25 Easy Christmas Eve Dinner Ideas

• Ready In: 20 minutes

• Why It's Great: nutritious, gluten-free, ready in < 30 mins.

Fabulously nutty brown rice, deliciously garlicky mushrooms, creamy feta cheese, pickled beetroot, and to top it off, a flavorful miso and tahini dressing. All this, ready to eat in just 20 minutes – yes, please!

• Ready In: 30 minutes
• Why It's Great: one pan, indulgent, dairy-free.

Make your Christmas Eve meal special this year with this delicious creamy sage chicken. Made with seared chicken breast fillets that are simmered in a rich and creamy sauce of chicken stock and coconut milk. The result is succulently tender meat and the creamiest flavorful sauce that comes together in just 30 minutes. It's the pinnacle of comfort food. I love this chicken served over whole wheat spaghetti. Just gorgeous.

• Ready In: 30 minutes (+ 30 mins hands-off marinating time)

• Why It's Great: quick and easy, crowd pleaser, great flavors.

If you're looking for something to make eating at home extra special this Christmas Eve, Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice is an excellent choice. Succulent and flavorful chicken thighs with crispy skin on the table in less than 30 minutes. What more could you want? This effortless meal is one the whole family will love!

• Ready In: 11 minutes

• Why It's Great: one pan, quick and easy, loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s.

When it comes to fish, you can't go wrong with a butter, herbs, and lemon combo. This recipe does it perfectly. The result is a flavorful pan-seared trout meal in just 15 minutes! A real treat for Christmas Eve supper. Pair with a bowl of steamed veggies to make it complete. Delicious!

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: vegan, gluten-free, cozy comfort food.

Ready for a giant hug from your kitchen this Christmas Eve? This creamy Vegan Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms is a hug in a bowl. It's quite simply the epitome of comfort food: soft, creamy polenta and earthy mushrooms... so satisfying.

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: loaded with whole grains, quick and easy, grab and go.

If you think you'll be craving something loaded with whole grains this Christmas Eve that's delicious and easy to make, look no further than Spiced Lamb Lettuce Wraps. Perfectly spiced lamb, lots of veggies, and creamy feta to top it off. Deliciousness in every bite. 

Swaps: If you're not a fan of lamb, you can use ground pork (pork mince) or ground beef (beef mince). Both are equally delicious. 

• Ready In: 20 minutes

• Why It's Great: vegan, only 6 ingredients, quick and easy.

This turmeric sweet potato pasta salad is a super-simple yet nutrient-dense meal featuring sweet potato, spinach, and turmeric. It's the perfect meal if you're after something light and healthy this Christmas Eve. This recipe also tastes amazing with a combination of spiralized root vegetables like parsnips, carrots, and even beetroot. Spiralized butternut squash is also great a addition.

Special Equipment: Spiralizer or Julienne peeler.

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten-free.

A classic Italian recipe – decadent meatballs coated in a rich tomato sauce. This recipe is a sure-fire way to please all your family members this Christmas Eve. If you ask me, this dish is the ultimate comfort food. Pile high over whole wheat spaghetti, or zucchini noodles (courgetti). Or load into a wholemeal sub for a quick and easy family-style meal. However you choose to serve these delicious meatballs, a generous helping of melty mozzarella cheese is my topping of choice. Heavenly!

• Ready In: 15 minutes

• Why It's Great: just 7 ingredients, indulgent, quick and easy.

With only 7 ingredients, you can have pesto gnocchi on the table in just 15 minutes! Yet, this recipe tastes like you've spent all day in the kitchen. The secret is using store-bought gnocchi and a jar of pesto! Most stores stock minimally processed versions of these ingredients. So take the win, and give yourself plenty of time to relax and enjoy some Christmas cocktails.  

• Ready In: 20 minutes

• Why It's Great: comforting, indulgent, quick and easy.

Nothing beats a cozy bowl of creamy, cheesy kale pasta. A 20-minute dinner idea made with comforting spaghetti, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and garlic. And all that indulgence is brightened with a little lemon. This pasta is so good you'll be going back for seconds. 

Easy Swaps: You can easily swap the white spaghetti for whole wheat to add more fiber to your meal.

• Ready In: 25 minutes

• Why It's Great: crowd-pleaser, great for sharing, just 6 ingredients.

Don't you just love those Christmas Eve dinners where the family gathers around the table to dig into some gloriously messy yet insanely delicious food? This recipe is precisely that. It's finger-licking goodness on a plate. And thanks to the invention of the air fryer, there's no long cook time, just all the delicious flavors of juicy barbecue ribs. YUM!

Ingredient Recommendation: I make these ribs with Dr. Will's All Natural BBQ Sauce.

Special Equipment: Air Fryer

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: vegetarian, vegan, nutritious.

Need a healthy dinner in a hurry? Look no further than Bulgur Pilav! This Turkish-inspired meal is packed with fresh, flavorful Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, tomato, peppers, and fresh herbs. Plus, it's ready to eat in under 30 minutes. 

