Best Christmas recipes

Best Christmas
recipes

Fill your festive table with our food team’s favourite Christmas recipes for 2026’s feast. From the best roast turkey to all-important Christmas sides and trimmings, roast potatoes and party puddings, browse our team’s recipe picks for the big day.

See all our Christmas recipes

Best Christmas turkey recipe: Fennel & citrus roast turkey

Food editor Elli Donajgrodzki loves a porchetta twist on Christmas turkey

Best Christmas turkey recipe: Fennel & citrus roast turkey

Food editor Elli Donajgrodzki loves a porchetta twist on Christmas turkey

Best Christmas turkey recipe: Fennel & citrus roast turkey

Food editor Elli Donajgrodzki loves a porchetta twist on Christmas turkey

“Porchetta is my absolute favourite, so a recipe that brings those iconic flavours to a classic Christmas turkey was always going to be a winner. The best part is the flavoured butter: fragrant fennel seeds and garlic, aromatic thyme, rosemary and bay, punchy citrus… my mouth is watering as I write this.”

Get the recipe for Fennel & citrus roast turkey

See more: Christmas turkey recipes

Watch: How to make the perfect roast turkey

The hero centrepiece of the season is back. Waitrose cook Alex Szrok shows how to make the perfect roast turkey.

Best Christmas dessert recipe: Chocolate hazelnut bûche de Noël

Best Christmas roast potato recipe: Spiced Christmas roasties

Food editor Lucy Battersby has found the best-of-the-best roasties…

“I make these roasties every year and they are, in my opinion, the best of the best. They are parboiled until tender, so they are properly soft in the middle, and they’re crispy on the outside, thanks to the addition of the baking powder. The rosemary and garlic infusion is well worth the effort, too – don’t scrimp on it!”

Get the recipe for Spiced Christmas roasties

See more: Christmas roast potato recipes

Best Christmas roast potato recipe: Spiced Christmas roasties

Food editor Lucy Battersby has found the best-of-the-best roasties…

“I make these roasties every year and they are, in my opinion, the best of the best. They are parboiled until tender, so they are properly soft in the middle, and they’re crispy on the outside, thanks to the addition of the baking powder. The rosemary and garlic infusion is well worth the effort, too – don’t scrimp on it!”

Get the recipe for Spiced Christmas roasties

See more: Christmas roast potato recipes

Best Christmas roast potato recipe: Spiced Christmas roasties

Food editor Lucy Battersby has found the best-of-the-best roasties…

“I make these roasties every year and they are, in my opinion, the best of the best. They are parboiled until tender, so they are properly soft in the middle, and they’re crispy on the outside, thanks to the addition of the baking powder. The rosemary and garlic infusion is well worth the effort, too – don’t scrimp on it!”

Get the recipe for Spiced Christmas roasties

See more: Christmas roast potato recipes

Best Christmas side recipe: Stir-fried sprouts with sesame & ginger

Waitrose cook Charmaine Katz won’t hear of an over-boiled sprout when you can stir-fry instead

Best Christmas side recipe: Stir-fried sprouts with sesame & ginger

Waitrose cook Charmaine Katz won’t hear of an over-boiled sprout when you can stir-fry instead

Best Christmas side recipe: Stir-fried sprouts with sesame & ginger

Waitrose cook Charmaine Katz won’t hear of an over-boiled sprout when you can stir-fry instead

“A hill I will die on: the BEST way to cook Brussels is by stir frying them. They retain their vibrancy, their crunch, and it frees up prime oven real estate on Christmas Day. You can up the festive ante on these, adding chestnuts, pancetta, sage, steam them in a little booze… Whatever your heart desires.”

Get the recipe for Stir-fried sprouts with sesame & ginger

See more: Christmas side recipes

Best Christmas dessert recipe: Chocolate hazelnut bûche de Noël

Waitrose Cook Alex Szrok loves to make this boozy chocolate bake

“I find the flavour combo of chocolate and hazelnut near impossible to look past. Pair that with a slightly over the top traditional-style festive bake and a good glug of booze, and I’m sold. Feel free to skip the edible glitter - the praline is beautiful enough."

Get the recipe for Chocolate hazelnut bûche de Noël

See more: Christmas baking recipes

Best Christmas dessert recipe: Chocolate hazelnut bûche de Noël

Waitrose Cook Alex Szrok loves to make this boozy chocolate bake

“I find the flavour combo of chocolate and hazelnut near impossible to look past. Pair that with a slightly over the top traditional-style festive bake and a good glug of booze, and I’m sold. I’ll skip the ‘edible’ glitter though, thanks – the praline is beautiful enough.”

