Name: Easy Homemade Dog Food
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 min
Ingredients: 6 cups cooked organic brown rice (3 cups uncooked rice); 2 pounds ground lean beef, cooked through, fat drained; 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced small; 3 medium sized carrots, shredded or thinly sliced; 1/4 cup minced curly parsley; 3 tablespoons of olive or safflower oil

To make prepping this homemade dog food a cinch and to save LOTS of time and dishes in the process I like to cook the hard boiled eggs and the rice in my Instant Pot!

I start with  cooking the eggs first, then while the rice is cooking the Instant Pot I brown the sirloin and get all of the fresh ingredients together. It really does help make the process of meal prepping homemade dog food so much easier!

See recipe notes for Instant Pot cooking tips and times!

Easy Homemade Dog Food 

cooked organic brown rice (3 cups uncooked rice)

lean beef, cooked through, fat drained

eggs,

carrots,

curly parsley

olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients together in a large container and stir to combine completely.

Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator in-between feedings.

I have been making homemade dog food for my 75lb American bulldog for what seems like 400 years, but is actually only something like 8 months. I make a similar mix, but add sweet potatoes and cook ground Turkey instead of sirloin. We occasionally mix up the grain with oatmeal. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!

Made this recipe using turkey, fast easy, per day, I costed it out to $2.90 to give my girl a yummy breakfast and dinner!

I posted what I make my 5 dogs eat but I failed to mention how much they Love the food! Their coats are shiny and they have stopped shedding. They have actually lost weight even though I am feeding them more. They are pooping less. They are very happy now and can't wait till meal time! Very rewarding to me to know my buddies love the new food! Thanks for your receipe!

My dog also used to throw up yellow colored bile first thing in the morning.  I then started giving him a little snack just before bedtime and the throwing up of bile stopped completely.  I read the bile is a sign of stomach being too empty.

Ah, my questions hv disappeared. Hope u didn’t mind.  Xx one minute there then ,,,,gone?

My Staffy absolutely loved this, her head did not come out of the dish until she had eaten the lot.

This is Mika's favorite recipe that we've made for her. She's a husky lab who is even more finicky than my children are at mealtime! Thanks for all the tidbits of information as well! Very much appreciated :)

You are the absolute BEST thank you so much for including Rascal and I in your post, we're honored! I love Hooch's story and you're the best freaking dog Mom! xoxox

I'm totally amazed with such amazing recipe. I've never tried the combination and most healthy ingredients. It looks interesting. I'll give it a try. thanks for sharing and keep on sharing.

Thank you for this great meal idea!  I make my own dog treats with many of the same ingredients, rolled out, cut with a pizza cutter and baked to a safe temperature then dried on low in the oven over night.  They love when I add natural ground peanut butter too!
My 9yr old schnauzer now has periodontal disease and is having a more difficult time with dry dog food.  Thank you for this recipe!  I’m sure she is going to love it!  I’m going to make it today! 🐶

My dogs appreciate your recipe, Thank you, it was especially helpful to have an idea of how much to feed per pound of weight, my pals weigh 20 lbs so they will be getting 1 cup 2 times a day.  Roxie had been having trouble with her digestion and now, a week later she is perky and not throwing up or pooping raspberry jam, not scratching either.  I suspected the food I was buyiing and tied "sensitive tummy" but that really did not help like the homemade food has.

Our soon to be 19 year old Min Pin rescue has elevated Kidney readings.  After the Vet visit yesterday I went shopping and got all of the ingredients to make the recipe.  She wolfed it down this morning.  She has been on Fresh Pet but the veterinarian say that is way to rich for her.   Thanks for giving the world the information to keep our pets healthy.

Thank you so much for posting this recipe! My 14 year old Shih Tzu had become very picky about his food. I have tried several kinds of canned food to go with his kibble only to have him turn his nose up at it(can we say expensive). I stirred up a batch of this for him he ate it like he was starving. It's actually funny to watch him eat because he will take a bite spit it out seperate it (all over the carpet) then eat it like a kid who doesn't want food touching each other on the plate. The only thing I should've done was start him on it slower because he got very loose poops and wasn't a happy boy.
I'm going to try some ot the other ideas in the suggestions see how he likes that, but he will never go back to store bought dog food again.

