It’s a proven fact that feeding your furry friend meals made with 100% human-grade ingredients is not only easy and cost-effective, but also a healthier option than a store-bought doggie diet of processed kibble! My simple homemade dog food recipe is packed with a perfect balance of lean protein, wholesome grains, and fresh veggies–everything your pup needs to stay fueled, without any artificial additives or fillers.
Benefits of Homemade Dog Food
Homemade dog food gives you full control over what goes into your pet’s body, providing a more nutritious and personalized approach to their diet. When you make your own meals from scratch, you know exactly what you are placing in the pet bowl; it’s pure wholesome human food that’s fit for canine consumption.
Whether you’re a new pet parent or have a senior dog with special dietary needs, this chicken and rice recipe for dogs contains an appropriate proportion of protein, complex-carbs, fiber, and fat, plus vitamins and minerals, to fuel your pup and support their well-being!
And while you may be thinking that making additional meals won’t fit into your busy day, this recipe takes only 5 minutes to prepare and the simple cooking steps are as basic as boiling rice and combining it with a cooked chicken veggie mixture. Dogs deserve a dinner made with real ingredients that are not only nutritious, but also taste delicious!
My dog LOVES this food! And it’s so easy to make! I freeze several weeks’ worth to have on hand for later. Thank you!
Essential Ingredients for Homemade Dog Food
- Brown rice: Brown rice helps a dog digest because of its fiber. It also provides the necessary vitamin D and B. (SOURCE.) White rice can also be fed to dogs, but keep in mind that it only takes about 20 minutes to cook, so plan accordingly if you make the swap.
- Lean ground chicken: This is a great source of protein and Omega 6 fatty acids that dogs need. (SOURCE.)
- Spinach: The vitamins A, B, C, and K from spinach are great for your dog. There are also some great digestive benefits from spinach. (SOURCE.) Feel free to replace this with any type of lettuce.
- Carrot: Carrots can help keep the teeth of dogs healthy by providing a healthy chew toy. They can also deliver beta-carotene and vitamin A to your dog and improve bowel movements. Carrots must be cooked slightly for dogs to be able to metabolize their nutrients. (SOURCE.)
- Zucchini: Zucchini includes great nutrients and vitamins that help your dog, including vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. (SOURCE.) Any other type of squash plant can also be substituted here.
Just like humans, every dog is different, so this is not meant to be a one-pup-fits-all recipe. Check with your vet before adding any new food to your dog’s diet.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Homemade Dog Food Recipe: Step-by-Step Guide
- Boil The Brown Rice: In a large pot or saucepan, bring the water and brown rice to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover.
- Simmer In The Saucepan: Lower the heat to a simmer, and cover, and cook the rice for 45 minutes or until soft and the water is absorbed.
- Brown The Beef: Brown the ground chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook The Veggies: Add the spinach, carrot, and zucchini to the skillet with the chicken. Cook until the spinach wilts, and the other vegetables are tender. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Combine The Contents: Stir together the rice and ground chicken mixture.
- Serve Or Store: Cool completely before serving or storing.
Simple Chicken and Rice Dog Food Recipes
Chicken and rice is one of the most popular homemade dog food recipes, and for good reason! It’s simple, gentle on the stomach, and easy to digest, making it a great option for dogs with tummy troubles or digestive issues. Chicken provides lean protein that supports muscle health, while rice is a bland carbohydrate that helps firm up stools. The combination of these ingredients offers a balanced meal that’s easy on your dog’s digestive system.
It’s a simple, no-fuss meal that can be made in batches and stored in the fridge or freezer for later. Just be sure to avoid adding any seasoning as they are toxic to dogs. The meal should be as plain and simple as possible (and unlike humans, dogs don’t know the difference!).
Homemade Dog Food Variations with Chicken
- Vary The Veggies: Feel free to use a frozen veggie blends that contain peas, corn, carrots, and green beans. Cooked sweet potatoes are also a great addition to bulk up their meals, just make sure never feed your dog raw sweet potatoes.
- Pick Your Protein: Lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, and ground pork are all great protein options. Be sure to check that any meat you feed your animals is free of seasonings.
- Go With Grass-Fed: Grass-fed beef is typically leaner and lower in overall fat content compared to its grain-fed counterpart. It also contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, has higher levels of vitamins, and may have anti-inflammatory and health-promoting properties. Plus, its raised without hormones or antibiotics, making it a cleaner option for cooking.
- Other Great Grains: Other whole grains like oats, quinoa, barley, potatoes, and even whole grain pasta are also easily digestible and can be added to homemade dog food.
- Flavor Factor: Fresh and dried herbs are safe for dogs and are loaded with health benefits. Try parsley, cilantro, thyme, or basil to increase the flavor factor.
Storing and Serving Homemade Dog Food
- In the Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container outside the fridge for no longer than 2 hours after cooking; however, they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If your dog doesn’t finish the food by then, freeze it for longer-term storage (up to 6 months).
- In The Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the dog food in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
More Dog Friendly Recipes
If you tried this Homemade Dog Food Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2 pounds lean ground chicken
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 1 large carrot shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 small zucchini shredded (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- In a large pot or saucepan, combine 4 cups of water and brown rice. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer (medium low to low heat) and cover.
- Cook rice for 45 minutes or until rice is completely soft and cooked through and all the water is absorbed.
- While the rice is cooking, cook the ground chicken on a large skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the spinach, carrot, and zucchini to the skillet with the chicken. Cook until the spinach wilts, and the other vegetables soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Take the chicken and vegetable mixture off the heat and set aside to cool.
