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Bored of turkey? These are the best alternative Christmas roasts to try this year
The best Christmas alternative centrepieces to buy
Tested by Georgia TurnellGHI Food & Drink Tester
Don’t fancy serving turkey this Christmas? You’re not alone. The past few years have seen the nation change its shopping habits when it comes to Christmas dinner, with many choosing to forgo the traditional option in search of more experimental meaty mains or vegetarian centrepieces.
To help you change up your centrepiece, the Good Housekeeping Institute has found the best alternative meat roasts for the big day as part of our big Christmas Taste Test, with options starting from just £8.
Best Christmas meat (that isn't turkey!)
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Best slow-cooked beef
Co-op Irresistible Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Truffle & Red Wine Gravy
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What can I make instead of turkey for Christmas?
It’s a question many of us find ourselves asking each year, before defaulting to the classic turkey crown or whole turkey. However, if you’re not a fan or just fancy a change, we’ve found a bumper line-up of alternative meat options to try this year, including beef and pork.
If you’re cooking for a crowd, these joints will make your feast go further; alternatively, you may want to save them for the Boxing Day spread.
How we test Christmas mains
Our panel of experts and consumers tested 18 meaty mains suitable for the big day. Each one was cooked and prepared as per the instructions, before being presented to the panel without packaging to avoid any brand bias. We judged them on aroma, flavour and appearance.
We were looking for show-stopping centrepieces that would create an element of theatre. To earn their spot on our list, they had to pair well with all the classic Christmas trimmings (such as roast potatoes). We also tested a variety of formats, including glazed gammons, slow-cooked specials and bone-in joints.
Score: 87/100
Why have turkey when you could feast on wagyu? Testers told us this topside of luxury beef had a “fantastic”texture, describing it as a “standout” centrepiece.
The instructions provided resulted in a perfectly cooked, medium rare joint with a beautiful caramelised char. Serve with all the traditional Christmas dinner trimmings and enjoy any leftovers in a Boxing Day sandwich.
Co-op Irresistible Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Truffle & Red Wine Gravy
Score: 86/100
Co-op's beef brisket required minimal effort in our test kitchen, as it’s already been slow cooked for 10 hours. The tender cut is complemented by the accompanying light red wine and (subtle) truffle gravy, leaving you plenty of time to get on with prepping the sides.
Available 10 December 2025
Score: 85/100
If you fancy changing up your main on the big day, we recommend this impressive duck centrepiece from online butcher, Pipers Farm.
The meat is soft and tender, with melt‑in‑the‑mouth fat. It’s a top‑quality base for your own marinade, or simply roast and let the naturally sweet, gamey flavour shine.
Score: 85/100
Lamb may be more traditional at Easter, but Tesco has given this one a festive finish with a sweet maple and redcurrant glaze, which reminded our panellists of mulled wine. Easy to cook, rich and well-seasoned, the meat was exceptionally tender and fell away from the bone.
Available TBC
Score: 83/100
Boneless and ready to eat, DukesHill’s Christmas ham is available in half or whole sizes, so you can choose depending on the size of your gathering. The glossy orange halves are a lovely finishing touch, adding a touch of sweet acidity. Ideal for feeding a crowd — expect the compliments to roll in!
Score: 83/100
This bone-in beef rib scored highly with our panel, thanks to its succulent, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Simple but delicious, we think it’s the perfect base for your own sides, sauces and garnishes.
Available TBC
Score: 81/100
Served warm or cold, gammon is a Christmas classic. This organic joint is boneless and unglazed, ready for you to put your own stamp on it. Salty, smoky and naturally sweet – we think any leftovers would make a great pie filling.
Score: 80/100
If you love crispy pork crackling, look no further. DukesHill has nailed it with this French-trimmed rack of pork, where the quality of the meat really shines through. Our testers described the crispy top as “excellent”, with the soft, tender meat beneath providing the perfect contrast.
Score: 80/100
The cost of beef has skyrocketed in recent months, so if you must have it on the menu but you don’t want to spend too much, we suggest heading to Aldi for well-priced British wagyu.
The wing rib is essentially a sirloin cut, and this one achieved a glorious caramelised crust. It was also well-seasoned with herbs, sea salt and cracked black pepper. “I’d eat this over turkey, any day,” one tester declared, and who are we to argue...
Available 19 December 2025
Morrisons The Best Slow Cooked 3 Rib of Beef with Beef Dripping & Merlot Red Wine Gravy
Score: 80/100
This high-impact centrepiece has already been slow cooked with garlic and herbs for hours, ensuring the perfect texture when you come to re-heat it on the big day.
The short rib also comes with a deeply flavoured and glossy red wine and beef dripping gravy. With so much taken care of, you really can’t go wrong!
COOK British Sirloin Topped with Bacon, Chestnut & Shallot Stuffing
Score: 79/100
We always recommend having some tasty back-ups in your freezer over the Christmas period in case any unexpected guests make an appearance. And it doesn’t come more impressive than COOK’s British beef sirloin.
Aged for 21 days, it’s topped with smoky bacon and finished with a herby stuffing. The pack even includes a porcini-infused red wine jus for serving, leaving you with plenty of time to socialise. Superb!
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Bramley Apple and Caramel Glazed Gammon Joint
Score: 79/100
Serving between 10-12 people, this pre-prepared gammon joint from Sainsbury’s is a very well-priced solution for feeding a crowd. It’s pre-scored for crispy crackling and has a mouthwatering, caramelised spiced apple glaze – providing all the flavour without hours of prep.
Follow the cooking time to the letter and it will come out perfectly – simple!
Available from 12 December 2025
These also passed...
- ASDA Exceptional Bone In Pork Rack with Truffle Butter and Parmesan Crumb, £11.48 for 1kg; Score: 76/100
- Iceland Three Hog Roast, £8 for 1kg; Score: 75/100
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Georgia has been part of the hospitality industry for the last nine years. Her starting point was the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school where she gained a Diplôme de Pâtisserie. She has worked at a number of well-known restaurants and bakeries including The Club at the Ivy and Ottolenghi, Notting Hill where she was the head pastry chef. Most recently, Georgia worked at The Clink Bakery inside HMP Brixton, which aims to reduce reoffending through teaching. She is an expert in all things baked goods and holds a WSET level 2 in wine.
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