A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (2024)

By

Carl Hanson

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (1)

Carl Hanson is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes who has been writing about food and wine for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating content that informs, entertains, and assists busy home cooks get nourishing meals on the table for their families.

Published on November 19, 2020

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (2)

With this complete German Christmas menu, choose your festive main dish adventure: Roast goose or beef rouladen. Then load up on the side dishes: braised red cabbage, spaetzle, and potato dumplings — they'll pair perfectly with either choice. And stick around for the Stollen! For your wine choice, try a German Riesling with the roast goose or a Spätburgunder with the Rouladen. And don't miss our collection of top-rated Traditional German Christmas Cookies.

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Chef John's Roast Christmas Goose

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (3)

This roast goose recipe features a simple wine reduction sauce. This incredibly simple recipe starts with a pre-cooked smoked goose. Once you've thawed the bird, roasting it could not be easier. The subtle smokiness of roast goose pairs perfectly with the red wine, balsamic vinegar, and blackberry notes.

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Chef John's Beef Rouladen

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (4)

If you prefer the beef-and-potatoes approach to merrymaking, this classic beef Rouladen might be more your style. "For something that looks and tastes as impressive as this beef rouladen, it's actually one of the simplest stuffed meat recipes I know," says Chef John. "You can pretty much use any cheap cut of beef; I used round steak, but rump, chuck, flap meat, and other similar cuts will work work."

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Chef John's Braised Red Cabbage

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Add a pop of color to the holiday plate with red cabbage braised in wine and simple seasonings, including a pinch of caraway seeds. The salty, sour, and sweet flavors go great with the beef or roast goose. It also benefits from being super easy. "There are so many ways to tweak this recipe," says Chef John. "Raisins, currants, shallots, onions, leeks, apples, and pears are just a few things that rock in this recipe."

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German Spaetzle Dumplings

These traditional German dumplings are made with flour. You'll boil them in water or broth and then pan fry them in butter. "You can also mince a few pieces of bacon in a pan, and heat the cooked spaetzle in the bacon drippings — only omit the butter, if preparing recipe with bacon," says MARBALET.

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German Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelkloesse)

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (7)

These soft, comforting dumplings are filled with a small surprise center of fresh croutons and finished with a drizzle of browned butter. "For best results, roast, don't boil, the potatoes so they're nice and dry," says Chef John. Top these dumplings with bacon and/or sautéed onions and mushroom sauce.

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German Stollen

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (8)

Popular all over Germany during the Christmas season, stollen is filled with dried fruit, candied citrus and orange peel, and almonds. "A very traditional stollen that I make every Christmas," says Marianne. "This stollen is loaded with "

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Traditional Springerle

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (9)

Springerle cookies are a centuries-old, anise-flavored German Christmas cookie made using decorative, carved wooden molds or rolling pins. "We have made these very traditional German cookies every year since I was a child," says PREGOCOOK. "My mother remembers her grandmother making them with this recipe that has been in our family for generations."

More German Christmas Cookie Recipes:

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A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu (2024)

FAQs

A Complete German Christmas Dinner Menu? ›

At the centre of a German Christmas evening spread you'll usually find a roasted goose, turkey or duck, traditionally served with lovely plump bread dumplings – the classic round ones, or one great big festive loaf-shaped one, known as a Serviettenknödel (pictured sliced, above), plus braised red cabbage or stewed kale ...

What is a traditional Christmas dinner menu in Germany? ›

At the centre of a German Christmas evening spread you'll usually find a roasted goose, turkey or duck, traditionally served with lovely plump bread dumplings – the classic round ones, or one great big festive loaf-shaped one, known as a Serviettenknödel (pictured sliced, above), plus braised red cabbage or stewed kale ...

What is the most popular meal to have on Christmas Eve in Germany? ›

Potato salad with sausages

This is indeed one of the number one favourite meals for a German Christmas Eve. One-third of the population serves potato salad with sausages. This perfectly demonstrates the saying that less, in this case, really is more.

What is a typical German Christmas? ›

While 25th December is still a national holiday in Germany, it's celebrated differently to how we do in England. Traditionally, the family will gather around a heartwarming meal, attend church, children will play with their new toys and the white candle of the Advent wreath (the one in the middle) will be lit.

What is a typical German dinner? ›

In Germany, the evening meal is called Abendessen or Abendbrot – the latter is actually more like a supper, and literally translates to 'evening bread'. Following a hearty lunch, Germans traditionally enjoy a lighter dinner, with breads, hams, sausages, cheeses, and pickles all being very common.

What is a traditional Christmas menu? ›

Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables. Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used.

What do Germans drink for Christmas? ›

Mulled wine is the main drink at the markets. It's so popular that many of the markets have special decorated cups for the wine. You pay a deposit for them and get it back when you return them or just keep the cup as a souvenir of your visit.

What do you eat for Christmas Eve dinner? ›

Try a Drummond-inspired menu with Ree's gorgeous prime rib as the main course, or opt for a slow cooker brisket or a big Christmas ham. Then, you can pair it up with one of the many delicious Christmas side dishes, like Brussels sprouts casserole, candied sweet potatoes, skillet dinner rolls, and so much more.

What is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve? ›

roast meat (goose or beef) with roast vegetables. mince pies actually made from (meat) mince. a boiled pudding with fruit, spices, and suet (known as a "Christmas pudding" or sometimes "Plum pudding", though in this case "plum" is an old name for what we now call "raisins", and not the same as the modern plum.)

What do Germans call Santa? ›

Santa Claus - Der Weihnachtsmann

The term Weihnachtsmann is a very generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus. The German Weihnachtsmann is a fairly recent Christmas tradition having little if any religious or folkloric background.

How is German Christmas different from American Christmas? ›

There are two major differences between Christmas celebrations in Germany versus the United States. First, the presents are not delivered by Santa Claus, but by the Christkind (originally the Christ Child Jesus, nowadays an angel like figure).

What is Krampusnacht? ›

Krampusnacht. The Feast of St. Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets.

What do Germans have for Christmas dinner? ›

Treat guests to a traditional German Christmas dinner with classic dishes like roasted goose legs, braised red cabbage. and dumplings, and don't forget the mulled wine and platter of gorgeous, festive cookies.

What is Germany's national dish? ›

Sauerbraten (pronounced [ˈzaʊ̯ɐˌbʁaːtn̩]) is a traditional German roast of heavily marinated meat. It is regarded as a national dish of Germany, and is frequently served in German-style restaurants internationally.

What day is Christmas dinner in Germany? ›

The Christmas meal in Germany is a very important part of the Christmas celebration. This is usually an extravagant, multi-course meal enjoyed on December 25th. On Christmas Eve, December 24th, a simpler meal is served. Advent is a very important part of the Christmas season in Germany.

What is a traditional Dutch Christmas dinner? ›

Dutch Christmas dinners usually consist of venison, goose, hare, or turkey with plenty of vegetables and Kerstbrood (Christmas bread). The Dutch also celebrate by eating gourmetten, a hot plate on which diners place a set of mini pans containing their choice of meat or vegetables.

What is Santa called in Germany? ›

The term Weihnachtsmann is a very generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus.

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