Last Updated May 12th, 2020 at 05:40 pm by Lisa
Homemade dog food can be custom-made for your dog, is healthy, and a freezer meal all in one. It’s chock full of fresh veggies and a great way to use up ingredients!
I warm it up for about 30 seconds in the microwave, and Sassy just loves it!!
Homemade Dog Food Ingredients:
- 3 pounds ground beef (7 cups cooked crumbled ground beef)
- 2 cups uncooked rice
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 28 ounces beef stock (optional) + 1/2 cup water 28 oz = 3.5 cups, add 1/2 cup water for the proper ratio to make rice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, shredded or cut finely or a 12 oz frozen bag
- 2 cups fresh carrots, shredded or cut into small coins 2 large carrots
- 2 cups sweet potato, small cubes or shredded 1 large sweet potato
- 2 cups fresh spinach
Homemade Dog Food Instructions:
Make Rice
1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer for about 30 seconds under cold water. It removes starches that makes rice sticky.
2. Use a ratio of 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, which you can scale up or down. (check your rice package instructions.) Feel free to swap in beef, chicken, or vegetable broth for better flavor.
3. Bring the stock/water to a boil, add rice and salt. And if you want to add a pat of butter, it makes rice taste even better. Cover the pot and simmer for 18 minutes on low and don’t remove the lid! (brown rice takes 30 minutes)
4. Check the rice, and if done turn off the heat, replace the lid, and let it rest for several minutes in the steamy pan. Use a fork to fluff it up!
Make Ground Beef and Veggies
1. Brown and crumble 3 lbs of ground beef in a large skillet. Place in a large bowl with the drippings.
2. Chop, shred, or process all the veggies. My dog is a small dog and prefers the veggies finely shredded in a food processor. You can use a knife or a box grater works too.
3. In a large cast-iron pan or skillet, briefly saute carrots, broccoli, and sweet potato until just soft for a few minutes on medium. Place into the large bowl.
Mix and Pack Dog Food:
1. Into the large bowl with ground beef, add warm rice, warm sauteed veggies, and fresh spinach. Mix well with a large spatula.
2. Portion 4-5 cups of Homemade Dog Food per zip lock bag, and store in an airtight container or larger zip-top bag in the freezer. Pull out one small bag per week, and reheat a serving for your dog in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Dog Food Feeding Pro Tips:
Do Your Portion Research:
You will need to do some research on how many calories your dog needs per day, and this can vary due to the breed, size, age, and activity of your pet. My dog needs about 400 calories a day, and the recipe below will calculate the serving size and calories for you!
Sprinkle Dry Kibble:
I sometimes sprinkle some dry dog food into the homemade food to stretch out my homemade dog food batch.
Try Different Veggies:
Each time I make a new batch of homemade dog food, I use up and try out different veggies. Some are about to go bad or I have extra and want to use them up quickly and find this is a perfect use.
Experiment With Textures:
What I learned is as long as the veggies were finely grated in a food processor, Sassy ate it all! She wasn’t a fan of the cubed shapes and large spinach leaves, so I finely rechopped the food and that did the trick to get her to eat it all. I think she loves the rice mixed in with the beef stock.
Use Up Extra Freeze Meat or Leftovers:
The last tip I have is to use up meat that has been in the freezer a while and is not something you want for dinner but still safe for your dog. I often buy too much quantity when recipe testing ingredients, and use up extra steak meat, ham, or pork I have on hand for homemade dog food. Nothing goes to waste around here!
How To Make Homemade Dog Food:
Try different textures of veggies and see what your dog likes! Use lots of colorful veggies. Measure a few day supply based on your dogs caloric needs. Portion 4-5 cups of Homemade Dog Food per zip lock bag. This is several weeks of dog food in the freezer. Store in an airtight container or larger zip-top bag in the freezer.
Veggie Variations For Dog Food:
- butternut squash
- brussel sprouts
- fennel
- peas
- zucchini
- cooked potato
- pumpkin
- celery
- green beans
- kale
Don’t feed your dog onions, mushrooms, or tomatoes. Again, do your own research on what is best for your dogs’ diet!
Sassy girl, is happy. Okay, she didn’t like the spinach and pulled it out! But loves the rice and beef. The trick I learned was to chop it finer than seen here and she gobbled it all up!
Homemade Dog Biscuits!!
These are super fun to make and you can even personalize them for your pup! Again, I use a lot of fresh veggies in them, and Sassy just LOVES these! (I also share how to order the super cute biscuit cutter in the recipe post) 🐶🐾
More Dog-Friendly Vegetable Ideas:
- 10 Dog-Friendly Vegetables For A Healthy Pup by Raw Bistro
- Fruits and Vegetables Dogs Can and Can’t Eat by AKC Staff
- 10 Best Fruits and Vegetables for Dogs by Pet MD
Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef 7 cups cooked crumbled ground beef
- 2 cups uncooked rice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 28 ounces beef stock (optional) + 1/2 cup water 28 oz = 3.5 cups, add 1/2 cup water for proper ratio to make rice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, shredded or cut finely or a 12 oz frozen bag
- 2 cups fresh carrots, shredded or cut into small coins 2 large carrots
- 2 cups sweet potato, small cubes or shredded 1 large sweet potato
- 2 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
Make Rice
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer for about 30 seconds under cold water. It removes starches that makes rice sticky. Use a ratio of 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, which you can scale up or down. (check your rice package instructions.) Feel free to swap in beef, chicken, or vegetable broth for better flavor.Bring the stock/water to a boil, add rice and salt. And if you want to add a tab of butter, too, go for it — your rice will taste 10x better. Cover the pot and simmer for 18 minutes on low and don't remove the lid! (brown rice takes 30 minutes)Check the rice, and if done turn off the heat, replace the lid, and let it rest for several minutes in the steamy saucepan. Use a fork to fluff it up!
- Chop, shread, or process in a food processor all the veggies. My dog is a small dog and prefers the veggies finely shredded in a food processor.
Make Ground Beef and Veggies
- Brown and crumble 3 lbs of ground beef in a large skillet. Place in a large bowl.
- In a large cast iron pan or skillet, briefly saute carrots, broccoli, and sweet potato until just soft for a few minutes on medium.
Mix Dog Food
- Into the large bowl with ground beef, add warm rice, warm sauted veggies, and fresh spinach. Mix well with a large spatula.
- Portion 4-5 cups of Homemade Dog Food per zip lock back, and store in an airtight container or larger zip top bag in the freezer. Pull our one small bag per week, and reheat a serving for your dog in the microwave for 30 seconds. I sometimes sprinkle some dry dog food into the homemade food to stretch out my homemade dog food batch.
Notes
Veggie Variations For Dog Food:
- butternut squash
- brussel sprouts
- fennel
- peas
- zucchini
- cooked potato
- pumpkin
- celery
- green beans
- kale
We made this homemade dog food and feed it to our dogs! Their skin is no longer itchy and they love it! So good! We add a raw egg and mix it in with each feeding. That makes their fur even better! Such a great recipe!
Can’t wait to give this a try!
Thanks, Barbara for your comment! Hope your doggie loves their homemade food…
If I were a dog, I would soooo be eating at your house! Definitely a meal human and canine alike could enjoy!
Now that is a compliment!!! Sassy is sooooo spoiled, she has now learned to push her paw on my leg when it’s dinner time and she wants her dog food gently heated in the microwave!!! LOL