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The holiday season calls for festive, celebratory meals, and a showstopping Christmas roast definitely fits the bill. Keep things simple with an earthy prime rib roast or a crispy roast chicken made in the air fryer; or use the holiday as an invitation to get fancy by making an impressive platter of German-inspired sour cherry–glazed roasted goose legs or a showy crown rack of lamb. There are no wrong answers here, just delicious opportunities to present a roasted centerpiece that’ll delight everyone at your holiday table. Peruse our collection of Christmas roast recipes, choose your favorite, and start planning that special menu.
Patrick Clark’s Rack of Pork with Cider-Pepper Glaze
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This roast has a rich history and an tart-sweet gravy that’s irresistible. The late chef Patrick Clark coated the tender and juicy roast rack of pork in garlicky herbs and a glossy apple-forward glaze that can be made ahead.
Standing Rib Roast of Beef
Cara Cormack
Bruce Aidells’ easy standing rib roast beef is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday meal. An adaptation of the classic English approach to a beef roast, it’s flavored with a simple mix of Dijon mustard, garlic, and fresh thyme. Best of all, the recipe only necessitates about 10 minutes of active work time.
Juniper-Rubbed Roast Duck with Cherry Jus
Chef Angie Mar’s succulent roast duck brings new meaning to the term “showstopper.” It’s served with a rich sauce of reduced duck broth and tart cherries as a nod to the cherry trees in the Pacific Northwest where she grew up. If you have a cocktail smoker, use it to give a hint of smoke to the duck.
Spiced Madeira and Honey Glazed Ham
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Sweet, rich flavors abound in this celebratory holiday ham. A homemade glaze laced with honey and Madeira bastes the meat, while collard greens tossed with tangerines and bay leaves cook underneath, soaking up all those delicious pan juices.
Roast Capon
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
A roast bird that’s especially juicy and tender, capon doesn’t need much to shine. This capon recipe from 1990 F&W Best New Chef Tom Valenti calls for seasoning it simply with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary.
Spice-Crusted Rack of Lamb
Eva Kolenko
Coarsely crushed spices including cinnamon and black pepper give these frenched lamb chops a crunchy and flavorful crust, making them worthy of a holiday centerpiece.
Sesame-Ginger Spatchcocked Turkey
Chris Simpson / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
A mix of dried ginger, salt, and white pepper seasons this dry-brined turkey while simultaneously promoting moist, tender meat. Spatchcocking the bird reduces the oven time compared to a traditional whole roast turkey and allows it to cook more evenly. A blend of butter and toasted sesame oil brings a rich and nutty finish.
Porchetta
Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
A fragrant combination of kale, fennel, garlic, and lemon fills this juicy pork roast that develops a crispy, fatty exterior and tender meat in the oven. Keep the holiday flavor train moving by using the leftovers to make incredible sandwiches.
Roasted Goose Legs with Sour Cherry Glaze and Gravy
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee
In Bavaria, it’s not Christmas without roast goose. Food & Wine editor Melanie Hansche reimagines the traditional German dish in her recipe for sour cherry–glazed roasted goose legs, an easier endeavor than roasting the whole bird.
Air Fryer Roast Chicken with Rosemary-Orange Sauce
Food & Wine / Photo by Stacy Allen / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Tucker Vines
Julia Levy gets chicken skin crispy in the air fryer with a dry brine of citrus zest, herbs, and salt, using lemons and oranges in the cavity to keep the meat moist.
Garlic-Butter Rib Roast
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
A compound butter studded with garlic, anchovies, herbs, and shallot serves two purposes in this rib roast: Half is slathered all over the meat before cooking, and the rest is served atop individual servings of the decadent beef.
Roast Duck with Citrus Pan Sauce
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
This roast duck looks great on any holiday table. It comes together easily from only a handful of ingredients and we love its crisp golden skin. The citrus- and soy-accented pan juices are cooked down to a sauce that’s perfect with the rich meat.
Picanha with Pink Peppercorn Brown Butter
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
You’ll encounter plenty of complex flavor in this roast beef recipe from James Beard Award–winning writer and chef Amy Thielen. A warming, pink peppercorn–infused brown butter sauce brings sweetness and a hint of tartness, all with a soft caramelized backbone.
Turkey Ballotine
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
This stunning roulade is time-intensive as it requires deboning and air-drying a whole turkey, then rolling, tying, and roasting it. But it comes out rewardingly juicy and flavorful, filled with umami-packed speck and Parmesan cheese, toasted walnuts, and radicchio mellowed by wilting with shallot and garlic.
Carla Hall’s Spiced Cider–Glazed Ham
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
Buy a bone-in spiral-cut ham for this stunning centerpiece from chef Carla Hall: The bone deepens the flavor, locks in moisture, and keeps the meat tender. The spiral cut ensures there are plenty of nooks and crevices into which the sticky glaze of bourbon and brown sugar can seep.
Crown Roast of Lamb
Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser
This dramatic lamb roast is terrific for a holiday feast: Stand two racks of lamb chops on their ends and tie them together with butcher’s twine to create a showstopping presentation. Jeweled with crunchy almonds plus sweet raisins and currants, the turmeric rice is a delicious complement.
Pernil Asado (Garlicky Roast Pork Shoulder)
Cara Cormack
San Juan chef Jose Enrique marinates this ultra-flavorful Puerto Rican classic roast pork shoulder overnight in a blend of citrus, garlic, and herbs, then cooks it slowly in the oven until it’s deeply caramelized — no wonder pernil is a traditional Christmas dish that’s ideal for family gatherings.
Salt-and-Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib with Sage Jus
Chef Michael Mina’s exquisite prime rib requires just 45 minutes of active work time — and that’s mostly spent making the accompanying jus after the meat has finished roasting. “The great thing about doing a whole rib roast is that you don’t have to concentrate,” he says. “Put it in the oven and then you can focus on all the dishes that go along with it.”
Roast Beef with Shallot and Black Bean Sauce
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Chef Brandon Jew creates a perfectly seasoned crust for this juicy roast beef by simply rubbing the meat with kosher salt and coarsely crushed toasted black peppercorns — but it’s the slightly sweet, salty, and earthy shallot and black bean sauce that’s the real star here.
Leg of Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks
Robby Melvin’s eight-hour dry brine coats bone-in leg of lamb with an herby, pleasantly salty crust. It yields a juicy, tender, and deliciously garlicky lamb roast that’s both simple and beautiful.
Pork Roast with Sausage, Fruit, and Nut Stuffing
Pork and fruit is a classic pairing worldwide, but this impressive dish from chef José Andrés gets a particularly Catalan flavor from the combination of dried fruit and Catalan cured pork sausage in the stuffing.
Rosemary-Pepper Beef Rib Roast with Porcini Jus
In this recipe from the late renowned chef Floyd Cardoz, beef rib roast is seared in a preheated pan in the oven, which saves stove space and helps the meat cook more quickly — a total plus when preparing a holiday meal.
Goose Stuffed with Apples and Armagnac-Soaked Prunes
Cookbook author Nadine Levy Redzepi hits the nail on the Christmas roast head with her elegant stuffing that combines plump Armagnac-soaked prunes, apples, and garlic. If boozy flavors aren’t your thing, you can soak the prunes for as little as two hours instead of a full week.
Three-Ingredient Prime Rib Roast
Chef Ryan Farr blends finely ground coffee and a touch of vanilla bean with salt and pepper to make an earthy rub for his prime rib roast. He lets the meat stand for half an hour after applying the mixture; alternatively, you can refrigerate the rubbed roast overnight and bring it to room temperature before popping it in the oven.
