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    Home » Pet Recipes

    How to Make Easy Homemade Dog Food in an Instant Pot

    Published: July 23, 2019 · Updated: March 29, 2020 by Kari · 90 Comments · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

    RECIPE ↓
    Homemade dog food - bowls of ground beef, vegetables, and rice with a "Beware of Dog Kisses" sign on a gray wood background.
    Homemade dog food - bowls of ground beef, vegetables, and rice with a "Beware of Dog Kisses" sign on a gray wood background.
    Bowls of ground beef, vegetables, and rice with a "Beware of Dog Kisses" sign on a gray wood background.
    A pin image of an instant pot with homemade dog food in it - rice, ground beef, vegetables.
    A pin image of an instant pot with homemade dog food in it - rice, ground beef, vegetables - with some dog toys on the side.
    A pin image of an instant pot with uncooked homemade dog food in it - rice, ground beef, vegetables - with some dog toys on the side.
    A pin image of a border collie looking up at her owner begging.
    A pin image of a border collie begging for food.
    A pin image of a bowl of ground beef, vegetables, and rice with a "Beware of Dog Kisses" sign on a gray wood background.
    A pin image of bowls of ground beef, vegetables, and rice with a "Beware of Dog Kisses" sign on a gray wood background.
    A pin image of bowls of ground beef, vegetables, and rice with a "Beware of Dog Kisses" sign on a gray wood background.
    a pin image of a bowl of homemade dog food.
    a pin image of a bowl of homemade dog food
    a pin image of an instant pot with homemade dog food in it - rice, ground beef, vegetables.
    a pin image of a bowl of homemade dog food
    a pin image of a bowl of homemade dog food.

    Homemade Dog Food is a great way to spoil your dog and feel good about doing it. Made in your Instant Pot, it is a quick, cheap, and easy way to give your dog a nutritious meal that they will think is a treat.

    If you are anything like we are, spoiling your dog is a natural part of everyday life. Our border collie, Melly, is 11 years young and is full of energy and love. She is treated like a queen, and although she will eat almost anything, her nutrition is important to me.

    A black and white dog getting belly scratches on the floor.
    PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

    I made Melly a batch of homemade food for the first time about a year ago and have been making it for her ever since. It is cheap, easy, and she loves it. I love knowing everything going into it so I know she isn't eating mystery meat. Our vet compliments her constantly for her weight, teeth, and energy level - she's 11ish but acts like she's still a puppy.

    This recipe is for making homemade dog food with an Instant Pot - if you are looking for my stovetop directions, click here.

    🥘 Ingredient Notes

    The ingredients of homemade dog food, labeled on a wood board.

    • ground meat - I alternate between ground beef, ground chicken (choose organic for ground chicken), ground turkey, or even fish if we have some that is fresh and recently caught.
    • cooked rice (or uncooked oats)
    • frozen or fresh vegetables that are chopped into bite-size pieces
    • chicken or beef bone broth or stock
    • coconut oil

    🥣 How to Make It

    To make homemade dog food, I use my Instant Pot, but you can use any pressure cooker. To make homemade dog food on the stove, you can check out my recipe for homemade dog food on the stove.

    First, set your Instant Pot to "Saute" and cook your ground meat. (Pictures 1 - 3) Pour off any fat and once cooled, discard it.

    Add your drained meat back to your Instant Pot. (Picture 4) Dump in your leftover rice and mix well. (Picture 5) If you are using oats instead of rice, skip to the next step.

    A process collage of images for making instant pot dog food, steps 1 - 5.

    Next, add your bone broth and coconut oil. Stir to combine and let the coconut oil melt. (Picture 6)

    Then, add a bag or two (I aim for 20-24 ounces) of frozen vegetables. If using a 12-ounce bag, use two. If using a 16-ounce bag, use one and a half. Mix well. (Picture 7)

    If using oats instead of rice, add them now.

    A process collage of images for making dog food in an instant pot, steps 6 - 9.

