Learn how to make nutritious dog food at home in just 30 minutes. Your furbaby will love their meals, and you’ll love that this recipe for simple, stovetop homemade dog food is easy, healthy, and made with every day, whole-food ingredients you recognize!
My dog, Charlie is 4 years old and I recently decided to start making his food from scratch instead of feeding him store-bought dog food. If everyone else in our house is eating Clean & Delicious, why shouldn’t Charlie?
There are so many different meal options you can create for your dog when making homemade dog food. I’m going to start with a pretty straightforward, well-balanced recipe. This is a great starter recipe, made up of ground turkey, veggies, and brown rice.
If you’re not ready to jump into homemade dog food, you can always start with some DIY dog treats (our dog loves homemade treats!).
Ingredients needed for this homemade dog food recipe:
This DIY dog food made at home is filled with rich protein, vegetables, and healthy grains. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Coconut oil – provides a variety of health benefits for dogs, such as improving the skin and coat, increasing energy, aiding digestion, and reducing allergic reactions, just to name a few. And just like us, your dog needs healthy fats in their diet.
- Ground turkey – will add necessary protein to your dog’s diet, as well as important vitamins and minerals.
- Veggies – this homemade dog food recipe uses a mix of zucchini, spinach and carrots. All are safe for dogs and will provide your baby with a variety of nutrients.
- Turmeric – a dog-safe seasoning that also provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Egg – for extra protein and nutrients.
- Rice – a complex carb that provides energy and aids in gastrointestinal function.
How to make homemade dog food:
Making homemade dog food is a cinch! Here’s a quick rundown of the process:
- Brown the turkey. Heat a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add in the coconut oil and turkey and sauté until it is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Add the veggies. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the zucchini, spinach, carrots and turmeric. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Mix in the egg. Turn off the heat and and crack in the egg. Let the egg cook in the hot food, mix it around to ensure it mixed through and cooked through.
- Stir in the rice. Add the rice and stir it in with the other ingredients until everything is well combined. Cool and serve!
Recommended serving size for homemade dog food:
The amount of homemade dog food that your dog will require is dependent upon how much your dog weighs and how active he or she is. This amount varies from dog to dog. I suggest talking to your vet and getting their advice on a good starting point.
You can also monitor your dog to make sure they are maintaining their weight and staying happy and active.
This recipe makes about six cups of food, which is three days’ worth of food for Charlie who is about forty-five pounds. You can easily adjust this amount based on the weight of your dog. Also, feel free to scale this recipe up and double or even triple it, if you wanted to cook less often.
Tips for making your dogs food at home:
- If you’re not ready to make the leap to cooking all of your dog’s food, try just adding some real, whole foods to their kibble. You can start with simply stirring in a scrambled egg, mixing in some chopped apples or carrots, or adding a small amount of the homemade dog food in with their normal kibble.
- You should be able to serve this homemade dog food to your dog either hot or cold. I’ve found that dogs love this dog food so much, that they are not picky about how it’s served.
- It’s not usually a good idea to abruptly change your dog’s food. Start transitioning them to homemade food by mixing some of this in with their regular food or kibble for a few days until they are used to the new food. Your dog’s belly will thank you. And again, remember to always discuss with your vet before feeding your pet something new.
- To give your dog a variety of different nutrients, use different meats, fruits, and vegetables to make your dog’s food. However, if your dog has a sensitive stomach, it might be best to stick to one combination that you know works.
Foods not safe for dogs:
The most important thing to know when making homemade dog food for your dog are the foods they should NOT eat.
You can do a quick google search for an all-inclusive list or buy a doggie cookbook for reference. Here’s a list from the Humane Society of foods that can be poisonous to pets. Be sure to take the necessary precautions if you plan to start cooking for your dog, but also know, there’s really not that much to worry about!
Here are some common human foods that should not be fed to your dog:
- Garlic
- Onions
- Chocolate
- Raisins
- Grapes
- Kale
- Cooked bones
- Soy sauce
- Avocado
Charlie LOVES his homemade food and I’m excited to experiment with new recipes and treats for him, so if you want to see more recipes for your pup, let me know in the comment section below!
Healthy dinner options:
Looking for some of our favorite family-friendly dinner options? Give these a try:
If you make this homemade dog food recipe, be sure to leave a comment and ★ rating below letting me know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for me and our Clean & Delicious community (thank you!).
30-Minute Stovetop Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 large zucchini shredded
- 1 cup baby spinach finely chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 egg
- 3 cups cooked rice (I like using frozen brown rice)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or pot over a medium-high heat. Add in the coconut oil and turkey and sauté until it is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the zucchini, spinach, carrots and turmeric. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Turn off the heat and and crack in the egg. Let the egg cook in the hot food, mix it around to ensure it mixed through and cooked through.
- Stir in the rice until everything is well combined. Cool and serve!