First, I want to say that I have been wanting to make my 2 canines home cooked foods for years, I have a 4 year old female Siberian Husky, and a Male mix Pitbull/Black Mouth Curr.
The husky can be quite temperamental per finicky eating, the Curr will eat anything. Being a cook myself and knowing my way around a kitchen and preparing wholesome foods for my own family, I found myself being quite intimidated with making my own dog food, Until i came upon this Blog of yours, I want to say thank you, for giving me the boost I needed and resources to break through a new world of cooking for my fur babies. I started them on this home cooked meal (of course I started slowly) and I have to tell you, My husky begs me for her meals in the morning and at night, she loves it so much that she will eat slowly and savor every bit of it. I also made the blend of spices you recommended to sprinkle on their food, neither of them seem to mind it in there diet either. the only thing I have left to do is buy the dog green's. I am looking forward to cooking up the other recipes you've posted. Thank you again for inspiring me to allow my pups a healthier happier life.

Just switched my aussie and german shepherd over to this!! my aussie had stomach issues with commercial processed foods and i do not trust what they are eating in them! and my german shepherd needs a highly balanced diet! They have already been on supplements which i’m now adding into this good! truly amazing and they absolutely love it. my aussie eats it right when i give him it, which he never did before. thank you for sharing!!

This recipe looks amazing.  I was trying to find ways myself to begin a healthier homemade diet for my 2 Goldendoodles (60lb &amp; 40 lb), 2 rat terrier mixes (18lb &amp; 24lb), and 1 cocker spaniel. (35lb)  I was wondering how much food does this recipe yield approximately where I could get a better idea on figuring out what I would need to plan on making for 177 lb's of babies per day...LOL.

Oh wow! This recipe is magic. My dogs are the pickiest eaters in the world. We have tried so many dog foods, wet, dry, toppers, and nothing has worked, until now. They loved it and were wanting more. This is definitely something that is worth doing, and that I will be doing in the near future. Thank you so much, I am so exited that they are eating and enjoying what they are eating!

I've been thinking about doing this for far too long! Thanks for the recipe and guidelines. I have been winging it for 4 days now using many of the ingredients you have mentioned. Why: Anna the lab mix had the worst breath! She was a poop eater as a puppy, so I kept blaming it on that (maybe she still sneaks a bite or two). But there is no real evidence she is still doing that. We fed her premium dog food. In every way (except her breath) she is ultra healthy. She can run 16 miles with my husband and still want to play frizbee. After only 2 days of "people food" her breath had improved. After 4 days she is so much better.  I'm sad it took me so long to finally make the shift, but I'm convinced now!!!!

Have been making this food for several weeks and my dog (100lb Golden) loves it. Yes, he's (we) on a diet and this recipe has helped...he's probably down 5-6 pounds. He loves it so much that he sits behind me whining, when I'm in the kitchen cooking it. I've made a few adjustments, and all I have left is to buy the vitamins/minerals. I'm learning to double the batch so I can store some in the freezer. Question, tho...do I need to puree the veggies or is it okay to leave them raw/slightly cooked? Thank you!

I have made this recipe and my rocket just loves it! I do have a question. If I change from hamburger 2 chicken or turkey will it affect his digestion in a not-so-good way?

maybe i missed it, but what is the caloric intake per cup?

Made this for my pup today, he absolutely loved it! I’m trying to wean him off his dry food and switch completely over to home cooked food, this was the perfect recipe! Thanks!

I made this recipe today for my pups and they love it.  I would like to know how long it will be good for in the fridge?

<a href="https://thismessisours.com/product/sweet-potato-dog-treats/">dehydrated sweet potato treats</a>

WOW! I adopted a 2 1/2 year old Doberman mix 10 days ago. She is not food motivated. She would barely eat kibble even mixed with wet or a little cheese. A very discerning eater as I couldn't get her to eat even one full meal a day. That is, until I made your recipe (which is very easy to make. I chop the parsley, then cooked eggs in my food processor, grate in the carrots and then add everything to the pot of cooked beef.). Now two full meals a day and not a grain of rice left in the bowl!! We both thank you!!!

