Updated: Jan. 30, 2024
Making last-minute adjustments to your Christmas menu? Find out which holiday dishes will make spirits bright!
We love giving and receiving gifts during the Christmas season; but let’s be honest—we’re here for the food. From juicy prime rib to grandma’s Christmas fudge, everyone has their favorite traditional holiday dish. But have you ever wondered if your family’s go-to recipes are popular in kitchens across America?
A YouGov poll asked 1,140 people to choose the better of two Christmas foods in a series of head-to-head matchups. The holiday dish that won the most matchups might surprise you. It wasn’t turkey—or even ham.
Remember, Americans love their carbs!
The Most Popular Christmas Dishes
The #1 pick is roast potatoes, with a win percentage of 76%. Mashed potatoes came in second (75%), and turkey was third (73%)—the only protein in the top five.
Here’s the full list:
Courtesy YouGov
Check out this top-rated recipe for roasted potatoes. You want potatoes that are crunchy on the outside, and tender and fluffy on the inside!
The Least Popular Christmas Dishes
The least popular food is a bit more predictable. Apparently not many Americans are hoping for tofu on their plate during Christmas; it had a win percentage of only 11%. (Although we think tofu can be delicious!) Plantains and turnips were the second and third least popular menu items.
- Tofu: 11%
- Plantains: 24%
- Turnips/Turnip greens: 27%
- Goose: 28%
- Cabbage: 29%
- Collard Greens: 32%
- Duck: 33%
- Coleslaw: 34%
- Black eyed peas: 36%
- Empanadas: 37%
We don’t know about you, but this list makes us want to make empanadas for Christmas!
FAQs
The Most Popular Christmas Dishes
What is the most popular meal for Christmas in the USA? ›
Roast turkey is the most popular Christmas dinner in America. It's a classic and traditional dish that signifies the holiday season. The bird is typically stuffed with bread or cornbread stuffing and served with gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
What is the most eaten Christmas food in the world? ›
What are the Most Popular Christmas Foods Eaten Around the World?
- Roast turkey or ham, a standard main course for holiday dinners.
- Eggnog, a rich and creamy beverage made with eggs, milk, and spices. ...
- Gingerbread cookies and houses are popular festive treats and decorations.
Why not add a bit of stuffing or cranberry sauce to go with it? Turkey is definitely the most traditional meat for Christmas dinner and you can take a look at our wide selection of whole, rolled and diced turkeys here – perfect for your traditional Christmas dinner!
What is the most popular meal for Christmas in Japan? ›
KFC: Japan's biggest Christmas meal
Every Christmas, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families get their holiday meal from none other than Kentucky Fried Chicken. Somehow this tradition is one of the most sacred and one that really embodies the Japanese Christmas spirit.
What is the least popular Christmas food? ›
Across all states, their findings showed that the least popular Christmas foods are persimmon pudding (13%) and fruitcake (25%). The most popular foods were roasted potatoes (91%), scalloped potatoes (83%), roast beef (77%), red velvet cake (76%), ham (76%) and Christmas nuts (76%).
Who created Christmas dinner? ›
While some of our traditions can be traced backed to pagan times, it's the Victorians who really gave birth to the traditional Christmas as we know it. Charles Dickens in particular was the one who spread the idea of a Christmas dinner, with a roast bird, all the trimmings and a pudding on the table.
What was originally eaten at Christmas? ›
Christmas was a time of feasting and celebration for medieval monks and nuns. For most of the year their food was usually very bland and mainly included things like mushy vegetable soup and coarse bread, with occasional fish, cheese and poultry.
What country eats the most KFC on Christmas Day? ›
Every year, more than three-and-a-half million families order fried chicken for Christmas lunch. It started in the early 1970s, when KFC was still new in Japan. It began marketing chicken as the country's Christmas meat with the catchphrase “Christmas is Kentucky.”
What do Americans drink on Christmas? ›
What are the top five holiday co*cktails in America?
- Christmas punch. That's right; a classic Christmas punch is the most popular holiday drink in America. ...
- Eggnog. How could this boozy classic not be a top holiday co*cktail? ...
- Cranberry mimosa. ...
- Hot buttered rum. ...
- Irish coffee. ...
- Coquito. ...
- Whiskey sour. ...
- Christmas margarita.
Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.
What do Americans eat for Christmas Day? ›
Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.
What do most people eat for Christmas Eve dinner? ›
Turkey is classic, of course, as is ham, but you could also serve a roast chicken, roast beef, or pork tenderloin. Fill out your meal with some Christmas-y side dishes, and you'll be all set for the perfect holiday dinner.
Courtesy YouGov