Farmers Dog Copycat Recipe: Homemade Fresh Dog Food (With Portions)
Fresh dog food subscriptions are popular, and they’re not cheap. This copycat recipe uses the same style of ingredients that fresh-food brands list, like lean turkey, a carb such as chickpeas or rice, and vegetables like carrots, broccoli and spinach. You cook it at home in about an hour.
Read this first: meat, grains and vegetables alone are not a complete diet. Commercial fresh foods add a vitamin and mineral blend so they meet AAFCO nutrient profiles. If you feed this recipe as your dog’s main food, you need to add a supplement made to balance homemade dog food, or use a recipe formulated for your dog by a veterinary nutritionist. Talk to your vet before you switch, especially for puppies, seniors or dogs with health conditions.
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What you’ll need to make it:
Large slow cooker, Digital kitchen scale, Freezer-safe meal prep containers, Silicone freezer portion trays, Fish oil for dogs, Nutrient mix for homemade dog food.
Quick Answer
- Batch: 3 lb lean ground turkey, 1 cup dry brown rice, 1 can chickpeas, 2 cups carrots, 2 cups broccoli, 2 cups spinach.
- Makes: about 10 cups (roughly 5 lb). That is about 3 days of food for a 40 lb dog.
- Calories: about 300 per cup, or about 36 per ounce (estimated).
- Must add: a vitamin and mineral supplement made for homemade dog food, dosed by the label. Calcium is the most common gap.
- Storage: 3 to 4 days in the fridge, up to 3 months frozen.
Homemade vs. Fresh Dog Food Delivery
| Homemade copycat | Fresh food subscription | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | You choose every one | Set recipes |
| Complete and balanced | Only with a proper supplement or a nutritionist-formulated recipe | Yes, formulated to AAFCO profiles |
| Cost | Usually lower, mostly driven by your protein price | Higher |
| Time | About 1 hour to cook a batch, plus portioning | None, arrives portioned |
| Customizing for allergies | Easy | Limited to their recipes |
This recipe is not made by or affiliated with any fresh dog food company. It’s a home-cooked recipe in the same style.
The Recipe: Turkey, Rice and Veggie Fresh Dog Food
Makes: about 10 cups | Prep: 15 min | Cook: about 45 min | About 300 calories per cup (estimated)
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 cup (185 g) dry brown rice
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, no salt added, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups (about 3 medium) carrots, diced small
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
- 2 cups fresh spinach, packed, chopped
- 2 1/4 cups water for the rice
- A vitamin and mineral supplement made for homemade dog food, dosed per the label (add after cooking)
- Optional: fish oil for dogs, only at the dose your vet recommends (add at serving)
Never add: onion, garlic, chives, salt, seasoning blends, grapes or raisins. If you use broth, it must have no onion, garlic or added salt.
Equipment
- A large pot or Dutch oven (6 quart or bigger) and a medium saucepan
- A digital kitchen scale
- Freezer-safe containers or silicone portion trays
Steps
- Cook the rice. Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil, add the rice, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes until tender. Start this first.
- Brown the turkey. In the large pot over medium heat, cook the turkey 10 to 12 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains (165°F). Drain off excess fat.
- Add the carrots with 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until soft.
- Add the broccoli and chickpeas. Cover and cook 5 minutes more.
- Stir in the spinach and cook 1 to 2 minutes until wilted.
- Mix in the cooked rice. Mash the chickpeas lightly with a spoon so they’re easier to digest.
- Cool completely, then stir in the supplement at the dose on its label for the batch weight. Heat can damage some vitamins, so always add it after cooking.
- Weigh and portion into daily servings using the table below.
For small dogs, pulse the finished food in a food processor for a smoother texture.
