Turkey is a star on the Christmas spread. Spice up your Christmas dinner with a twist! Today, our spotlight is on having a non-traditional Christmas dinner, the turkey alternatives. There are plenty of recipes for turkey alternatives, including slow-cooker and instant pot methods. Discover the top 3 mouth-watering Christmas dinner ideas without turkey that will leave your guests craving more.
What is Christmas dinner?
Christmas dinner is the main meal on Christmas Day evening. It is a hearty meal. The festival is synonymous with turkey roast; the traditional Christmas dinner menu includes delicious dishes like mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, green beans, salad, pudding, and cranberry sauce with stuffed roasted turkey. You’ll love the choices below if you want to arrange a Christmas dinner with a twist or hybrid.
Apricot glazed chicken
Looking for a tender and juicy Christmas dinner option without turkey that the whole family will love? Are you ready to indulge in a heavenly one-pot dinner inspired by traditional Christmas dinner that’ll take you back in time? Look no further than this glazed chicken recipe. The dish has a nostalgic charm and a delicious taste, making it a good choice for any event or gathering. Give it a try today, and be transported to foodie heaven! It is an easy yet versatile preparation. With the spiciness of ginger, the sweetness of apricot glaze, and the aroma of garlic, this recipe is a beautiful blend of flavors.
The marinade is the key to its preparation. Add the apricot preserve, soy sauce, mustard grains, thyme, salt, cayenne pepper, and olive oil to the chicken breast. Let it sit in marinate for two to 24 hours. The more you keep the chicken, the stronger the flavor will be. After marinating, cover the breast at room temperature with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil from the chicken and bake for another 5 minutes till golden crisp.
Serve the glazed chicken over a bed of tangy rice with sides.
Baked sea bass with lemon butter sauce
It is probably the fastest dinner you can cook for Christmas. Chilean sea bass, or Patagonian toothfish, icefish, mero, or Antarctic cod, is a mildly sweet and meaty fish. The recipe is filled with Middle Eastern flavors. It involves pan-frying as well as baking methods for cooking.
Combine turmeric, cinnamon powder, cardamom, smoked paprika, ground white pepper, ginger-garlic paste, olive oil, and sea salt in a bowl. Slit the fish halfway down and smear the spice paste all over the surface and inside cuts. Leave it covered for a few hours in the refrigerator.
Heat the butter in a pan; add garlic, orange juice, lemon zest, and juice. Simmer till you get a thick citrus lemon butter sauce.
Slice the eggplant into 0.5 cm thick steaks and lay them on a baking tray. Drizzle a generous amount of oil and sea salt. Bake for 15 minutes to get golden color.
Heat a pan and add a drizzle of oil to it. Once hot, turn the flame on medium-high. Pan-fry the fish for 2-3 minutes from each side until golden.
Now, place this fish over the eggplants in the baking dish and slide it in the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes until done.
Serve with greens over the cooked steaks.
Instant pot Christmas dinner- pulled pork
Christmas pulled pork is a burst of flavors, perfect for Christmas Eve dinner. The recipe requires simple ingredients; most of them are available in your pantry. Brown sugar is used to introduce a sweet caramelized flavor. If you like the smoky flavor, use smoky paprika instead of plain paprika.
Instant pot use reduces the cooking time to just over 1 hour 30 minutes yet maintains the juiciness and tenderness. Lean pork shoulder is the best cut for this recipe. Instant pot-cooked pork makes it easy to shred and melt in the mouth.
Team it with a bowl of fresh coleslaw, macaroni salad, or broccoli salad with other delicious sides.
The Christmas celebration is incomplete without traditional fruit cake and mulled wine. Surprise your guests with your skills where you blend tradition and creativity. This spicy hot buttered rum is the perfect complement for your celebration.