Get the recipe for Chocolate hazelnut bûche de Noël

See more: Christmas baking recipes

Best Christmas dessert recipe: Chocolate hazelnut bûche de Noël

Waitrose Cook Alex Szrok loves to make this boozy chocolate bake

“I find the flavour combo of chocolate and hazelnut near impossible to look past. Pair that with a slightly over the top traditional-style festive bake and a good glug of booze, and I’m sold. I’ll skip the ‘edible’ glitter though, thanks – the praline is beautiful enough.”

Get the recipe for Chocolate hazelnut bûche de Noël

See more: Christmas baking recipes

Best Christmas cocktail recipe: Spiced Champagne cocktail

Food content producer Imogen Hope finds a spiced Champagne cocktail is the perfect festive tipple…

Best Christmas cocktail recipe: Spiced Champagne cocktail

Food content producer Imogen Hope finds a spiced Champagne cocktail is the perfect festive tipple…

Best Christmas cocktail recipe: Spiced Champagne cocktail

Food content producer Imogen Hope finds a spiced Champagne cocktail is the perfect festive tipple…

“My parents always make Champagne cocktails on Christmas Eve, usually accompanied by canapés and enforced participation in playing games. These cocktails are so much more than the sum of their parts. This recipe makes a spiced brandy with orange, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and mace – all the flavours of Christmas.”

Get the recipe for Spiced Champagne cocktail

See more: Christmas cocktail recipes

Best Christmas dessert recipe: Christmas sticky toffee pudding

Food editor Lucy Battersby side-steps traditional Christmas pud for this sweet treat

“As a trad Christmas pudding hater, this is my go-to recipe every year. It gives the spectacle of a trad pudding without the heavy fruit and richness I so dislike. The light cake sponge enriched with sticky dates and Christmas spices is full of festive joy and delicious served warm with caramelised clementines and the No.1 Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream.”

Get the recipe for Christmas sticky toffee pudding

See more: Christmas dessert recipes

Best Christmas dessert recipe: Christmas sticky toffee pudding

Food editor Lucy Battersby side-steps traditional Christmas pud for this sweet treat

“As a trad Christmas pudding hater, this is my go-to recipe every year. It gives the spectacle of a trad pudding without the heavy fruit and richness I so dislike. The light cake sponge enriched with sticky dates and Christmas spices is full of festive joy and delicious served warm with caramelised clementines and the No.1 Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream.”

Get the recipe for Christmas sticky toffee pudding

Best Christmas dessert recipe: Christmas sticky toffee pudding

Food editor Lucy Battersby side-steps traditional Christmas pud for this sweet treat

“As a trad Christmas pudding hater, this is my go-to recipe every year. It gives the spectacle of a trad pudding without the heavy fruit and richness I so dislike. The light cake sponge enriched with sticky dates and Christmas spices is full of festive joy and delicious served warm with caramelised clementines and the No.1 Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream.”

Get the recipe for Christmas sticky toffee pudding

See more: Christmas dessert recipes

Best Christmas canapé recipe: Devils on horseback

Senior food content producer Pollyanna Coupland serves a boozy twist on classic pigs in blankets

Best Christmas canapé recipe: Devils on horseback

Senior food content producer Pollyanna Coupland serves a boozy twist on classic pigs in blankets

Best Christmas canapé recipe: Devils on horseback

Senior food content producer Pollyanna Coupland serves a boozy twist on classic pigs in blankets

“Never mind pigs in blankets; devils on horseback (the fruitier and in this case boozier cousin of the PIB) are, in my opinion, the best thing blanketed in bacon at Christmas. After a boozy night bathed in an old-fashioned cocktail, prunes are wrapped in bacon and baked until sticky – the ultimate festive party treat.”

Get the recipe for Devils on horseback

See more: Christmas starter recipes

Watch: How to make the perfect crispy roast potatoes

Light and fluffy? Golden and crispy? We’ve got it down. Waitrose cook Alex Szrok shows how to make the perfect roast potatoes.

Best Christmas gravy recipe: Make-ahead Christmas gravy

Food editor Katie Bishop cooks this rich Christmas gravy ahead of time

“Christmas dinner just isn’t the same without decent gravy. This make-ahead version by Martha Collison is an absolute winner. It balances deep, savoury umami flavour with a hint of bright cranberry and lemon. Velvety and rich from chestnut purée, it's also freezer-friendly, so you can get ahead and take some stress out of the big day. It’s the perfect partner for any roast – I'll be having mine with turkey, what about you?”

Get the recipe for Christmas gravy

See more: Christmas gravy recipes

Best Christmas sauce recipe: Classic bread sauce

Food content producer Imogen Hope makes double servings of this classic side for winter roasts

“In my house, bread sauce isn’t just for Christmas. It’s surprisingly easy and the flavour payoff is huge; sweet, gently spiced and creamy, it’s perfect with lots of gravy. I usually make double quantities and put half in the freezer so it’s one less thing to worry about when making a roast or for Christmas dinner.”

Get the recipe for Classic bread sauce

See more: Christmas sauce recipes