    Finally, put your lid on and close the vent. Set your Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" mode at high pressure for 7 minutes. (Picture 8)

    Allow the pressure to release naturally, which should take about 5 minutes, and open your Instant Pot. (Picture 9) Let your dog food cool before serving or storing. You can divide the food into portions depending on your needs -  I usually split it in half and freeze one batch. I use a measuring cup when I serve the food, so I don't take the time to split it into individual portions.

    An instant pot with homemade dog food in it - rice, ground beef, vegetables - with some dog toys on the side.

    📖 Options

    🥬 What Kinds of Vegetables Can You Use?

    I like the mixed vegetable mix from either Walmart or Aldi that is peas or green beans, carrots, and corn. (Do not use anything with onions!) The last mix I bought had lima beans as well. You can also use a bag of just carrots mixed with a bag of cut green beans. (You know your dog - feed them what they like!)

    A bag of frozen mixed vegetables for making dog food.

    🍓 Can You Add Fruit?

    Absolutely! Fruit has a lot of nutrients that are great for dogs. Just don't go overboard with it. We often use what is in season or what we have in the freezer. We like to use some kind of berries - strawberries or blueberries are best. Do NOT use grapes as they are very bad for dogs. You can add fruit before or after cooking, just beware that if you cook with blueberries, your dog food will turn purple 😉

    🌾 What Grains Can You Use?

    The easiest grains to use are oats and leftover rice. (If your dog has an allergy to grains, you can substitute diced sweet potatoes.)

    🐕 What Else Can You Add to Homemade Dog Food?

    We like to add little bits of leftovers from all kinds of things: cooked duck, roast beef, pot roast, grilled chicken.. even pork. We also sometimes add eggs, beef broth, duck broth, or sometimes even some wild game!

    We supplement her homemade food with raw shank bones (frozen with marrow still in them) and raw pig's feet. She loves to gobble them up, even though they are totally gross.

    🍲 Serving Size

    The most important thing is to be sure and discuss serving sizes and ingredients with your vet before switching your dog to a new diet.

    Here's our personal experience - I give Melly 1 heaping cup of the food two times a day (with a small scoop of homemade yogurt on top) and she weighs somewhere between 40 and 45 pounds. She absolutely loves it!

    If she has had an extremely active day, running around like the border collie she is and chasing squirrels up trees or patrolling the fence, I will give her a little extra at dinner. Our vet likes that we rotate different meats, veggies, and fruits - it gives her a variety of nutrients like a dog would find in the wild.

    A product image of a 6 quart instant pot.

    ✏️ Helpful Tips

    • Make sure that you don't abruptly change your dog's food - mix 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.
    • Top your dog food with a scoop of homemade or plain greek yogurt.
    • Rotate different meats, fruits, and vegetables to make sure your dog gets different and nutrients. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, you might be best sticking to one combination that you know works 🙂

    Homemade dog food - bowls of ground beef, vegetables, and rice with a "Beware of Dog Kisses" sign on a gray wood background.

    🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses

    I serve Melly's food both hot and cold - she's not picky. I often top it with ¼ cup of plain yogurt (with no sweeteners added) when serving. Yogurt is not necessary but provides probiotics and helps with healthy digestion. I like to make plain Greek yogurt in my Instant Pot as well.

    Have You Tried This Recipe?
    Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!

    An instant pot with homemade dog food in it - rice, ground beef, vegetables - with some dog toys on the side.

    How to Make Easy Homemade Dog Food - Instant Pot

    4.83 from 51 votes
    Kari
    Homemade Dog Food is a great way to spoil your dog and feel good about doing it. Using an instant pot, it is a quick, cheap, and easy way to give your dog a nutritious meal that they will think is a treat.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Pressure Release 6 mins
    Total Time 21 mins
    Course Pet Food
    Cuisine Dog Food
    Servings 20 1 cup servings
    Calories 380

    Video

    Equipment

    • an Instant Pot or pressure cooker
    • a rubber spatula or spoon for stirring
    • measuring cups

