What is eaten on Christam Eve or Christmas in Spain?
Christmas is a time for gatherings with family and loved ones, where food takes centre stage in every home. Every host goes above and beyond to serve their guests the most delicious traditional dishes. What do people eat for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day in Spain? We will tell you all about it below.
What do people eat for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day in Spain?
Roast Stuffed Turkey
Stuffed Christmas Turkey
Although the tradition of stuffed turkey originates from the United States, it is becoming increasingly common in Spain to prepare it for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year's Eve. The keys to success: cleaning it thoroughly, adding sweet wine to keep it juicy, preparing a rich and flavourful stuffing, and above all, being patient. It usually takes about 45 minutes of oven time per kilo of turkey.
At Enrique Tomás, we have added our star product to the stuffing. Discover our recipe for roast stuffed Christmas turkey with the finest Jamón Ibérico.
Roast Lamb or Suckling Pig
Oven-roasted leg of lamb
One of the star dishes of Christmas Eve. The secret is to keep the meat juicy on the inside while getting the skin beautifully crispy on the outside: to achieve this, baste the meat every 20 minutes with its own cooking juices collected from the baking tray.
If you are short on time on the day of the celebration, you can slow-cook the lamb beforehand (sous-vide) and give it a quick roast at the very last minute to crisp it up. The ultimate side dishes are confit potatoes, caramelised tomatoes, or seasonal vegetables.
Seafood
Crustaceans
The Mediterranean red prawn (gamba roja) is the ultimate star. It is prepared as an appetizer, in "Mar y Montaña" (surf and turf) dishes, or in fish stews. Lobster, brown crab, and spider crab are also highly popular.
Molluscs
Clams, cockles, razor clams, or wedge clams are essentials during Christmas appetizers: served steamed, grilled, or tossed with garlic and parsley.
Soups and Casseroles
Seafood also plays the leading role in fish soups and traditional "zarzuelas" (fish and seafood stews)—one of the most widespread dishes for Christmas across Spain.
Clams
Red prawn
Red prawn
Baked Fish
Baked sea bream
The most common fish served at Christmas stand out for their delicate and exquisite flavour, prepared in the oven along with a side garnish. Blackspot sea bream (besugo), sea bass (lubina), and gilthead sea bream (dorada) are the favourites. For Christmas soups and seafood stews, hake (merluza) and monkfish (rape) remain essential ingredients.
Sopa de Galets and Christmas Cannelloni
In Catalonia, the homeland of Enrique Tomás, two culinary traditions are particularly deep-rooted. The Sopa de Galets: a rich, hearty meat and vegetable broth filled with "galets"—huge shell-shaped pasta nodes that are sometimes stuffed with minced meat. And the Christmas Cannelloni (Canelones de Navidad), which are traditionally prepared the following day to repurpose the leftovers from the holiday roast: rolled pasta sheets stuffed with meat, vegetables, or duck, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and cheese au gratin.
Sopa de Galets
Christmas Cannelloni
Jamón Ibérico
Jamón Ibérico Christmas Box
At Christmas, ham truly steps into the limelight. While it is present on our tables throughout the entire year, it becomes absolutely indispensable during the holidays and ranks among the most popular gifts in both family and business circles.
The Jamón Ibérico is one of the most enticing appetizers, best served alongside fine Iberian cured meats (embutidos), prawns, or fancy canapés. If you choose one of our Christmas hampers, a large part of your festive table will already be beautifully dressed with the best charcuterie, traditional turrón, and the finest ham in the world.
And for Dessert: Turrón
Turrón Varieties
To top off a wonderful Christmas meal, turrón is an absolute must. It is the undisputed star among holiday sweets and boasts a thousand-year-old tradition in our country. The classic variety consists of a paste made from honey, sugar, and toasted almonds—though today it comes in an endless variety of flavours and creative options to suit every palate.
"Now that you know what people eat for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Spain: Which is your favourite dish?"
