Festive Christmas Dinner Ideas: Best Grilled Holiday Recipes

‘Tis the holiday season, a time when there’s cooking, eating, and sharing with our loved ones. Christmas Day is the perfect time of the year to gather with family and friends, sharing delicious food and memories. 

However, planning meals can be hard, especially with all the other running around you have on around Christmas time. So, if you’re looking for something simple yet still delicious this Christmas, why not have a Christmas BBQ and cook on the grill? Cooking on the grill is less of a hassle and clean up while still making some of the best food.

Some Benefits of Grilling are:

• Lock in flavor: Grilling can lock in the flavor your meat has that an oven or stove can’t, giving it that nice smokey taste.
• Less clean up: When you’re outside grilling you do not have to worry about splatters going all over your kitchen that you would have to worry about if you were inside. Also you won’t have to worry about that lingering smell of food in your kitchen.
• Saving time and oven space: When grilling you save space in your oven for other desserts and dishes to go in while your meets are on the grill. Also grilling takes less time, which is great if your cooking for a larger crowd.

Now, let’s get into the stuff you can cook on your grill this Christmas. These all have amazing flavor and are the perfect way to serve your guests. For all of these, I will be showing you how to do it for a gas grill.

Rack of Lamb:

A rack of lamb is the perfect main course for a Christmas dinner. It has so much flavor, and it is something everyone will love.

First, you want to make sure your lamb is always marinated before you cook it because that will be the flavor of most of it. Then, you’re going to cover the exposed bones of the lamb with foil so they do not burn.

Now, cook it over medium heat for about ten minutes. You’re going to want it to sit for about minutes before you cut it so all the juices and flavor don’t go out of it.

Keep in mind that medium rare to medium is the best way to go because you don’t want to overcook it. Top with fresh herbs and there you have you rack of lamb, enjoy!

Prime Rib:

Another holiday classic dish for this time of year is a prime rib. A classic prime rib roast is already delicious in itself, but do you know what would make it even more delicious? Grilling it outdoors! This prime rib recipe will have you drooling.

The first thing you want to do is rub your prime rib with your seasonings and olive oil. I like to use salt and pepper. Then, let the prime rib sit at room temperature for one hour.

Cover the grill with the prime rib bone side down over the drip pan. Put the rib on a wire rack and then put that on a baking sheet, cover it with paper towels, and put it in the fridge till it is dry to the touch.

Remove the rib and repeat the process with olive and your seasonings. Then, let it sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes to an hour. Prepare your grill for indirect cooking using only half the burners. 

Cover the grill with the prime rib bone side down over the drip pan. Rotate and flip the meat every 30 minutes so that the meat is cooked on all sides. Cook until a thermometer comes out 125 degrees Fahrenheit which should take about 2 hours.

Put the ribs on a cutting board and cover with foil for ten minutes. Then cut into them and enjoy your delicious holiday dinner!

Smoked Spiral Ham:

What’s a better Christmas dinner than a smoked spiral ham? Nothing, a smoked spiral ham is always a staple on the holiday table and never fails to amaze guests.

Start by trimming excess fat on the ham, leaving 1/4 inch of fat on the top of the ham. Then, score the fat on the top of the ham. Place the ham onto a large baking sheet.

Whisk together all of your spices, like brown sugar, salt, pepper, ginger, and mustard powder, into a bowl and save one tablespoon for the glaze. Season your ham and then seal it in plastic wrap in the fridge for 8-12 hours. 

Preheat your grill to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your ham on the baking sheet with grill grates on the flat side down. Cover your grill and let the ham cook for 3 hours.

Heat butter, honey, vinegar, balsamic, and your reserved dry rub in a saucepan until the butter melts. Cover your ham with the glaze, put it back on the grill for 30 minutes, and bast it with the glaze every ten minutes. 

Slice, top with some pineapple, and serve!

Grilled Salmon:

For all you seafood lovers who have been waiting for the fish, here it is: grilled salmon. Salmon is a great choice for a Christmas dinner f you like seafood, which most people do. 

This recipe is super simple and will not take you long to make.

Start off by getting the best salmon, which is usually freshly caught, but in most cases, it’s store-bought. 

Then rub olive oil, salt, and pepper onto your salmon. Put your salmon flesh side down over a grill until you can lift it without sticking which would be about 5 minutes. Turn your salmon and cook until your liking, which would be 3 minutes for medium rare. 

Slide a spatula between the skin and flesh and place it on a plate. Put some avocado in a nice sauce over them, and enjoy your healthy Christmas dinner!

Side dishes to go with holiday meals:

Here are some great side dishes to go with these delicious holiday meals.

• Cranberry sauce: Cranberry sauce will go great with the prime rib. Cranberry sauce is made of just 3 ingredients which is just cranberry, sugar and water. It has a very intense flavor that is a fan favorite.
• Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes would really go good with any meat. It is a great tasty side dish and is also healthy. Sweet potato casserole is also really good but I would not consider it healthy. It is made of marshmallows, sweet potato and cinnamon.
• Brussels Sprouts-Brussel sprouts are so delicious and could quite literally go with any main dish. They are super simple to make too. All you need to do is put them on a pan with some olive oil, honey, balsamic glaze, salt and pepper. Put them in the oven and they come out so tasty.

Frequently Asked Question’s (FAQ’s)

Q: Can I really grill Christmas dinner in cold weather?

A: Absolutely. With a preheated grill and a little extra time, grilling works great—even in winter—and adds amazing flavor to holiday dishes.

Q: What grilled dishes work best when feeding a crowd?

A: Large cuts like whole chickens, roasts, or skewers are ideal. They’re easy to manage and make great christmas party entree ideas.

Q: How do I keep grilled holiday food warm before serving?

A: Tent the food loosely with foil and keep it in a warm oven. This holds heat without drying everything out.

Q: Can I prep grilled Christmas entrees ahead of time?

A: Yes. Marinades, rubs, and sides can be made in advance, so grilling is quick and stress-free on Christmas Day.

Q: Are grilled entrees festive enough for Christmas dinner?

A: Definitely. With the right seasonings and presentation, grilled dishes feel just as special and often stand out from traditional menus.

Fire Up Something Different This Holidays

Christmas dinner doesn’t have to look the same every year. These Christmas party entree ideas prove that the grill can be just as festive as the oven, bringing bold flavor and a relaxed, celebratory feel to the table. With a little planning and good ingredients, grilled dishes can easily become the highlight of your holiday meal.

Now it’s your turn. Try one of these recipes for your Christmas dinner and let me know how it went—did it surprise your guests? Leave a comment below and share what you grilled this holiday season.

And if you’d rather skip the cooking and just enjoy delicious food, visit the Mortadella Head store here: https://mortadellaheadstore.com/