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 - 3 lbs ground beef or: ground chicken, turkey, or fresh fish - shredded chicken breasts work well too.
    • 24 ounce frozen vegetables peas, green beans, carrot, and corn
    • 1 cup frozen fruit I like to use blueberries and strawberries. (Optional)
    • 1 - 2 cups leftover cooked rice or oats
    • 2 cups bone broth
    • 2 - 3 tbsp coconut oil refined or unrefined - whatever you have

    Topping

    • ¼ cup plain yogurt optional for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Cook 2 ½ to 3 pounds of your choice of ground meat in your Instant Pot on the saute setting or in a frying pan on the stove.
    • Drain off the cooking grease and return the meat to your Instant Pot.
    • First, add your leftover rice. If using oats, skip this step.
    • Next, add bone broth and coconut oil and be sure to scrape the little bits off the bottom of the pan - this is your way of "deglazing" the Instant Pot.
    • Now, add oats, frozen vegetables, and fruit if adding. Mix well to combine everything.
    • Put the lid back on your Instant Pot and set it to "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode. Cook for 7 minutes on High Pressure.
    • Let the pressure release naturally and open only when the pin drops. Stir everything up.
    • Let the mixture cool and divide into two portions - one for the next few days and one to freeze. (You can also portion the food into single servings if you feel so motivated.)

    Notes

    To supplement calcium in this food, I will also add bone meal or broccoli stalks as the vegetable portion. You can save them in the freezer and use them as needed. You can also add a tin of sardines packed in water. Fair warning, both broccoli stalks and sardines make this food smell... kind of like a fart.
     
    Tips
    • This recipe is really flexible. You can alternate between using ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. You can also use shredded chicken breast or fresh fish as well. The only thing I would not recommend is canned (tinned) fish, as it can be very fatty and too much fat can lead to pancreatitis in dogs.
    • You know what your dog likes and their allergies - if they can't eat carrots - use a different kind of vegetable. If they can't eat grains, add diced potatoes or sweet potatoes!
    • I switch between oats and rice and vary the vegetables and fruits based on what we have and what is in season. Melly is a former street dog and will eat almost anything, especially if you cook it all together, so we like to mix in all kinds of "dog-friendly" goodies.
    • If you have an 8 or 10 quart Instant Pot, you can double the recipe to make more at once and freeze some of the food for later. 
    Storage Suggestions
    • Let your dog food cool before serving or storing. You can divide the food into portions depending on your needs -  I usually split it in half and freeze one batch. It will be good for about 6 months and while still safe to eat, the quality will begin to decrease after that. 
    • I use a measuring cup when I serve the food, so I don't take the time to split it into individual portions - you can do this if you would like!
    • Store cooked dog food in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you don't think you will get through it all in a week, freeze some of it. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 22gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 103mgPotassium: 396mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1734IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg

    Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.

    Keyword beef dog food, homemade dog food, instant pot dog food
    Tried this recipe?Mention @southernbytes or tag #southernbytes!
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    About Kari

    I am a WordPress Developer, Food Blogger, and Health Coach. I love to cook and experiment with fun new recipes. I hope you enjoy!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Todd

      July 13, 2021 at 9:43 pm

      Life saver. Have the pickiest wheaten terrier and she is devouring this food. The Greek yogurt is a hit too

      Reply
      • Kari

        July 26, 2021 at 8:13 am

        I'm so glad to hear that!

        Reply
    2. Meghan

      July 11, 2021 at 8:48 pm

      4 stars
      It states that 1 cup per serving. What size dog is this for? I’m trying to figure out how much my babies need. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kari

        July 16, 2021 at 5:04 pm

        My dog is around 45 pounds! In dry food, she eats 1 cup 2x a day (1 am, 1 pm) so I discussed that with her vet and we used that as a basis to determine how much to feed 🙂 Hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. Julia Constable

      June 06, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      5 stars
      Can I say thank you so much we adopted a Romanian rescue to the Uk three weeks ago I have used your recipe from day one and Balu loves it I add and enhance (he loves a poached egg on top every other day)
      And Greek yoghurt I also give him a 1/4 cup of burns kibble for crunch but he loves it on his licky mat thank you

      Reply
      • Kat

        July 19, 2021 at 12:40 am

        Hi! I just found your recipe, and I'm so excited to try it! One thing.. I don't have and instant pot right now. I'm thinking I'll get one when I move to a house with a bigger kitchen, but don't have space for one in my current one.
        So, how long should I cook everything in a pot on the stove after browning the meat, please?

