Gluten-Free Holiday Menu Ideas

This holiday season, entertain your gluten-free guests with a menu everyone can enjoy. We will show you how to plan a holiday menu with mouthwatering recipes your other guests won’t realize are gluten-free.

Our detailed guide takes you through each step of preparing your gluten-free holiday menu, from the initial research to presenting impressive dishes your guests will appreciate.

Top tip: Use San-J No Soy Tamari if you also need soy-free holiday menu ideas.

3 Steps to Entertaining Gluten-Free Guests Perfectly

When preparing to host gluten-intolerant guests, focus on all the food you can serve rather than the few items that contain gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and some other grains, and as you will see from our recipes below, with a bit of preparation, creating memorable gluten-free holiday dishes is well within reach.

These three steps will help you prepare before exploring our exciting gluten-free holiday menu ideas.

1. Gluten-Free Hosting 101

Unless you are gluten-free, you may not realize how many great gluten-free ingredients and products are available. Familiarize yourself with gluten-free diet requirements and research safe ingredients. You will quickly discover that your gluten-free holiday menu can still be fun, and many products, including San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, are 100% without wheat and certified gluten-free.

Communicate with your gluten-free guests as part of the research process, and don’t be afraid to ask them questions! Your guests will feel special and love being part of the meal-planning process.

2. Choose Your Menu

Selecting a gluten-free holiday menu can be daunting. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with a selection of 100% gluten-free starters, mains and desserts you can serve with confidence for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Cook dishes from scratch using simple ingredients to ensure your carefully planned holiday menu does not accidentally contain hidden gluten. Instead of buying salad dressing, create your own using ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, or add an exciting twist by offering a zesty gluten-free dipping sauce.

3. Prepare Your Kitchen

One of the most important parts of gluten-free entertaining is preventing cross-contamination in the kitchen. A surprising number of cooking tools and surfaces, such as cutting boards, can harbor traces of gluten. Before starting your holiday meal prep, it is a good idea to run all pots, pans, utensils, measuring cups and plates through the dishwasher again. Scrub kitchen surfaces with disinfectant spray or rinse them with soap and hot water.

Prepare in advance and remain aware of your surroundings to avoid cross-contamination, and your holiday meal will be a success. Creating standout gluten-free dishes can be delicious and rewarding.

Recipes for Gluten-Free Holiday Meals

Appetizers

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Start with these ingredients:

36 Toothpicks
¾ cup Brown sugar
¼ cup San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Freshly grated ginger
4 ounces Goat cheese at room temperature
½ cup Chopped pecans
36 pitted Medjool dates
18 slices Gluten free bacon cut in half so you have 36 short strips

Once you have the ingredients ready:

Soak the toothpicks in water for about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil.
Place the brown sugar in a small bowl. Combine the tamari and ginger in another bowl.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese with the pecans, mixing well. Stuff the dates with some of the goat cheese mixture, wrap each date with half a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Dip the dates in the tamari mixture then into the brown sugar, coating well. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Turkey Rice Paper Dumplings With Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Start with these ingredients:

For the Dumplings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 (12-ounce) bag vegetable slaw
2 cups finely shredded cooked turkey
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tbsp San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
12 (8-9 inch) rice paper wrappers (each dumpling will be double-wrapped)
vegetable oil for frying
2 green onions, thinly sliced

For the Dipping Sauce:

6 tbsp jellied cranberry sauce
1 tbsp San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Once you have the ingredients ready:

For the Dumplings

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable slaw and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turkey, ginger, garlic, San-J Organic Tamari, and sesame oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through and the slaw is crisp tender.
Dip one rice paper wrapper in cold water for a few seconds until pliable and place on a damp surface. Add a spoonful of filling in the center of the wrapper. Starting at the bottom, fold the rice paper wrapper over the filling, then the top over, and finally the sides, making a rectangle.
Now create a double wrapping for that same dumpling: Dip a second wrapper in water, place on a damp surface and fold over in the same manner, double wrapping the dumpling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Pour enough vegetable oil to come up about ¼ inch in a skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Fry the dumplings a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Garnish with green onions and serve with dipping sauce.

For the Dipping Sauce

Stir all sauce ingredients together until smooth.

Broiled Gorgonzola & Walnut Portobello Mushrooms

Start with these ingredients:

4 large portobello mushroom caps cleaned and patted dry
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup San-J Gluten Free Tamari
½ cup walnuts toasted and chopped
½ cup gorgonzola cheese crumbled
fresh parsley chopped, to garnish

Once you have the ingredients ready:

Brush both sides of each mushroom cap with olive oil.
Drizzle the interior of each cap with the San-J Gluten Free Tamari.
To toast the walnuts, place the chopped nuts on a ungreased baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the nuts carefully as they brown.
Place the mushroom caps on a nonstick baking sheet.
Preheat the broiler for 3 minutes.
Place the baking sheet with the mushrooms about 4 inches under the broiler for 3 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
Remove the mushrooms from the broiler and sprinkle the interior of the caps evenly with the chopped walnuts and gorgonzola cheese.
Position the mushrooms under the broiler again for an additional 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the caps are softened.
Remove and garnish with fresh parsley.

