This homemade dog food recipe is a moist, cooked batch made with chicken breast, pork shoulder, egg, sweet potato, and vegetables. It contains no rice, oats, corn, or quinoa. However, the ingredient list alone does not make it complete and balanced. The meat and vegetable amounts below document one real batch, while the daily portion and supplement plan must be calculated for the individual dog.
UC Davis researchers found that most published homemade dog food recipes did not supply every essential nutrient in the required amount. WSAVA also recommends having a homemade diet evaluated or formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist or equivalent professional.
Chicken and Pork Dog Food Ingredients
Using a kitchen scale is more accurate than measuring meat and vegetables by volume. The ounce conversions below are rounded, so use the gram amounts when reproducing the same food-to-food ratio.
| Ingredient | Batch amount | Purpose in this batch |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless, skinless chicken breast | 525 g (18.5 oz) | Main lean protein |
| Pork shoulder | 91 g (3.2 oz) | Protein with more fat than chicken breast |
| Egg | 1 | Protein and fat |
| Sweet potato | 210 g (7.4 oz) | Soft carbohydrate and texture |
| Cabbage | 84 g (3 oz) | Vegetable portion |
| Carrot | 35 g (1.2 oz) | Vegetable portion |
| Kale | 35 g (1.2 oz) | Leafy vegetable portion |
| Sprouted chia and flax powder | 3.5 g | Part of the original formulation |
| Broccoli sprout powder | 1/3 teaspoon | Part of the original formulation |
| Fermented mushroom powder | 1/3 teaspoon | Part of the original formulation |
| Plain water | As needed | Moist texture and easier mixing |
How to Make This Grain-Free Dog Food
- Prepare the vegetables. Cut the sweet potato, cabbage, carrot, and kale into manageable pieces. Cook them until tender, cool them quickly, and mince them with enough plain water to create a soft mixture.
- Grind the meat. Grind or finely chop the chicken breast and pork shoulder. Grinding creates small, evenly distributed pieces that may be easier to portion for a small dog.
- Cook the protein thoroughly. Steam or cook the chicken, pork, and egg without salt, onion, garlic, sauces, or seasoning. Because chicken is included, check the mixed meat with a food thermometer and cook it to at least 165°F.
- Combine the batch. Mix the cooked meat, egg, vegetables, and retained unsalted cooking liquid. Add water gradually until the food has a moist, porridge-like texture rather than a soup-like consistency.
- Cool before final additions. Follow the written formulation for any calcium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, or other supplements. Do not assume that every supplement should be heated or that one brand can replace another at the same scoop, capsule, or drop amount.
- Weigh each portion. Divide the finished food according to the dog’s calculated daily calorie and nutrient plan, not according to bowl size or appetite alone.
The Supplement Amounts Are Not Universal
The original batch also used measured sources of calcium, lecithin, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamins B12, D3, and E, plus fatty-acid and dental products. Those amounts should not be copied without the exact product concentrations and the dog’s complete formulation. A capsule, drop, gel, or scoop can contain very different amounts from one brand to another.
This matters because meat, vegetables, seeds, and egg do not automatically provide enough calcium, trace minerals, and vitamins for long-term feeding. Changing one meat, removing an ingredient, or altering the batch size can also change the required supplement amounts.
What Grain-Free Means Here
This recipe is called grain-free because it omits cereal grains and quinoa. Grain-free does not mean better for every dog, and it should not be used as a treatment for itching or skin problems unless a veterinarian has identified a reason to avoid a specific ingredient.
The FDA has received reports of non-hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy with both grain-free and grain-containing diets. This means the grain-free label alone cannot establish nutritional quality or heart safety.
Portioning and Storage
Cool and portion the food promptly. Refrigerate cooked portions within two hours, keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, and use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days. Freeze the remaining portions in sealed, meal-size containers.
Louie, a 7.1-pound Yorkshire Terrier, preferred this batch with a moist texture. One meal was served fresh on cooking day, two meal portions were refrigerated, and the rest were frozen.
His original feeding plan supplied about 156 calories per day. That calorie level reflected his own body weight and weight-management goal and is not a serving recommendation for another dog.
Final Takeaway
This chicken and pork mixture shows how a carefully weighed home-cooked batch can be prepared, but it is not a stand-alone formula for every dog. Before feeding it as the main diet, confirm the complete recipe, supplement products, calorie target, and follow-up schedule with a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist.
Recheck the plan whenever the dog’s weight, health, medications, activity level, supplement products, or main ingredients change.