Comments
Lisa Ratkowski says
I love this recipe very easy to do and my guys love it. is the calorie court for 1 cup?
my guys need to loose 4 lbs and I am unsure how to divide this into breakfast and dinner.
Thanks!
Lisa
Frank Kane says
Your homemade dog food recipe is undeniably healthy for our furry friends! It’s definitely worth sharing with our fellow dog lovers!
Derek Ritchie says
Thank you ever so kindly for the recipe. I’ve yet tO prepare it but much appreciate your free advice. Thanks again Derek Ritchie
Savanna says
Absolutely amazing recipe! I make a giant batch each week for a household of four pups (2 are large breed puppies and 2 elderly small dogs). We use it more as a food topping instead of an entire meal so it does last a bit longer in our household as we are not using so much at a time. The cost of this recipe is SO affordable and our kibble lasts us much longer as well. Plus the dogs LOVE meal time now and I’ve definitely seen a different in their coats and energy levels.
Thanks for putting this out there for people to recreate 🙂
Cindy says
My dog is crazy in-love with food. Thank you for the recipe!!
Kim Brown says
Hi I’m glad to see this website and this recipe I had a little puppies whose mother was horrible horrible mother I love her but she’s horrible had to fight her to hold her I’d hold her down to feed the babies and she growled at him the day many they were born and I don’t know anyways I at 11 days old she bit one of the puppies over a piece of kibble and I got a can of puppy food because they were crying while they were nursing like they weren’t getting what they needed for some reason and this was an unplanned later with a mixed breed dog so I went to the grocery store I got beef hearts this is without looking it up too before it’s beef liver calf liver goat’s milk chicken lizard and gizzards the probiotic prebiotic baby cereal oatmeal a couple of cans of baby meat long grain brown rice I got frozen vegetables like broccoli carrots green beans peas I spent probably $70 and I made 9 lb of homemade food after I run it all through the grinder and they were eating dog food at 13 days old but that later was also house broke at 3 and 1/2 weeks to the paper and the recipe worked awesome you would not believe how big those puppies got in a short period of time and they adored it they loved it so did the mother of course I just wanted to say thank you because I didn’t know if I were at the time what I was doing was right or not but it seems like maybe it was… Oh yeah I also bought a five or 10 lb bag of bone marrow and cook it gave the bones to my mother and use that as the juice for the base of the for the stock of the food
san says
Spinach
Yes, dogs can eat spinach, but it’s not one of the top vegetables you’ll want to be sharing with you pup. Spinach is high in oxalic acid, which blocks the body’s ability to absorb calcium and can lead to kidney damage. While your dog would probably have to eat a very large amount of spinach to have this problem, it might be best to go with another vegetable. If you want to give your dog the benefits of the leafy green, you can find spinach dog treats for an occasional snack.
Katy Crofts says
My 1 yr. old Mini-Dachshund has been so picky about food. She started out on kibble, but she was so small and skinny as a puppy, I started looking for a good canned option to have with kibble. She hasn’t like hardly any and I started trying different home made options. I like this basic recipe and she LOVES it! So happy about it. So far, trying different vegs and proteins. Question: Just want to make sure she’s getting enough calories. I think I read somewhere she should get about 300 per day (she’s 8.2 lb) but the recipe says 240, so not sure if that’s per cup or for the whole recipe? I feed her half a cup in a.m. and another in p.m. (Plus she might much on kibble mid-day which I’m leaving out for her in this transition.) Thanks!
Dani Spies says
Hi Katy! I’m so glad your pup is enjoying this recipe. I recommend checking with your vet for the calories she needs just to be sure you are getting the right information for her!
Katy says
What is the calorie count per cup? Not sure the recipe is posting correctly. Thanks.
Dani Spies says
Good question. The recipe ways into 240 calories per cup.
Tanya says
I make my dogs food and freeze. I make with chicken, let it thaw but use a microwave to warm up servings. Is a microwave bad for warming up my furbabies meals.
Dani Spies says
I think using a microwave is just fine! I use it for myself all the time.:)
Twyla says
Hi, just made your recipe for my Yorkypoo, he loved it. Thank you so much.
Twyla
Mazatlan, Mexico
Dani Spies says
It’s my pleasure! So glad your pup enjoyed it.
Randy says
This was so easy to make . I have old pups and young pups and they all love it. My older dog seems to have more energy and they all have better breath. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Dani Spies says
It’s my pleasure! I’m so glad your dogs are enjoying the recipe.
Kaitlyn Goldsworth says
I have an 80 Pound golden retriever. How much do you think he should get per meal
Of this?
Dani Spies says
I reccommend you ask your vet to be sure you are getting the right information for your pup!