Thank you so much for your hard work in putting together this information for us pet owner's who are caring for our pup's with kidney disease. First, these recipes and related info are super helpful. Second, it is so validating to know that what I have been doing aligns almost exactly to what you are doing. Ted LOVES his homemade food and eats better than he ever did on regular dog food. 

The one question I have for you is, when you state the amount your dogs eat each day, does this mean your dog eats a total of 8 cups of food per day, or do you mean to say that he gets 4 cups, split into two 2-cup servings per day. 

I ask because my 15 pound dog gets 1 cup of food, which we split into 4 servings per day (plus natural treats - he is a treat dog, for sure). This aligns to what you are doing, but I just wanted to clarify because Ted seems to be hungry all day. Our vet says it is because he loves the food - who wouldn't love to eat like this? But, he begs worse than ever. I am just wondering if we are not giving enough food. Would love your thoughts (even though I know you are not a vet). Did your dogs enjoy eating more after you switched to homemade? I just don't understand the begging.

Thank you again for this supportive content. Ted and I thank you!

So excited to have found this recipe and your wonderful tips!  I have a 3 year old Shorkie that has been on Farmer's Dog for about 2 years now.  He loves it but it's pricey even considering my pup is only 4 lbs it still costs nearly $100 a month.  I'm so excited to try this recipe, his last shipment of FD will be running out soon. One question, in your paragraph about herbs you said curly, not flat leaf parsley but in the ingredient list it says flat leaf parsley.  Just want to be sure I get the right kind!🙂

My dogs are 16 years old. One has severe arthritis and just has no appetite. I hand fed her the top, expensive canned dog food and it's a chore. My other dog wanted the same thing but wad getting tired of it. So I came across your recipe and was very skeptical. I gave it to them and both devoted it!  I can't believe Aly (the one with severe arthritis) put her head in the bowl! I was ecstatic to say the least. But was skeptical about the second feeding but it went just as well! They love it! Thank you so much! I am going to try different meats.

I have a Yorkie Bichon cross named Willow.  She is 3 years old.  I have tried so many different and expensive dog foods. She would walk away from everything after a week or so.  It was so hard to keep her on a,schedule.  I found your recipe by chance and I am so happy I did. I followed your recipe exactly as written. She has been on it now for over 3 weeks and she absolutely loves it. What a joy!!!!  I am going to change it up once awhile but I could not be happier.

My Marley, 8 year old Shih-poo has all of a sudden become so picky with his food that no matter what type of DOG food I offered, he'd walk away.  This has been driving me nuts.  Yesterday I decided, since I was going food shopping, I started looking for homemade recipes.  So I decided, what the heck, he loves chicken, carrots, zuccine, and loves loves rice.  I bought all the ingredients and gave it a try.  so far both times I offered him the new food....  BRAVO, his face did not come out of the bowl until he got every last speck of food.  Today I made a medium pot of this new food, portioned it out and made individual baggies and put them in the freezer.  keeping my fingers crossed that he continues to love it.  
I'm looking for some variation because he gets bored of the same food all the time.  Got any ideas?

Great recipe but by the time I read the recipe I realized it takes less time to prep and cook the dog food than what it did to actually read everything to get to the recipe.

Gosh, can’t believe I have just found you. Thank you . You have done all the hard work.

Just a few questions if I may, my dog has had cholangitus , high liver enzymes and bilirubin.  But after meds and milk thistle it has come right down.  I have had to feed her a vet prescription low fat diet ... kibble and wet. (She ate it mo probs, but I wasn’t happy) that condition seems to have resolved itself, but on wed she is having a pancreatitus test    And although vet said we cannot go back to raw feeding, and I won’t, I don’t want to feed her this vet prescription diet any more.  She is a nine year old cockerpoo, spayed, and full,of life again.  So .. vet says I need to feed low ish fat, moderate protein , lowish carbs no sugar, low salt .... can’t remember what else.  Do yiu think yiur food could fit the bill or cld I add or take away ... I really like,the recipe.  Also, when prepared, can I freeze it in portions like  Butternut Box food do ... they light steam their veg .thank yiu so much for all help. Maggie

Yesterday we got the devastating news that our almost 5 year old shar-pei/lab mix, Beau, has advanced DCM heart failure, and that the grain-free dog food we've had him on may have contributed to the diagnosis. Sadly enough,  we lost 2 other dogs in 2016, both to different cancers, so back then we switched to an expensive venison-based kibble that happened to be grain-free, thinking this was a healthier alternative. 

