.

Holiday Ham Pot Pies

“A ham pot pie might be the best pot pie.” Chef John says, “These magnificent holiday ham pot pies feature a user-friendly, buttery, ancient hot water pastry crust, which is both sturdy and tender.” The recipe makes enough for four individual ramekins.