• Ready In: 13 minutes

• Why It's Great: quick & easy, nutritious, no-cook!

Enjoy a restaurant-worthy experience at home with these lip-smacking pan-seared pork chops drenched in an irresistibly rich garlicky, sticky sweet butter sauce. This recipe is a fantastic way to make dinner feel like a real treat this Christmas Eve. It's sure to have your family asking for seconds!

Easy Swaps: this recipe tastes equally good with thickly sliced pork tenderloin.

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: crowd pleaser, traybake, gluten-free

This easy 30-minute salmon tray bake with potatoes and vegetables comes together on a single baking sheet so you can get to wrapping last-minute gifts rather than wash dishes. It's a fab way to make a healthy salmon dinner without the fuss. It's a holiday favorite!

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: comforting, vegan option available, it's even quicker in the Instant Pot! (both stove & instant pot recipes available)

This chili is a fast and easy way to get a flavor-packed meal on the table. Loaded with hearty black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and Jyoti's chili spice blend, it's the perfect meal for a cold, blistery night!

Easy Swaps: If you don't have any black beans in your pantry, you can easily use kidney beans or white beans, or even chickpeas in a pinch.

• Ready In: 13 minutes

• Why It's Great: indulgent, keto, satisfying.

This Marry Me Chicken recipe features juicy pan-seared chicken in a rich, savory sauce with garlic, sundried tomatoes, and fresh herbs. It will take less than 15 minutes to make this restaurant-quality meal, and it's naturally gluten-free!

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: show-stopper, gluten-free, just 5 ingredients.

If you're thinking of pushing the boat out this Christmas Eve, what about a lobster dinner? That sounds like way too much effort for a busy Christmas Eve, right? Wrong! All you need is 5 ingredients and Rachel's easy-to-follow recipe, and you can whip up an incredible restaurant-worthy seafood show-stopper in no time!

• Ready In: 15 minutes

• Why It's Great: quick and easy, gluten-free, ready in < 30 mins.

Get ready to fall in love with garlic butter chicken. It comes together quickly, is full of flavor, and is the perfect protein to add to any meal! I serve garlic butter chicken with a simple salad or cauliflower mash. 

• Ready In: 5 minutes

• Why It's Great: super-simple, vegan, ready in 5 mins!

Who says a super-quick dinner can't be tasty and memorable? 5-minute Sriracha Noodles are deliciousness at lightning speed! Tender noodles, spicy hot sauce, umami soy sauce, and decadent nuttiness really get those taste buds going.

• Ready In: 16 minutes

• Why It's Great: loaded with whole grains, nutritious, no-cook!

When we're fortunate enough to know that food will be plentiful in the days ahead, there's nothing quite like a light salad with a special Christmassy edge on Christmas Eve. Sara's Christmas Salad recipe is a fabulous combination of fresh ingredients, including mixed greens, festive red pomegranate seeds, oranges, feta cheese, and candied pecans tossed in a homemade dressing. A simple and festive salad that's perfect for a busy Christmas Eve. If you want to add some additional protein, this salad tastes fantastic with some shredded rotisserie chicken.

• Ready In: 15 minutes

• Why It's Great: kid-friendly, loaded with whole grains, just 10 ingredients.

This Mediterranean vegetable pasta recipe can be whipped up in just 15 minutes with ingredients you'll most likely have in your pantry. Frozen Mediterranean vegetables are used for ultimate convenience. It's simply healthy comfort food that the entire family will enjoy! Add a glass of white wine, (or your favorite tipple), and you've got yourself the ultimate Christmas eve meal!

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: loaded with whole grains, lighter option, quick and easy.

If you're looking for dinner on the lighter side, anticipating a stomach-stuffing Christmas Day feast, look no further than this delicious and nutritious kale and farro salad. It's tasty, easy to make, and loaded with healthy goodness.

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: keto, comfort food, kid-friendly.

How often have you driven through a drive-through on Christmas Eve to grab some burgers for the brood? Instead of takeout this year, how about mixing things up with a bowlful of this insanely good cheeseburger soup? It's so cozy, and every bite is so delicious you'll want to lick your bowl clean. This one could become one of your family's traditional holiday meals.

• Ready In: 15 minutes

• Why It's Great: loaded with whole grains, just 9 ingredients, vegan.

This hearty vegetarian pasta dish comes together in only 15 minutes with just nine simple ingredients. How can something so low-effort taste so scrumptious?

• Ready In: 30 minutes

• Why It's Great: comfort food, vegetarian, vegan.

A recipe roundup just wouldn't be complete without an Indian-inspired dish on the menu. Tikka masala is one of my all-time favs. And as it turns out, you don't need to spend hours upon hours in the kitchen to get a delicious curry on the table for the fam. You just need 22 minutes and an Instant Pot. A perfect holiday dinner!

Special Equipment: Instant Pot