Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Dog Food makes about 6 cups of soft, scoopable food with lean beef and vegetables. You cook it in one skillet, with a short ingredient list and no seasoning.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93% lean)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup water
Yield: About 6 cups. Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 30 minutes · Cool: 30 minutes.
Instructions
1. Peel and Dice the Sweet Potatoes
During the 15-minute prep, peel 2 medium sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes, measuring about 3 cups. Set out 1 cup chopped green beans, 1 cup chopped fresh spinach, 1 pound lean ground beef, and 1/2 cup water. The sweet potato cubes should look even in size so they soften at the same rate.
2. Simmer the Sweet Potatoes Until Tender
Put the 3 cups of sweet potato cubes and 1/2 cup water in a large skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
When the cubes yield easily to a fork and little water remains, transfer them to a bowl. Keep the skillet on the stove for the beef.
3. Brown the Ground Beef
Add 1 pound of 93% lean ground beef to the skillet over medium heat. Break it into small pieces with a spoon as it cooks for about 8 minutes. Stir so the pieces brown evenly.
By the end of this part of the 30-minute cook time, the beef should be browned throughout, with no pink pieces visible.
4. Drain the Fat
At the end of the beef’s 8-minute cooking period, tilt the skillet and spoon off the rendered fat. Leave the browned beef in the pan, keeping the small crumbles separate so they mix evenly with the vegetables.
The skillet should show browned beef and a thin coating of moisture, without a pool of grease.
5. Cook the Green Beans
Add 1 cup chopped green beans to the skillet with the drained beef. Stir to spread the pieces through the crumbles, then cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Stir once during that time. The beans should turn a brighter green and feel tender when pressed with a spoon while still holding their shape.
6. Stir in the Spinach and Sweet Potatoes
Add 1 cup chopped fresh spinach and the cooked sweet potatoes to the beef and green beans. Stir over medium heat for 2 minutes, folding the spinach through the mixture as it wilts.
The finished food should look evenly mixed, with soft orange cubes, green vegetables, and small beef crumbles in each spoonful.
7. Cool and Portion
Remove the skillet from the heat and spread the finished mixture in a shallow dish. Let it cool for 30 minutes, then divide the about 6 cups of food into portions that suit your dog’s meals.
The mixture should feel cool throughout when you portion it, with the sweet potato cubes still visible among the beef and greens.
Choosing Beef and Vegetables for Your Dog
Lean beef keeps this recipe easy to mix and portion. Small, evenly cut vegetables soften during the 30-minute cook time.
Why Lean Ground Beef Works Best
With 93% lean ground beef, you have less rendered fat to drain after browning. Breaking it into small crumbles also helps you distribute the beef through each portion.
Choose plain ground beef for this recipe. If you want to learn more about different cuts and organs, the guide to meat and offal for dogs covers those choices separately.
Sweet Potato, Green Beans and Spinach
The 1/2-inch sweet potato cubes become soft enough to fold through the beef while keeping some shape. Cutting them evenly helps you get that texture throughout the batch.
Chopped green beans add small, tender pieces, and fresh spinach wilts into the mixture at the end. Measure the spinach before cooking, since its volume drops as it wilts.
How Much to Feed and How to Store It
Use this recipe as a measured addition to your dog’s regular food, with the portion sized to your dog’s daily calorie needs. If it replaces part of a meal, reduce the regular food to account for the beef and sweet potato.
Your veterinarian can help set an amount for your dog. After the food has cooled, put portions in covered containers.
Refrigerate the portions you will use within three days and freeze the rest for up to two months. Thaw a frozen portion in the refrigerator, then stir it before serving.
Tips for the Best Results
Keep the sweet potato cubes close to 1/2 inch. Larger pieces take longer to soften, while much smaller pieces lose their shape when you stir in the beef.
A wide skillet gives you room to break up the beef and fold in the vegetables. Drain the beef before adding the green beans so the finished mixture stays easy to scoop.
Substitutions and Safety
Keep this batch plain: leave out salt, sauces, onion, garlic, and seasoned broth. Onion and garlic are among the foods that are toxic to dogs.
Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F, and let the finished food cool before serving.
This recipe is not formulated as a complete, balanced diet for long-term feeding. Ask your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist before using it as your dog’s main food.
If your dog has a suspected beef sensitivity, use guidance on food allergies in dogs before changing the protein.
