Southern Christmas Roast Recipe
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There’s something magical that happens when a soul food Christmas roast hits the oven. When the kitchen fills with the deep, savory perfume of herbs, garlic, and slow-roasted goodness that feels like a holiday hug from our ancestors, this isn’t just any roast. This is the centerpiece dish that brings everyone to the table, whispering “Mmm, who made this?” before the first slice is even carved!
Baked low and slow the Southern way, this Christmas roast is tender in the middle, caramelized on the edges, and seasoned with the kind of legacy flavors that make a meal taste like home. It’s a dish that honors tradition while keeping your holiday cozy and full of soul.
Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot® present this soul food Christmas roast recipe as your go-to guide for tender, oven-baked holiday comfort, seasoned with African American culinary heritage for that signature legacy “flava” in every slice!
Traditional Christmas roast
A traditional Christmas roast comes from the classic Sunday roast tradition—tender cuts of beef, lamb, chicken, or pork slow-roasted with hearty vegetables, potatoes, and rich gravy. It’s the kind of classic Southern meal that gathers everyone around the table and wraps the whole house in warm, comforting aromas.
But this Christmas roast? It takes that timeless tradition and elevates it with Christmas-infused flavors and true Southern soul! Instead of those bland “season to taste” recommendations, my recipe layers in bold soul food seasoning, fresh holiday ingredients like cranberries and balsamic, and the deep, savory warmth of garlic and brown sugar. It’s a roast that honors the past while serving up the spirit of the season… rich, juicy, festive, and bursting with that signature Shaunda Necole “flava” that makes every bite feel like a celebration!
Ingredients
This Christmas roast starts with the soulful foundation of classic soul food seasonings, then gets dressed up for the holidays! Fresh cranberries, cranberry sauce, a splash of balsamic vinegar for balance, warm garlic cloves, and a kiss of brown sugar come together to create a festive blend that’s sweet, savory, and full of holiday comfort.
Infused with all the rich, deep-South flava you love, this juicy, tender beef tenderloin will have you saying “Merry Christmas, y’all!” from the very first bite.
The best roast cut to choose
Prime rib is the undeniable holiday showstopper. It’s rich, marbled, and full of that deep, beefy flavor that feels like pure celebration! As one of the most tender cuts in the butcher’s case, it has just enough fat to melt into the meat and create a juicy, soul-warming roast. It’s luxurious, flavorful, and the perfect cut when you want your Christmas table to shine.
How to make a Southern Christmas roast
A holiday roast that comes together with simple steps, bold flavors, and a whole lot of Southern Christmas magic. So warm up that oven, let the aromas dance through your home, and get ready to serve a Christmas roast that brings joy, comfort, and a whole lot of flava to your festive table!
- Season and prep: Rub the roast with the prepared spice blend, pierce it for maximum flavor, and whisk together the balsamic-cranberry marinade.
- Build the pan: Pour the marinade into a roasting pan, nestle the roast in, add fresh cranberries and thyme, and baste generously.
- Roast to perfection: Cook to your preferred doneness (Use a meat thermometer – 140°F for medium-rare, up to 160°F for well-done).
- Rest, slice, and serve: Let it cool, slice it tender, garnish with cranberry sauce, and enjoy the soulful holiday flava!
✨ Shaunda’s Soul Food Sense: tips, truths & traditions
A few lessons, memories, and must-knows from my kitchen to yours.
Making the most tender roast
The secret to a melt-in-your-mouth Christmas roast is twofold: choosing the right cut and giving it the slow, loving cook it deserves. While beef tenderloin is the most delicate and naturally tender cut—lean, juicy, and luxurious—prime rib (rib-eye roast) brings that unforgettable holiday flavor with its rich marbling and deep beefy taste.
🥄 Shaunda says: I use rib-eye for this recipe because the fat content and marbling create a juicier, more flavorful roast, and the boneless center cut makes it easy to season and roast to soulful perfection!
How long does it take?
A good rule of thumb is to roast your beef at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes per pound, cooking until it reaches your preferred doneness and fills your kitchen with that Christmas-soul aroma! If you’re short on time or want all the flavor in a fraction of the minutes, try my Instant Pot version for a quicker, just-as-tender holiday roast.
❤️ Serve it like a Southerner… traditional Christmas sides for beef roast
A classic Christmas roast shines even brighter when it’s surrounded by all the traditional fixings. Roasted carrots and potatoes caramelized in the oven’s heat, creamy mashed potatoes, tender green beans, and a cold glass of homemade eggnog to toast the season! It’s the kind of spread that feels warm, nostalgic, and soulfully complete, turning a simple roast into a full festive feast.
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Equipment
- Large baking pan or dish optional
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound beef roast prime rib
- ½ cup beef broth
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup cranberry sauce canned or homemade
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup cranberries fresh
- 6-8 sprigs thyme fresh
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the beef roast.
- Using a knife, pierce the roast all over, then set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the broth, balsamic vinegar, garlic, cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and olive oil.
- Then, pour the mixture into the roasting pan and place the roast into the pan with the marinade.
- Add the fresh cranberries and thyme to the pan, and baste the roast with the marinade.
- Roast the meat for approximately 20 minutes per pound. This means you should roast a 3 to 5-pound roast for 60 to 140 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees F for medium-rare. For a well-done roast, continue cooking in 10-minute intervals until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
- Once cooked, remove the roast from the oven and let it cool before slicing.
- Garnish with fresh cranberry sauce, then slice and serve the Southern Christmas roast with the pan sauce as gravy, and enjoy!
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Nutrition
❤️ Why trust this recipe?
Created + tested by Shaunda Necole, creator of The Soul Food Pot® (real cook, real kitchen). Rooted in African American culinary traditions, with modern shortcuts that don’t sacrifice flavor or legacy. No AI-generated instructions — measurements, timing, and techniques are written, cooked, and verified by Shaunda. Make-it-your-way guidance included, so you can cook confidently with the tools you have.
❤️🥄 Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot® deliver trusted, expert-made soul food recipes that blend modern Southern ease with legacy-rich flavor — always honoring African American culinary traditions while fitting perfectly into today’s kitchens.