In the last few hours since the diagnosis, we've been looking for answers on the internet for possible cures and it looks like changing diet is the best shot at it. Just wondering if you have any knowledge, or have been in contact with anyone who's dealt with this disease and maybe had some success? Or possibly a different variant of your recipie better suited for heart failure. It seems to us that home cooked dog food is the answer, just not sure exactly how to make it work

I have a 3 years old Yorkie bichon cross who is the pickiest little girls ever. I have tried so many expensive top of the line dog foods on the market. After a couple of weeks she will turn her nose up at everything.  I found your recipe after searching for something different I could try. Well I have been using the recipe for 3 weeks now and she absolutely loves it. I plan on changing it up once in awhile but the base is perfect.  Because she now is eating it on a regular basis it has made our lives so much easier regarding bathroom times too. Thank you so much!!!!

Looks delicious I’m excited my dog has very itchy skin and gets frequent ear infections. He’s 13 pounds how much is a serving for him? Should I use ground sirloin? Or venison?
Thank you!

Thank you so much for a balanced and straightforward doggie food recipe! Our Willie is 9 or 10 years old and is usually a very playful and affectionate Maltipin rescue. We just nursed him through a sad month of pain and lethargy from his first bout of hip osteoarthritis. I’m so grateful that he got through it and now I can make him healthier food that I’m hoping will help to spare him from other illness down the road.  Maybe he will also keep up his exercise and lose a pound so he doesn't need to carry excess weight. He is 17 pounds and I add the Dog Greens, his CBD and a joint supplement. I freeze 2 cup portions to feed him 1 cup twice a day. And now he loves his food so much, no more coaxing to eat processed food! At first he balked as if he couldn’t believe I was letting him have all this “human” food! Once he realized it was really for him he dove right in and we never have to worry that he won’t love it!  What a relief for all of us to get away from processed dog food. I’ve made 2 batches already and even though I don’t love to cook regularly I love doing this.

I was burned out on cooking after 50 years of it so cooking for my dogs was something I was determined to avoid. However the gross inconsistencies in the quality of foods I'm seeing in overpriced, over marketed foods from one case to the very next has me convinced manufacturers are messing with batches for their bottom line. I no longer trust any of them and my dogs have been trying to tell me that for over a year. So cooking I am and maybe I'll even get back to cooking for myself again. Thanks for uncomplicated, healthy recipes and my dogs send a tail wag to you!

My dog is 7 years old and about 4 pounds overweight. I just got him a few months ago so I'm learning that he is picky and doesn't like kibble. His vet said the wet food i was feeding him was too high in fat. I live next to farmers who have 100% grass-fed meat. When cooking it there's hardly any fat and its delicious.  I knew I needed to feed him something better. I found your recipe and I'm so glad I did! I didn't have parsley or oil (I don't cook with oil) so this go round I didn't use herbs. I did lean beef, carrots, peas, and green beans, oatmeal (was out of brown rice), boiled eggs, and hemp seeds for the omegas. He gobbled it up so fast! I am sooo so so so happy for this!! Thank you!

I’ve made this many times now and it’s always a hit.

Oh my gosh the difference this has made with just one feeding!  I have a very picky rescued yorkiepoo, he gobbled this up and didn't experience a tummy ache or bathroom problems.  This has been a godsend since I have spent SO much money on dog food he refused to eat.  He has more energy and he slept well last night.  I did have a problem finding curly parsley though.  The store offered flat and Italian parsley.  Is it ok to use Italian parsley?  Again the biggest thank you for helping me to feed my prescious dog correctly.  LOVE.

Fantastic recipe!  I made it for my jack russell terrier and she loves it!  Thank you for sharing it!