Side Dishes

Whole Braised Holiday Cauliflower

Start with these ingredients:

5 prunes – roughly chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons neutral coconut oil
1 large yellow onion – sliced
2 medium carrots – diced
about 6 cups roughly chopped collard greens
about 3 tablespoons Tamari Soy Sauce – divided
1 lb crimini mushrooms – quartered
5 garlic cloves – sliced
1 chili pepper – seeded and chopped
3-4 sprigs thyme – chopped
about 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
handful sage leaves – chopped
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
two 28 oz boxes/cans of crushed tomatoes
1 large cauliflower head – outer leaves trimmed

Once you have the ingredients ready:

Drizzle prunes with balsamic vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
Warm coconut oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots, collard greens and a splash of San-J Tamari Soy Sauce and sauté for 10 minutes, until onion is translucent and collard greens are wilted.
Add mushrooms and sauté for about 8 minutes, until all their liquid is evaporated.
Add garlic, chili, thyme, rosemary, sage and black pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add prunes together with balsamic vinegar, followed by 2 tablespoons San-J Tamari Soy Sauce and tomato paste and stir around until the liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, stir to combine and bring to a near boil. Carefully drop cauliflower into the sauce and spoon plenty of sauce on top of the cauliflower to coat it completely. Stir some of the vegetables out from under the cauliflower to ensure that it’s covered with the sauce as much as possible. The top of the cauliflower may peek out a little and that’s ok.
Bring the sauce back to a boil, adjust the heat to a slow simmer, cover and cook for 40-50 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely cooked and soft throughout. Scoop the simmering sauce over the cauliflower every now and then while it’s cooking.
Remove the cauliflower from the pot, slice and serve it warm with plenty of sauce, over vegetable mash or any grains of choice.

Soy Glazed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon & Cranberries

Start with these ingredients:

6 slices bacon
4 tbsp San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 lbs Brussels sprouts, halved with ends trimmed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Once you have the ingredients ready:

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Scatter in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, oil, honey, vinegar, and chili garlic sauce. Add the Brussels sprouts and toss well.
Add the cooked bacon and bacon grease to the Brussels sprouts and toss well. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, toss, then bake for another 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the sprouts. They should be crisp tender and the bacon slightly crisp.
Transfer to a serving bowl along with any juices. Sprinkle the cranberries and green onions over the top and serve.

Main Dishes

Honey Soy Glazed Turkey

Start with these ingredients:

1 12-pound Turkey
Water
2 cups Kosher salt
2¼ cups Honey divided
1¼ cup San-J Tamari Soy Sauce divided
1 cup Molasses
2 Oranges cut into wedges
1 bunch Fresh sage
1 tablespoon Red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Garlic powder
2 teaspoons Black peppercorns
6 cups ice
¾ cup 1½ sticks Butter, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
Gluten free nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

Once you have the ingredients ready:

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Save for another use or discard. Rinse the turkey well inside and out.
Combine 6 cups of water with the salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Stir in 2 cups honey, 1 cup tamari, the molasses, orange wedges, sage, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and peppercorns. Add the ice and stir until it melts. Pour the mixture into a pot or bucket large enough to hold the turkey. Place the turkey to the liquid, breast side down, and add enough cold water so that the turkey is fully covered with the mixture, stirring the water in to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 12 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine, discard the brine, and rinse the turkey with cold water. Dry the skin and cavities well, and let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Rub the butter generously all over the turkey. Sprinkle with pepper. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and tie the legs together with kitchen string. You can also tuck the wings under the bird, if desired.
Roast for 1 hour then cover the turkey with a piece of foil sprayed with cooking spray to keep the turkey from getting too dark. Roast for another 45 minutes then start checking the internal temperature of the turkey with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. You want the temperature to reach 165 degrees, this will take about 2-2½ hours total.
While the turkey is roasting, make a glaze by combining the remaining ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup tamari, and balsamic vinegar in a small but deep saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until it becomes as thick as molasses, about 5 minutes. The glaze needs to be thick or it will not adhere to the turkey.
Once the turkey reaches 165 degrees, remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 450 degrees. Brush the turkey with about ⅓ of the glaze and return to the oven. Cook for 2 minutes, then glaze again with half the remaining glaze. Cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven, place it on a cutting board or serving platter, give it a final brush with the glaze, tent with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Tamari Turkey Brine

Start with these ingredients:

1 16-24 pound turkey thawed and not pre-treated
Brine Base
2 gallons cold water divided
1/2 cup salt
1 10- oz bottle San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
Optional Ingredients
Orange or lemon; peels or wedges
Red pepper flakes
Garlic cloves or powder
Ginger root or powder
Peppercorns
Sage dried or fresh
Thyme dried or fresh
Bay leaves
Whole cloves
Equipment
You need a container large enough to hold your turkey submerged in 2 gallons of water and able to keep cool for at least 8 hours
A large stock pot with lid or a food-safe bucket with lid and some space in the refrigerator
Or the crisper drawer lined with a large brining bag
Or a cooler filled with ice

Once you have the ingredients ready:

Start by gathering your brining container and making space in the fridge or cooler.
Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Rinse the turkey well, inside and out. Place the turkey breast side down in your prepared container.
Dissolve the salt by heating it in a small amount of the water, in a medium saucepan. Once dissolved, remove from heat and add the bottle of Tamari Soy Sauce. Then, if using, add sugar and/or aromatics of choice.
Pour the brine solution over the turkey, and then pour remaining cold water over the turkey.
Cover and place in the fridge to brine for 8 hours or overnight.
Once brining is complete, rinse the turkey with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Next, thoroughly clean your sink of any residue from the raw turkey.
You can then roast the turkey or allow to sit in fridge covered for another 24 hours until ready to cook.
Roast as usual. Check the turkey’s temperature about an hour before the end of cooking time, as brined turkeys may cook more quickly.

Turkey Stuffed Pork Loin

Start with these ingredients:

1 pound Turkey sausage
1 10-ounce box Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 ounces Cream Cheese cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon Grated nutmeg
1 3 to 3 1/2 pound Boneless pork loin, butterflied
Kosher or fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons San-J Tamari Soy Sauce

Once you have the ingredients ready:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spatula, until fully cooked. Drain the fat. Add the spinach, cream cheese, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts.
Lay the pork, opened, between two pieces of waxed paper and pound with a rolling pin until it is of even thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the sausage mixture over the top of the pork, leaving a 1-inch border. Starting with one long end, roll tightly into a cylinder. Tie kitchen string around the cylinder at 1-inch intervals. Place on the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down. Sprinkle the outside with pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup with the Tamari Soy Sauce. Pour half into another small bowl. Brush half the mixture over the pork and back for 35-45 minutes or until the temperature of the pork reaches 145°F.
Remove from the oven, brush with the remaining maple tamari sauce. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Desserts

Flourless Christmas Tree Brownies

Start with these ingredients:

For the Brownies

1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 12-oz bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups brown sugar or coconut sugar
3 tbsp San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
gel icing
sprinkles

For the Ganache

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Once you have the ingredients ready:

For the Brownies

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare 2 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and cooking spray or butter.
Add the butter and chocolate chips to a large microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power for 2 1/2 minutes. The chocolate should be very soft and beginning to melt. If not, heat for another 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and glossy. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in another bowl, whisking well to combine with no lumps.
To the cooled butter and chocolate, add the eggs, sugar, Tamari, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Divide the batter evenly among the two prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges look dry and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and place upside down on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
When completely cooled, place the cakes upside down on a cutting board and cut each cake into 8 triangles.Transfer the triangles back to the wire cooling rack, keeping them face-down. Optional, add waxed paper below on the counter.

For the Ganache

Heat the cream over medium heat until it almost comes to a boil. Add the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy. While still warm, stir in the butter until completely melted. Stir in the Tamari and vanilla.
Spoon the ganache heavily over the brownie triangles, letting it drip down the sides.
Decorate with gel icing and sprinkles. Refrigerate to let the ganache harden, about 1 hour.

Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Start with these ingredients:

Gluten free nonstick cooking spray or oil
1 Gluten free white or yellow cake mix
1 15-ounce can Pumpkin puree
2 Large eggs lightly beaten
2½ teaspoons Pumpkin pie spice
½ plus ⅓ cup Semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup Heavy cream
1 tablespoon San-J Tamari Soy Sauce
½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

Once you have the ingredients ready:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice and mix well. Take 1 cup of the batter and place it in a small mixing bowl.
Melt ⅓ cup chocolate chips in the microwave for 45-60 seconds or until mostly melted. Stir until smooth and glossy. Add the melted chocolate to the 1 cup reserved batter, along with the cocoa powder.
Layer half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared bundt pan, top with the chocolate batter, spreading to cover evenly. Top with the remaining pumpkin batter and smooth the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Place the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it just starts to boil. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture well until smooth and glossy. Stir in the tamari and vanilla.
Place a piece of waxed paper under the wire cooling rack and drizzle the chocolate tamari mixture over the top of the cake. Let the chocolate cool before placing the cake on a serving plate or cake stand.

Make Gluten-Free Holiday Cooking Simple With San-J Sauces

Unlock all the taste in your gluten-free cooking this holiday season with the umami-rich flavor of our Tamari Soy Sauce. Unlike many other soy sauces, our sauce is brewed with 100% soy and certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization.

Browse our exciting collection of San-J Asian cooking sauces and feel inspired to invite your gluten-intolerant friends and family back anytime!