No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Cook Christmas dinner without using your oven with these traditional No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes for the whole family. These no-bake Christmas recipes are made in your Instant Pot, sous vide, slow cooker, grill, rice cooker, air fryer and other kitchen appliances.

This post contains affiliate links. That means that we may be compensated if you click a link and purchase something. Thank you!

The idea of no-bake Christmas dinner recipes may not be what you’re expecting. These Christmas recipes may not be made in your oven but they are definitely cooked. Imagine after spending hours planning your menu for Christmas dinner and an obscene amount of money on ingredients, you wake up Christmas morning and your oven is broken. Or you maybe you’d like to enjoy Christmas day a bit more and not spend the whole day slaving over the stove. You may have a smaller oven than most. Why not use different kitchen appliances? These No-Bake Christmas Dinner recipes will keep you you and the kitchen cool and give you an excuse to try that new Instant Pot or sous vide machine.

Get ready to have your mind blown away with these no-bake Christmas dinner recipes! Some of these cooking techniques may be new to you. Some are just too cool not share. I have broken down the no-bake Christmas dinner recipes by appliance. The list starts off with the infamous Instant Pot, followed by the trendy sous vide machine. Then we have your trusty old slow cooker and rice cooker. Rounding it out with the air fryer, Vitamix, grill and my favorite, the smoking gun. Wait until you hear what these bad boys can do!

Instant Pot

If you have been living under rock for the last couple years and have no clue what an Instant Pot is, it is the new “it” item. Goodbye Crock-Pot hello fast and furious Instant Pot. This amazing little gem does everything from pressure cooking and sauteing to slow cooking and making soup, cakes and preserves. The Instant Pot speeds up cooking duration by two to six times and uses 70% less energy than average. Clearly if you don’t have one, add it to your wish list or better yet, look for it on sale on Black Friday! If you’re looking for more pressure cooker recipes these are all one pot.

Instant Pot No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole
Instant Pot Super Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Instant Pot Loaded Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Butternut Apple Mash (Paleo & GF)
Instant Pot Turnip Mash
Instant Pot Bone-In Ham with Maple-Honey Glaze
Instant Pot Maple Smoked Brisket (slow cooker recipe also)
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Casserole
Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
Instant Pot Honey Ham
Instant Pot Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Instant Pot Glazed Carrots
Instant Pot Stuffed Acorn Squash
Instant Pot Red & Green Brussels Sprouts
Instant Pot Butternut Squash
Instant Pot Sweet and Spicy Carrots

Sous Vide

Sous vide is a French term for “under vacuum” and is a method of cooking. It has become super trendy this year and will only become more popular in the years to come. Sous vide refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture. High end restaurants have been cooking like this for year. We will start to see more and more sous vide recipes popping up. Get ahead of the trend!

Sous Vide No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Sous Vide Herb Crusted Prime Rib
Sous Vide Ham Balsamic Brown Sugar Glaze
Sous Vide Pork Chops with Cherry Balsamic Sauce
Sous Vide Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin in a Mustard Jus
Sous Vide Turkey Breast Roulade
Sous Vide Prime Rib Roast
Sous Vide Lamb Shank
Sous Vide Pork Rack
Sous Vide Carrots
Sous Vide Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes
Sous Vide Butter Poached Potatoes
Sous Vide Sweet Potato Infused Smoked Garlic, Paprika and Maple Syrup
Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
Sous Vide Cinnamon Spiced Apples
Sous Vide Mushrooms
Sous Vide Creme Brulee
Sous Vide Flourless Chocolate Cake
Sous Vide Spice Hot Chocolate
Sous Vide Eggnog
Sous Vide Candy Cane Cosmo

Slow Cooker

The slow cooker or Crock-Pot is the most popular counter top kitchen appliance.  We all know how handy our slow cookers are and I have listed below some tasty Christmas recipes that are sure to please. Better yet, have Aunt Betty whip up a recipe and bring it over for Christmas day. You will have more time to focus on what really matters, Christmas cookies like these here and here!

Slow Cooker No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Beef Tenderloin
Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Loin
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham
Slow Cooker Butter Inside Round Roast
Slow Cooker Ham and Sweet Potatoes
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
Slow Cooker Brussels Sprout with Cranberry, Pecan and Butternut
Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Casserole
Slow Cooker Parmesan Sweet Potatoes
Slow Cooker Risotto Butternut Squash
Slow Cooker Brown Butter Carrots
Slow Cooker Candied Cinnamon Pecans
Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Slow Cooker Syrup Sponge Pudding
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apples
Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider
Slow Cooker Spiced Wine
Slow Cooker Snowman Soup (Hot Chocolate)
Slow Cooker Eggnog Lattes
Slow Cooker Peppermint Mochas

Rice Cooker

Did you know that your rice cooker can cook more than just rice? The basic job of a rice cooker is to boil or steam. So sub out rice for anything else you would steam and voila! It’s also great for soups, jambalaya, chili and oatmeal. I love that you can use it to keep food warm too, which is always helpful when you’re cooking for a crowd.

