No Oven? No Problem: Here’s How to Cook Christmas Dinner Without One

If your oven has decided to quit right before Christmas, you have two options: Instantly panic, or strap in to create the most chaos-filled, creative chef that the holidays have ever seen!

Let’s go with option two.

Trust us when we say that it is more than possible to create a fantastic dinner without an oven. Don’t believe us? Let’s break it down.

All-Star Sides That Don’t Need an Oven

These side dishes are where your slow cooker, Instant Pot, stovetop, and air fryer become the heroes of Christmas cooking.

• Slow cooker mashed potatoes: Creamy, dreamy, and simple. Throw in garlic, sour cream, cream cheese… it’ll be fantastic!
• Stovetop candied sweet potatoes: They come together in one pan and make the whole house smell like you live inside a gingerbread candle.
• Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes: Nobody needs to know they weren’t baked. They’re faster, creamier, and truly elite.
• Instant Pot cherry-orange cranberry sauce: A festive upgrade that basically cooks itself. Bonus points if you swap the water for apple juice or rum.
• Air fryer Brussels sprouts: Crispy in 15 minutes. Toss with maple-mustard mayo and just wait for everyone to ask for the recipe.
• Slow cooker stuffing: If stuffing is the hill you’ll die on (relatable), good news: it slow-cooks beautifully. Pro tip: lay a clean dish towel under the lid to keep it from getting soggy.
• Stovetop green beans: Fresh, quick, and light enough that you can pretend you’re having a “balanced” meal.

Okay, But What About the Main?

Great question. This is where we embrace adaptability!

• Turkey breast or fillets, pan-fried on the stovetop: Give them a good sear and finish on low. Gravy covers all sins.
• Ham in the slow cooker: Gammon and a splash of cider, stock, or even orange juice is quick and easy holiday magic.
• Pre-cooked meats warmed gently on the stovetop: Zero shame! Pour hot gravy over everything, and no one will ask questions.
• Pot-roast-style turkey pieces on the hob: Brown, braise, simmer, then you’re done. You even get built-in gravy.

When in Doubt, Crowdsource the Feast

And if these options don’t work for you, host a potluck! You make whatever stovetop or slow-cooker magic you can manage, and everyone else brings the mains, the rolls, the desserts, or the questionable Jell-O salad.

Or, if you don’t want to seize all control, simply ask someone else to bring the main, and you can handle the rest.

But also, try to remember that the real key to a quality Christmas dinner is having your close friends and loved ones there. No one is going to remember the food as much as they’ll remember the excellent time they spent with you on one of the most special days of the year.

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