        Reply
        • Kari

          July 26, 2021 at 4:39 pm

          Sorry for the delay - I didn't see this comment. I have a stovetop recipe as well - https://southern-bytes.com/homemade-dog-food-on-the-stove/

          Reply
    4. Jesse

      May 16, 2021 at 1:11 pm

      Hi!
      Thanks for the recipe! I had a question--it says "1 - 2 cups leftover cooked rice or oats." Does that mean the OATS should be cooked before adding, or is that just for the rice? I use the Bob's Red Mill, 7 min steel-cut oats.
      Thank-you!

      Reply
      • Kari

        May 18, 2021 at 12:08 pm

        Cooked rice or uncooked oats - they will use a similar amount of broth/cooking time. Already cooked oats will get very overcooked and mushy 🙂

        Reply
    5. APL

      May 10, 2021 at 10:56 pm

      Hello, if I use 3 cups of dry food... would I use 3 cups of this food as well?

      Reply
      • Kari

        May 18, 2021 at 12:08 pm

        I would, yes! And then just monitor your dog's weight and adjust accordingly 🙂

        Reply
    6. Len

      May 07, 2021 at 3:13 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe! It is exactly what I've searched for my oldster minpins! Just an added note....don't discard the fat from the meat.....mix it with Mother's oats, let it cool, and put it in the bird feeder....they will say thank you!

      Reply
      • Kari

        May 10, 2021 at 1:45 pm

        Great idea! We can't do that here because we have demonic squirrels that destroy anything edible (even not edible - they ate the sprayer for the hose) in sight 🙁

        Reply
    7. Yvonne

      April 16, 2021 at 6:03 pm

      Is it ok to use quick oats?

      Reply
      • Kari

        April 21, 2021 at 12:53 pm

        Yes! Quick oats are totally fine - just take a minute off of the cooking time because they will turn to mush 🙂

        Reply
      • Charity

        May 13, 2021 at 12:12 pm

        5 stars
        I have 2 senior dogs that began eating less and less of their regular dry dog food. I found this recipe, and they both DEVOUR it! They literally dance behind me and cry loudly as I measure out and warm up their portions at each meal. Thanks for this great recipe!
        Quick note: I've made this recipe 3-4 times now. Follow it to a T, just change up the kind of veggies and fruits. It always comes out the best consistency with just 1 cup of brown rice and 3 pounds beef. The 1 time I tried 2 cups brown rice, it was very difficult to scoop once refrigerated. A bit dry.

        Reply
      • Jane Pray

        May 20, 2021 at 4:48 pm

        My dogs love the dog food. I also don't cook the rice a head of time and it comes out perfect.

        Reply
    8. Sarah Harry

      April 12, 2021 at 8:30 pm

      Can I substitute chicken broth for bone broth?

      Reply
      • Kari

        April 15, 2021 at 5:57 pm

        Yes! Absolutely.

        Reply
    9. Stephanie Roberts

      April 07, 2021 at 12:41 pm

      Hi! I'm excited to try this recipe on our Foxhound. Just curious, do you ever add in sweet potato or butternut squash?

      Reply
      • Kari

        April 08, 2021 at 3:19 pm

        I do! I love incorporating seasonal fruits and veggies to change things up - my dog LOVES all squash! If I add sweet potato, I don't use rice/oats in that batch 🙂

        Reply
    10. Renea

      March 24, 2021 at 12:16 pm

      5 stars
      My Rottweiler, Meatball, has always been a picky eater. He absolutely LOVED this recipe and ate the entire bowl in a single sitting which NEVER happens. Definitely a keeper recipe!!!

      Reply
      • Kari

        March 24, 2021 at 2:37 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that!

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Kari!

    I am a WordPress developer, food blogger, and health coach. I love to cook and experiment with fun new recipes. I hope you enjoy!

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