Rice Cooker No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Wolfgang Puck’s Rice Cooker Mushroom Risotto
Rice Cooker Three Cheese Mac and Cheese
Rice Cooker Quinoa
Rice Cooker Cheese Broccoli Quinoa
Rice Cooker Parmesan Rice
Rice Cooker Bread
Rice Cooker Rice Pudding
Rice Cooker Honey Glazed Upside Down Apple Cake
Rice Cooker Poached Pomegranate Spiced Pears

Air Fryer

An air fryer is not your traditional fryer. The food does not sit in hot oil and fry. An air fryer cooks by circulating hot air around the food. A fan circulates the hot air around the food at high-speed, cooking the food and producing a crispy layer. Much healthier than fryer food in oil.  You can make healthier versions of your family’s favorite foods by frying them with a tablespoon or less of oil and draining excess fat while cooking.

Air Fryer No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Air Fryer Roast Beef
Air Fryer Turkey Breast with Maple Mustard Glaze
Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
Air Fryer Twice Fried Potatoes
Air Fryer Radish and Mozzarella Salad
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Air Fryer Carrots (Two ways)
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Air Fryer Green Beans
Air Fryer Mac and Cheese
Air Fryer Buttery Dinner Rolls
Air Fryer Buttermilk Biscuits
Air Fryer Spiced Roasted Pumpkin
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Pie
Air Fryer Apple Crumble Bread Pudding
Air Fryer Pecan Pie
Air Fryer Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Vitamix

If you have a Vitamix or ever used one, you know that it is the king of all blenders. Not sure you can even classify it as just a blender because it does so much more. I was so excited when I found out it can make ice cream and soup. I even made creamy avocado hummus with it. My mind was blown away by how it kept things at the right temperature. Put the smoothies down people and use the Vitamix to its full potential. Did I mention it is self-cleaning? Just blend warm water and a drop of dish soap at your machine’s highest speed, and watch it self-clean in 60 seconds or less-no disassembly required.

Vitamix No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Vitamix Creamy Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup
Vitamix Acorn Squash Soup
Vitamix Butternut Squash Soup
Vitamix Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Vitamix Hummus
Vitamix Applesauce
Vitamix Toasted Coconut Fudge (Paleo)
Vitamix Chocolate Mousse (Vegan)
Vitamix Salted Caramel Creme Brulee
Vitamix Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Vitamix Chocolate Pudding (Vegan, Paleo, GF)

Grilled & Smoked

If you don’t have to dig your grill out of the snow, grilling is a great way to cook holiday meals. We hardly ever get snow during the holidays and even if we do get snow for Christmas it is only a few inches. I would suggest using your grill or smoker to cook your main meat course since it will take the longest. My mouth is watering just thinking of a smoked ham or prime rib. We got a Big Green Egg a few months ago and it is magical to say the least! We grilled lamb chops and a leg of lamb to perfection. I can’t wait to smoke a ham in it for Christmas and bake bread. Yep, you can make bread in it too! Like I said, it is magical.

Grilled and Smoked No-Bake Christmas Dinner Recipes

Grilled Bacon Marinated Pork Loin
Grilled Sriracha Leg of Lamb
Grilled Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb
Smoked Turkey
Grilled Southwest Turkey
Skillet Grilled Seafood and Chorizo Paella
Honey, Thyme and Sweet Cherry Grilled Brie
Grilled Mushrooms on Skewers
Grill Garlic Potatoes
Grill Eggplant Salad and Lentils
Big Green Egg Artisan Bread
Big Green Egg Apple Pie
Sticky Cinnamon Figs
Grilled Pears with Honey Whipped Ricotta

Smoking Gun

I came across this little gadget when I was researching ways to cook food without using an oven or stove top. The name alone caught my attention and peaked my interest. A smoking gun doesn’t actually cook food. It gives it that smokey flavor everyone loves without all the work of actually smoking something which takes forever.  A smoking gun can infuse a variety of foods and drinks with a natural smokey flavor like applewood or hickory with a gentle cold smoke. By cold smoking food, it ensures the taste of your food doesn’t get ruined. It filters out the heat from the smoke so the smoke is cool when leaving the nozzle and your food stays as you perfected it. Learn how to use a smoking gun by watching this video. 

 

I hope after reading about all these nifty no-bake Christmas dinner recipes, you are excited to host the holidays. It will definitely make it more of a stress free holiday by not having to spend the whole day in the kitchen. It will also keep the house from getting extremely hot since I won’t be using my oven.

Happy holidays!