- When the rice is finished cooking, stir together the rice and ground chicken mixture.
- Let cool completely before serving to your dog or storing for later.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator no more than 2 hours after cooking the food. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days after that.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the dog food in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- It’s not usually advised to abruptly change your dog’s diet. Start transitioning your pet to homemade food by mixing some of this homemade dog food in with their regular food for a few days until they are used to the new food. And again, always consult your vet before feeding your pet something new.
- To give your dog a variety of different nutrients, you can use different meats, carbs, and vegetables to customize your dog’s food.
- Be sure to find a dog food recipe that is complete and well-balanced. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to feed an incomplete or imbalanced diet to your dog.
I just made this dog food today. My dog gobbled it down so fast and was asking for me. Recommend it to everyone
Try organic red rice if you don’t want to use brown. Also you can add organic apples and blueberries.
I have a similar recipe to this. It also has beef or chicken liver.
My shitzu LOVES this and can’t wait for me to put down his bowl! He was a very picky eater before I started making this food. We used to put table scraps on his kibble every night and fed him from the table. He ended up with pancreatitis. I slowly started making this food for him and he is now doing just great! He has no issues any more!! Definitely the way to go. ♥️
My dog LOVES this food! And it’s so easy to make! I freeze several weeks’ worth to have on hand for later. Thank you!
This is a great recipe for your fur babies! I add olive oil and cooked sweet potato. I have french bulldogs who are known to be a bit flatulent and making their food has eliminated that which I feel makes their tummies happy. My 35 pound frenchie gets 1 1/2 to 2 cups per feeding (AM and PM) and my 20 lb. frenchie gets 1 cup per feeding (AM and PM). Fresh food is just better for our pups.
Thanks for the heads up ! I pay 30.00 for a 5 pound bag of Bully Max food and it lasts about 1 week. I can buy a 40lb box of chicken leg quarters keep thighs for me cook legs down and strip only the meat off of them mix the brown rice with basil or thyme or cilantro and save so much a case of chicken is 22.00 it’s a save save either way you look at it .!plus I can freeze it how can yu best that ? I’ve been feeding my puppy about 2 cups twice a day thanks glad to be here
when u list how much to feed dog is that per feeding or is that the total amount per day then we divide it per feeding
You should discuss with your vet how much food to feed your pooch and make sure this recipe is okay for your dog.
Needing to know serving for a 65 to 70 lbs Golden doodle
I have to say thank you! This is a simple rice recipe that is absolutely adjustable to fit a dog’s needs. I have checked with my vet, we’ve had a on going issue with my Gabby Girls diet as she does not eat most dog foods and would go 3 or 4 days without eating. She will eat little Ceasars for a while then turn her nose up and go without eating again, now she eats every day! Thus is way better than her going without eating for days. Brewers yeast at 2 table spoons and a 3rd cup apple sauce(all natural) are also great nutritional ingredients to add. My vet did suggest white rice and changing up the veggies as well. One happy supporter! Please ignore the judgey posts, so sad for negative people, must be hard to be so unhappy❣
I assume the 2 cups of rice is uncooked since you add to 4 cups water, but won’t that make 4 cups of rice alone? or is it 2 cups cooked rice?
@Deb Pasdik, you just described how my dog eats totally. I did try a home made recipe once. She loved it but I got lazy & bought Beneful incredibites. She started not eating that too. Her favorite was the salmon. I’ll give homemade another try after reading this. Can I use tuna instead of chicken?
My pug loves this!!
Don’t feed your dog this! It’s poison! Spinach is fine for a snack in very small quantities every so often, but long term has major kidney damaging properties. On top of that, brown rice is EXTREMELY hard to digest for dogs and not recommended at all. IRRESPONSIBLE of the blog owner to post this without research!!!
We did research this extensively. According to the AKC Spinach is safe for dogs to eat. They would need to digest a very large amount in order for it to be any issues (this is the same as with many other foods in popular homemade dog foods and dog treats). It is accurate that brown is harder to digest than white rice, but is still safe for dogs to eat.
just tried this recipe on my 3 little girls and they Loved it! They can be very picky eaters and each one cleared their bowl’s. Gave them some as a snack. will now begin mixing with there food for a few days until adjusted. Thank you for a easy yummy recipe for my dog’s 🌹❤️👏👏
Love this!!!
Lady, if you read the entire blog post, she very clearly lists numerous other grains that can be substituted for the brown rice. In fact, that is also the case with the spinach. She also states QUITE A FEW TIMES to check with your veterinarian about all of the foods she listed, to make sure they will be compatible with your dog’s needs. Please do YOUR research before being judgmental and rude to a blog owner, or just move on.
Anyway, great recipe! I wanted to know, when it says 12 servings, does that mean 12 cups?
Thank you for your message – I truly appreciate your support ❤️.
The serving size will be closer to about 1/2 cup per serving. Thank you again.
Sounds Awesome & Thank You for The Ideas! ,,, People that are Negative about others Great Ideas, Are such Jealous Creatures & Are going No where in Life! Be Respectful & Kind to others & keep the Negativity away from a cool thing!!
Spinach contains oxalic acid, which interferes with calcium absorption. Brown rice IS recommended by holistic veterinarians as an acceptable grain for dogs. This info is found in “Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs And Cats”.
Rachell is incorrect about spinach & Brown rice not safe for your dog. IRRESPONSIBLE for her not to have facts and try to scare you