How Much to Feed
These are starting points based on typical calorie needs for a spayed or neutered adult dog at a healthy weight. Active dogs need more. Seniors and less active dogs need less. Weigh your dog every 2 weeks and adjust portions by about 10% if they gain or lose.
| Dog weight | Approx. calories per day | Food per day | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 lb | 300 to 350 | 8 to 10 oz | 1 to 1 1/4 cups |
| 20 lb | 500 to 600 | 14 to 17 oz | 1 2/3 to 2 cups |
| 40 lb | 850 to 1,000 | 24 to 28 oz | 2 3/4 to 3 1/3 cups |
| 60 lb | 1,150 to 1,300 | 32 to 37 oz | 3 3/4 to 4 1/3 cups |
| 80 lb | 1,450 to 1,650 | 40 to 46 oz | 4 3/4 to 5 1/2 cups |
Split the daily amount into two meals. Puppies have very different needs and should only eat homemade food on a plan from a veterinary nutritionist.
Using it as a topper instead? Replace up to about 10% to 20% of your dog’s regular complete food with this recipe and reduce the regular food to match. That keeps the overall diet balanced without a supplement.
Why the Supplement Matters
Home-cooked diets often come up short on calcium, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin D, choline and some other nutrients. Over months, those gaps can cause real problems, especially for growing puppies. Calcium is the big one because meat is high in phosphorus and low in calcium.
Your options:
- A supplement designed to balance homemade dog food. Follow its label and its recipe guidance.
- A recipe from a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. Your vet can refer you, and some services create custom recipes online.
- Feed it as a topper on a complete commercial food, as described above.
A regular multivitamin for people or a pinch of eggshell is not a reliable substitute.
Easy Swaps
| Swap | Use instead | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ground turkey | 93% lean ground beef, ground chicken or skinless chicken thighs | Same weight. Drain fat from beef. |
| Brown rice | White rice, rolled oats or 2 cups cooked diced sweet potato | White rice is gentler on sensitive stomachs. |
| Chickpeas | More rice or sweet potato | Good choice if your dog gets gassy. |
| Broccoli | Green beans or zucchini | Keep broccoli to small amounts. Too much can upset some stomachs. |
| Spinach | Kale (cooked) or more green beans | Small amounts only. |
Any time you change the recipe, the calories per cup change too. Re-check portions.
Switching Your Dog Over
Change food gradually over about a week so your dog’s stomach can adjust.
| Days | New food | Current food |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | 25% | 75% |
| 3 to 4 | 50% | 50% |
| 5 to 6 | 75% | 25% |
| 7 and on | 100% | 0% |
If you see loose stool, stay at the current step for a few extra days before moving on. Call your vet if vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than a day.
Storage
- Fridge: 3 to 4 days in airtight containers.
- Freezer: up to 3 months. Freeze in daily portions and label with the date.
- Thawing: overnight in the fridge. Never thaw on the counter.
- Serving: serve cold or slightly warmed. Stir well if you microwave to avoid hot spots.
Cool the food fully before you put it in the fridge or freezer, and get it there within 2 hours of cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as The Farmer’s Dog?
No. It’s a homemade recipe built from similar types of whole-food ingredients. Commercial fresh foods are formulated to meet complete nutrient profiles. This recipe only gets close to that if you add a proper balancing supplement.
Can I feed this every day?
Only if it’s balanced with a supplement made for homemade dog food or a recipe from a veterinary nutritionist. Without that, use it as a topper.
Is it cheaper than a subscription?
Usually, yes. The biggest cost is the meat, so buying turkey or beef in bulk lowers the price per day. Add the cost of the supplement when you compare.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the turkey first, then add everything except the spinach and rice with 1 cup of water. Cook on low 6 hours, then stir in the spinach and cooked rice. See our crockpot dog food recipes.
Can puppies eat this?
Puppies need precise calcium and phosphorus levels for bone growth. Don’t feed a homemade diet to a puppy unless it was formulated for puppies by a veterinary nutritionist.
The Short Version
- Turkey, rice, chickpeas, carrots, broccoli and spinach. No seasoning.
- About 300 calories per cup. Portion by your dog’s weight and adjust.
- Add a supplement made for homemade dog food, or use it as a topper.
- Switch over 7 days. Fridge 3 to 4 days, freezer 3 months.
More Homemade Dog Food
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