J.J. says
I didn’t want to give my furbaby store bought food anymore. I found this recipe, and my Sweet Girl has been enjoying it for almost a year. I think I will add in a little spinach with her next batch. She loves it! Thank you for sharing.
Dani Spies says
It’s my pleasure! I’m so glad your pup is enjoying this homemade dog food!
Christie Pena Castellano says
I just adopted a big Rottie mix who was being very picky with his food. He’s pretty malnourished and I was desperate to get him to eat. I decided to make him some food from scratch and this recipe did the trick! He gobbled it up and begged for more! I am hopeful that I’ll be able to nurture him back to health with the help of this amazing recipe. Brutus says thank you! 🙂
Dani Spies says
Awe,that makes my day! I’m so glad Brutus enjoyed this recipe.
Tati says
quick, easy, and healthy meal! my little doggy loved it! he cleaned his bowl, and he is usually very picky not even eating vegetables! he ate his kibble and the veggies! it smells and looks like real food, thank you
Dani Spies says
Hi Tati! I’m so glad your pup enjoyed his meal – thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Stasia says
I started making a similar recipe for my mother’s dog and she loves it, I use 85% Ground Turkey to give her some extra fat, the extra lean turkey didn’t seem to have as much flavor. I also add some low sodium organic broth when making this to keep the rice moist when stored in the fridge since I make 2 pounds of meat at a time, giving me 6 dinners 4 breakfasts ( she gets a cup of kibble) with breakfast and a half dinner portion. I mix it up with steamed carrots, and or string beans, I was wondering if I could use steamed beets ?
Dani Spies says
This is great! Thank you for sharing your recipe. As far as I know, dogs can absolutely eat beets! But you can always double check with our vet of you want to be sure.
Laura says
Thank you for this awesome recipe! My dogs LOVE it!!
Dani Spies says
It’s my pleasure! I’m so glad they enjoyed it.
Sharon Carey says
Hi, I have not made this recipe yet but plan to tomorrow. I know my 11 year old Bella the Bichon will love it. We just lost our other dog Meko, who was only 6 years old due to kidney failure, two days after Christmas. Not only were we grief strickened but so was Bella who stopped eating & drinking for an entire week. I took her to the vet, crying my head off & was prescribed meds to increase her appetite & electrolytes to keep her hydrated. In writing this, it would be nice to see recipes for various ages of dogs, the importance of hydration, & maybe a breakdown on why your recipes stand out. I appreciate so very much what you are doing in your blog as it warms my heart. Wishing you the best year ever! Sharon
Gina Campanella says
Our 10 year old Corgi mix loves this food and we love the results! Her coat is shinier and she slimmed down to where she needed to be! Our vet was impressed. It is a lot of work to make it but so worth the outcome. We love knowing exactly what she is eating. We 4x the recipe and make a huge batch, it lasts about 10-12 days. She eats 1 + 1/2 cup in the morning and then again in the evening. She is about 38-40 lbs.
Dani Spies says
I’m so glad your pup is enjoying this recipe – thanks for letting me know.
Yravis says
Has anyone had any issues with the amount of spinach in this recipe due to oxalate content in it
Thanks
Anna says
I agree we should NOT feed this much spinach regularly to dogs for that exact issue: oxalates. This recipe is terrible and badly imbalanced. All her ratios are wrong and will harm dogs. I’ve asked her to take this recipe down and do research before reposting so we’ll see…
Carol Kinney says
You saved my sanity with this recipe!! I have a 12 year old Yorkie Davy who is so picky. Getting her to eat has been a challenge every day. She barks for treats because she doesn’t like her food. Plus I have an 87 pound Golden Retriever who will steal her food if I don’t pick it up when abandoned. This recipe was the key. Now when I out it down Davy does not hesitate and eats immediately. Sadly my Golden is a little jealous so I might have to give her a little on too of her kibble.
Maria Modica says
It’s missing organ meat which is needed to make this truly balanced.
LC says
Hello, can cats eat this also? I am looking for a homemade recipe that works for both cats and dogs. Thank you in advance for your response!!
Dani Spies says
This is a great question and being that I’ve never had a cat, I honestly don’t know. I would love to hear if any other readers have feedback here?
Sandra Butcher says
Cats used more vitamin A, but they do have recipes for at food. I love this dog food recipe and would love to make different ones.
EJ says
Nice recipe! Some notes that I’m paraphrasing from the book, The Forever Dog.
1. dogs don’t need any carbs, so drop the rice.
2. dogs can eat garlic, avocado and kale.
Terry says
EJ,
I think you meant to say they can’t eat garlic, avocado and kale.
Vicky McNeil says
I have a 18# Shizpoo, which is having itching problem. I was going to try this recipe, about how many cups should I give him.
Dani Spies says
I’m not certain of the serving size for your pup! I recommend checking with your vet.
