Christmas Turkey Alternatives

Turkey may be the traditional choice, but it's far from the only option when it comes to Christmas dinner. Perhaps you're cooking for fewer people this year, have guests with different dietary requirements or simply prefer another festive favourite. From glazed hams and flaky pastry-wrapped showstoppers to seafood feasts and hearty vegetarian mains, there are plenty of delicious alternatives that can make Christmas dinner just as memorable.

With so many much-loved trimmings on the table, it’s important to choose a centrepiece dish that's worthy of the occasion. It might be a gorgeously glazed ham, but it could just as easily be a tray of creamy, dauphinoise potatoes. We’ve broken some of our favourite Christmas turkey alternatives into the categories below.

A glazed ham is a special, seasonal thing and may already be part of your Christmas plans. In this honey-glazed gammon recipe, the ham is gently simmered with aromatics before being baked in the oven with brown sugar, honey and hot English mustard. A ham really comes into its own on Boxing Day, too. Stir any leftovers through these chipotle and chorizo bonfire beans, or prepare an abundant banh mi with plenty of zingy chilli jam and chicken liver pâte. If you haven’t had your fill of cheese quite yet, this ham, cheese and pesto lasagne makes for a relaxed lunch.

A golden roast chicken can make an excellent festive alternative to turkey, especially if you’re catering to a smaller gathering. To make your Christmas version extra special, first consult our guide to roasting a chicken, with essential tips for choosing, buying, prepping and roasting – as well as loving your leftovers. To keep things classic, try this herby roast chicken with a quick thyme and rosemary butter. For an aniseed-led twist, this spatchcock roast chicken recipe features caramelised shallots and a creamy tarragon sauce.

Give fish or seafood a go for a memorable alternative to Christmas turkey. This whole baked sea bass recipe is an easy, oven-baked showstopper, with garlicky butter, lemons, parsley and dill. A paella pan in the middle of the table is a joy to behold – this recipe is packed with fresh tomato, preserved lemon, smoked paprika, saffron and hot Calabrian chilli paste. A bouillabaisse of monkfish, king prawns and seabass, served with rich rouille and croutons, makes a similarly celebratory centrepiece.

Browse our Christmas food for dressed lobster halves, as well as whole seafood feasts featuring juicy Honduran, Vietnamese and Madagascan prawns, dressed British crabs and Marie Rose sauce.

Christmas turkey alternatives don’t get much more impressive than a Wellington. Our Collection British Beef Wellington serves four and features British beef, a rich mushroom duxelles and all-butter puff pastry. If you’re catering to a larger crowd, consider this roasted topside of Wagyu beef, cooked in one pan with sweet Chantenay carrots. Or, this slow-cooked Collection Wagyu Beef Pie with ale-caramelised onions. You’ll need our Yorkshire puddings guide too, of course.

Choosing a plant-based Christmas? This vegan nut roast recipe is more than the sum of its parts, with roasted hazelnuts and cashews, celeriac, red onion and sweet bursts of cranberry, while this mushroom Wellington with a medley of mushrooms, brown rice and chestnuts easily rivals the meatier version. Alternatively, let us do the hard work with our Collection vegetarian nut roast, generously filled with butternut squash, creamy brie, caramelised onion, pearl barley, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.

Find food for all the Family this Christmas at M&S Food

There are so many ideas for Christmas dinner other than turkey. You’ll find something to delight each member of your family in the Foodhall.