Thank you! It may have already been said, but i am grinding up the shells as i speak to use as calcium in this recipe.

Hi there,

I've been stalking your dog food recipes for a while and decided to for it today! Question - can any of these recipes be frozen? I would like to make a large batch, if possible. If not, how long can they keep in the fridge?

Thank you!

Hi Meg,
I love your recipe, plus all the variations that can be used. Our 3 yo, 40 pound pup, Remi, loves this. I make a big batch and freeze it in sandwich bags. Works like a charm. I usually warm it a bit in the microwave before giving it to him from frig. He loves it. I hope to stop using his kibble—Blue Mtn—but so far we use it to supplement his meals, though lots of the time he doesn’t eat it. I plan to start him on the yogurt pumpkin morning bowl and the treats during the day you mentioned.
Thank you for this blog—it is so informative.  My one question is about serving size. I get that he should have four cups per day given his weight. Do you have a grams measurement for 1 cup, because depending on how compact it is, the weight can vary. Thank you.

Hi Meg
I'm also tired of buying dog food and I'm looking for an alternative, I love these recipes. Thank you for taking the time to share your recipes. I do have a question how long can these recipes be refrigerated for.

thank you
Ada Alfaro

Olliver loves this recipe, but he has runny poops.  Not good.

Hi! First off thank you for all the post you have taken time to make ! Your information is so helpful and saved me lots of time of doing the same research! I started transitioning my 2 year old rescue and my 10 year old malitpoo this week.  They absolutely love it ! 5 days in with no belly aches or potty accidents. But I have noticed their stool is obviously a lot softer.  I know for the first few days to expect softer stool. But I’m not sure how long that should last or if I should add something else to get the stool a bit more firm.  Overall they have been extremely happy with this change
 of food! Can’t wait to try the yogurt and pumpkin recipe!

Thank you for taking the time to create this recipe.  My 14 year old dog absolutely loves this homemade dog food recipe.  It is gone in a heart beat.  Out of curiosity, can I use dried curly parsley (using your DIY recipe) in place of fresh parsley?  If so, how much?  Thank you again!!!

Hello!
For your homemade dog food recipe that calls for minced sage, would it be ok to use dried sage like McCormicks seasoning or bulk sage from Amazon?  Same with the Parsley, dill, rosemary and oregano?  What would the portion size be vs the fresh minced herbs?
Love your dog recipes!  Thank you for sharing! 

Lynn Peabody
Leland, Mi

I have a 15 yo Boston mix and a 7 yo, I’m unsure of her breed mix (both are rescues).  They love, love, love the meat, egg and veggie mixes I have made using your recipe as a guide, based on what I have on hand.  But, they barely tolerate the baked sweet potato treats and so far won’t do more t smell the apples I try to feed them, even if I am eating the apple.  Tried the pumpkin and yogurt bowls this morning and the older dog won’t touch it and the  younger one barely tasted it before walking away. I mixed dried herbs (wasn’t able to plant anything this year as I was dealing with chemo and radiation earlier).  I did add some weak chicken broth to the last batch of food I made, just because it seemed so dry without liquid, even with the oil. I have enough for 4 or 5 days in my refrigerator and portioned meals for 5 days more in the freezer.  I may be feeding them too much, but they seem to be tolerating the change well. I still have  plenty of dry kibble on hand for.supplements if they need it later in the day.  Love being able to spoil my babies just a little since I can’t do much with them right now.  After all, this is their house and they just let me stay here!

Let me start by saying that I have the least food motivated dog I’ve ever heard of.  He thought twice about eating bacon- BACON! 

That same finicky German Shepherd also has a lot of skin issues- allergies and the like. This year, they’ve been exceptionally bad, and I wanted to see if proper food could help him out while we experiment with medications from the vet. 

So, I’m slaving away making this recipe (much harder than simply scooping food into a bowl), and in the back of my mind I’m thinking,  “what if he doesn’t even eat it?”

 That picky little boy ate this up so fast. The real test will be the next few days when it’s less fresh, but I am astounded. So much so  that I had to write a review. 