Denise says
I am new to making my dog’s food and I am so nervous she is getting all the needed nutrition. She does not have any health issues other than needing to lose a few pounds. Does this check all the boxes? Do you recommend a supplement in addition to this food recipe?
My vet immediately gave me 2 websites that are of course pushing supplements and recipe plans. $$$
Dani Spies says
Hi Denise! I can’t really advise on added supplements but can confirm that your dog will need more nutrients than this meal alone. I do recommend you consult with your vet.
Michele says
Did your vet ever tell you which supplements or oils to add? I’m on the fence about switching from dry kibble but I know they need extra nutrientmicheles.
Rene says
My dogs love this. I double the recipe and use 2 different kinds of meat.
Laura says
Very easy recipe. My Nugget has heart issues, and the cardiologist says “No potatoes, peas, lentils” as they now know they’re bad for this issue.
HBNO OIL says
Wholesome and fuss-free: Whip up nutritious homemade dog food in just 30 minutes, ensuring your furry friend enjoys every bite of healthy goodness.
Dave says
Excellent recipe our dog Marvin has enjoyed for 18 months.
I alternate batches with a baked salmon side (500grams) and flake it into the veg and rice at the end.
My son going on a night shift stole a portion of the salmon batch and said it was so tasty!!!
Maribeth Williams says
My very picky eater gobbled this down! I mixed it with her salmon kibble which she doesn’t love but she ate it all. I think this is a better option that buying these very expensive subscription foods. It takes very little time to prepare and is definitely worth the effort.
Jess says
Thank u can’t wait to try this.
Jessica says
Hey I just found your recipe, the dog I need to cook for has a ton of allergies, completely out are Beans, Fish broth, Fish powder, Corn, Beef liver, Rice, Soy and Tuna.
Mild reactions are probable with, Brie, Broccoli, Buchweizen (sorry do not know the translation) cottage cheese, peas, peanuts, fish extract, fish oil, gluten, oat flour, rabbit, mince meat chicken, yoghurt, carrot, coconut oil, condensed milk, salmon (smoked), lamb liver, mango and vegetable oil.
I’m kind of at a loss what to do.
Any way you could point me in a direction that could help?
Thanks a lot for any help or advice you can offer.
Jessica
David Emerson Chuang says
the ASPCA advises owners not to give their dogs coconut oil because it can irritate the gut lining, which may cause stomach upset, loose stools or diarrhea
Jodee says
Maggie loves this. How much do I feed a 50 lb dog who eats twice a day?
Maxine Thorn says
I am going to try this as have been doing a bit of home cooking gor Ruby as she had a few teeth out and I took her off her complete while she was recovering I been cooking her chicken sweet potaoe and veg but wasn’t sure of quantities to give her she seems so much better in herself and don’t poop loads a day she is 6 years old and weights 27 kg and is exercised every day what quantities would I need to give her if I feed her this per day thank you
Anna says
I have no doubt dogs like this recipe, but this recipe is NOT BALANCED and will cause dogs more HARM than good over a short period of time. For example, rice should only comprise 10%, yet you’re advising more rice than protein. Protein should be 70% and non starchy veggies 15%. You have no organ meats in this recipe, but it should comprise 5% of the meal. Additionally there needs to be more calcium than the small amount in spinach. Please take this down and do your homework before posting a dog food recipe.
Fran says
Please do your research , This is not a balanced meal for a dog. Dogs require organ meat. They can also eat kale. Items in the recipe should be by weight. And carbs are not required. Like I said, do your research before you use this recipe.
Patti Valero says
I have just started cooking for my doggies. I have two Tibetian Terriers. One is 2 years old and weighs 28 pound’s. I raised her from a puppy. The other is 11 years old and weighs 17 pounds. Both are rescues. I make them chicken in the airfryer. A dice up an apple and add rice with their kibble. I want to slowly introduce them to this diet. I have had the 11 year old one month. When I got her she was emaciated. I can tell the difference already. Can you give me some guidance on what to feed these sweet girls? I want only the best for them.
Ben says
How do you know how much to feed your dog by weight
Betsy says
Been wanting to add some real food to our dogs dish and decided to make this last night. She LOVED it! I had noticed she had been leaving her bowl full all day long until dinner time. Now she can’t wait to eat. Thanks for sharing!
Betsy says
Oh good to know, what do you think would be a good replacement? Can they have other oils?
Susan says
My dog liked this recipe, however I know that it can’t be used all the time without calcium and probably other vitamins and mineral supplements.
Lauren Mahaffey says
Hello!
Thank you SO much! I am so excited to try some of these recipes for my dog, Pancho.
I had a quick question- I see that this recipes has 240kcal, is that per cup or per the 6 cups that this recipes yields?
My vet recommends 685 calories a day for Pancho so I want to make sure I get it right.
Thanks!
Mary Lancaster says
My dogs love this and it’s better and cheaper than dog food