21 Traditional English Christmas Side Dishes

Here are 21 Delicious traditional English Christmas side dishes that are going to take your Christmas dinner to the next level.

In England we love to invite all the family around for Christmas. It is normal to have multiple households gather around for one big Christmas dinner.

My Christmas dinner typically ranges from around 15 to 20 people each year. This means we prepare a huge Christmas dinner and at least 10 different side dishes. Everything from spiced, sweet and tangy braised red cabbage to creamy and crunchy baked cauliflower cheese.

Whats in a Traditional English Christmas Dinner?

Christmas Dinner has been traditional for many centuries in England. With turkey joining our Christmas table after Henry the VIII ate turkey for Christmas. This dated back to the 16th century making him the first monarch to ever eat turkey on Christmas.

There are many other English ingredients and recipes that are served on Christmas. This includes sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce, roast potatoes and vegetables cooked in a variety of ways.

Overtime the traditional English Christmas dinner evolved to include more popular meats and side dishes like roast beef, Yorkshire puddings and a variety of other vegetables cooked in different ways like Creamed Leeks.

The Christmas dinner is then finished off with dessert. Some typical desserts include mince pies, trifle and Christmas Pudding.

Typically Christmas dinner in England is eaten between 1pm to 4pm on the 25th of December.

21 Traditional English Christmas Recipes

Spiced Red Cabbage (Christmas Dinners and Sunday Roasts)

This Spiced Red Cabbage is a flavorful and vibrant side dish, perfect for elevating your Christmas dinners or Sunday roasts. The combination of sweet, tangy, and warm spiced flavors pairs beautifully with hearty roast meats and vegetables, adding a festive touch to your meal.

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Baked Cauliflower Cheese

This baked cauliflower cheese is rich, cheesy, and topped with a golden, crunchy layer. It's the perfect side dish for your Christmas dinner or Sunday roast.

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Creamed Leeks

These creamed leeks are rich, flavorful, and incredibly easy to prepare using just one pot and five ingredients. Perfect as a side dish for Sunday roasts or Christmas dinner.

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Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

These brown sugar glazed carrots pack a ton more flavour than boil carrots and they are easy.

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Honey Roasted Parsnips

Easy honey roasted parsnips made with just 3 ingredients and one baking tray!

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Garlic Cavolo Nero

Tangy, tender, garlic-y and slightly sweet, this recipe ties in perfectly with a Christmas dinner.

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Duck Fat Potatoes

These duck fat potatoes are rich and crunchy with a fluffy interior.

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Vegan Roast Potatoes

These vegan roast potatoes are perfectly crunchy on the outside with a fluffy and soft interior. Just what you want in a good roastie.

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Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are soft and creamy with superb flavour and texture!

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Herbed Mashed Potatoes

These herbed mashed potatoes are a tasty alternative to your regular mashed potatoes. They are smooth, fluffy and flavoured with fresh herbs and garlic.

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Onion and Sage Stuffing

This classic sage and onion stuffing recipe is really easy to make at home and tastes so much better than the packet version.

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Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

These garlic roasted brussels sprouts are really tender and tasty. This easy recipe takes a few simple ingredients and creates a mouthwatering side dish you’ll be excited to serve.

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Pancetta Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Even if you don’t like Brussels sprouts, you may be surprised by how tasty they are when roasted with pancetta, especially if you have purple Brussel sprouts

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Yorkshire Puddings

Perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, just what you want in a Yorkshire pudding.

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Vegan Yorkshire Puddings

Golden and crispy Yorkshires so tasty that you won’t even they are vegan.

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Pigs in Blankets

These crispy, slightly sweet honey glazed pigs in blankets are always one of the first Christmas sides to disappear.

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Christmas Dinner Side Sauces

Cranberry Sauce

This homemade cranberry sauce with apple cider uses just 4 ingredients and is so simple to make! Much better then any store bought cranberry sauce.

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Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

This no refined sugar cranberry sauce is simple to make and loaded with fresh flavours. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a Christmas turkey.

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Onion Gravy

This homemade onion gravy will help take your Christmas dinner to the next level.

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Turkey Gravy

Delicious turkey gravy you can make a head of time with your turkey trimmings.

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Vegan Red Wine Gravy

Vegan red wine gravy thats infused with sweet vegetable & fresh herb flavour. Its super tasty, rich & flavoursome.

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