Thank you for this recipe. I did some crappy math, and it comes to about $4 a day to feed an 80 pound gsd- super affordable, super great!

My dog loves this recipe.  Out of curiosity, have you ever tried using dried curly parsley in place of fresh curly parsley?

Thank you for this recipe! I just started making food for my 2 Pitts and they absolutely love it! I have a questions about the breakfast bowl.  Is that something you give your dogs everyday? Can I use herbs that are already packaged, like a McCormick brand?

Hi! I am new to homemade dog food and plan to make this recipe tomorrow! Question though! I have read for humans that freezing hard boiled eggs can be not good (not sure if that’s just due to taste or actual safety) can you confirm that you freeze some of this recipe to use for later times and have no issues?!

Hello,

Does this work well with a senior dog?

My senior dog has very bad arthritis so isn't very active do I still do the 1 cup per 10 pounds. Also how long is this good for in the freezer

What a wonderful gift this is to those of us having food-related problems with our dogs.  My 15-year-old Aussie developed a red, ulcery, swollen lip several months ago, and three veterinarians have not been able to source the problem.  Yesterday Roland (Aussie) had diarrhea during the day, and so I gave him only white rice and organic chicken broth for dinner.  Amazingly, his lip was pink this morning instead of cherry red, so I am thinking he is either allergic to his kibble or to chicken.  Since there is also chicken in his kibble, I have to do some more work limiting the variables...but I am very encouraged.  If he turns out to be allergic to chicken, does turkey tend to work as the meat base?

Such a wonderful page!  I'm bookmarking it!

Thank you so much for an easy dog food recipe! You’ve inspired us to try making dog food again to help combat our Golden’s allergies and help keep him healthy. Really appreciate your time sharing this with all of us :)

My 14 year old dog was recently diagnosed with kidney disease and this was all he would eat for 2 weeks, however he had to get dental work and almost all his teeth were pulled.  Now he has a difficult time with it even if I grind it up. He likes cream of rice and cream of wheat, is that something I could use to replace the rice? My vet just keeps pushing the commercial Rx diets but my dog will not touch the stuff!

My two little fur babies are such finicky eaters. And my chihuahua always seemed constipated. Well, I found this recipe and tried it.  Being that I have little 8 lb dogs I pulse it about 4 times in my food processor.  I had to give it a week to see if they were going to continue to like it.  I am soooo happy to say that I no longer have a problem feeding them.  They hear the bowls and come running.  And my little Chica is now starting to have normal bowl movements.  Thank you soooo much!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjtRfmrXgrE

Feeding your pup a diet of 100%  human grade dog food is easy, cost effective, and WAY better for them than a traditional doggie diet of processed kibble! My easy homemade dog food recipe combines lean ground sirloin, wholesome brown rice, fresh vegetables, hard boiled eggs, and tender herbs for a healthy, vibrant alternative to traditional dog food that has given our 11 year old dog with kidney disease a new lease on life!  
Get the printable recipe here and see how much you should be feeding your dog here: https://thismessisours.com/easy-homemade-dog-food-recipe/

Get all our homemade dog food recipes here: https://thismessisours.com/recipes-dog-food/

6 cups cooked organic brown rice
2 pounds ground lean beef, cooked through, fat drained
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced small
3 carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
1/4–1/2 cup minced fresh parsley or 1/4 cup dried herbs ***see my Homemade Dog Food Seasoning Blend post for a full list of herbs to feed your dog.
3 tablespoons of olive or safflower oil

Combine all of the ingredients together in a large container and stir to combine completely. Store in the refrigerator in-between feedings.

The amount of food you feed your dog each day varies by weight. Our 80+ pound senior dog Hooch eats 4 1/2-5 cups of this food each day and our 40+ pound puppy Rebel eats 2 – 2 1/2  cups of food twice per day.
We go through a batch of this food pretty quickly with two big dogs, which means I am making a double batch at least once or twice a week! However, this food can be individually portioned out for smaller dogs and frozen to store for longer periods of time than a week. Just thaw the amount you need when you need it.

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Easy Homemade Dog Food

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total: 1 hours

Servings: 13

Author : This Mess is Ours

Ingredients

Instructions

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