Raw Dog Food Recipe

Two complete starter recipes — chicken BARF and beef with sardines — plus the ingredient ratios, sourcing tips, and preparation guidelines you need to get raw feeding right from the first meal.

Start by finding how much your dog needs: use the dog raw food calculator for your dog's daily gram target. The ratios below apply to any total amount.

The Ingredient Ratios for Raw Dog Food

Both major raw feeding frameworks — BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) and PMR (Prey Model Raw) — are built on the same five ingredient categories. The difference is that BARF includes plant matter; PMR does not. The percentages below are by weight of the total daily meal.

See the raw feeding ratio guide for a full explanation of each category, including why heart counts as muscle meat and which organs count as secreting vs. non-secreting.

Recipe 1: Chicken BARF (Beginner)

Chicken is the right starting protein for most dogs. It's widely available, relatively low in fat, and tolerated well by dogs with no prior raw feeding exposure. This recipe is calculated for a 10 kg moderately active adult dog at 2.5% body weight (250 g/day). Scale up or down proportionally — the percentages stay the same regardless of your dog's size.

In the first two to three weeks, feed only the muscle meat and bone. Add liver in small amounts from week two, then the secreting organ from week three. Too much organ too soon causes loose stools in most dogs.

Recipe 2: Beef & Sardine BARF

Once your dog is settled on chicken, introduce a second protein. Beef is the natural next step — it has a different amino acid and fatty acid profile, and most dogs respond well to it. Sardines replace the plant matter in this version and serve as the omega-3 source. This is closer to PMR in spirit but still works within BARF percentages.

Use sardines in water, not oil or brine. One or two small sardines per 250 g meal is sufficient. Feed this recipe two to three times per week and rotate it with Recipe 1 to start building protein variety.

How Much to Feed

The standard starting point is 2–2.5% of your dog's ideal body weight per day. “Ideal” means the weight your dog should be at, not necessarily what they currently weigh. A 20 kg dog would eat 400–500 g daily, split across one or two meals.

Adjust based on body condition after two to three weeks. You should be able to feel your dog's ribs without pressing hard, but not see them. If ribs are becoming visible, increase by 0.25%. If your dog is gaining unwanted weight, reduce by the same amount. Puppies also need a slightly higher bone percentage — around 15–17% instead of the adult 10% — to support bone and teeth development.

Protein Sources and Variety

Rotating through multiple proteins over the course of a month is how raw-fed dogs achieve genuine nutritional balance. Each protein brings a different amino acid profile, organ composition, and fat type. Start with one or two proteins and add a new one every two to three weeks.

What You Need to Get Started

You do not need specialist equipment to start raw feeding, but a few basics make it significantly easier and safer.

• •Kitchen scale (essential): The only way to hit the 80/10/5/5 ratio accurately. Digital scales accurate to 1 g are inexpensive and transform guesswork into a reliable process.
• •Dedicated cutting board: Keep one board only for raw meat. A separate board for vegetables and fruit avoids cross-contamination.
• •Freezer containers or zip-lock bags: Pre-portion meals before freezing. Label each with protein type and date.
• •Chest freezer (recommended for larger dogs): Buying in bulk from a butcher or raw food supplier is the main way to keep raw feeding affordable. Bulk buying only works if you have storage.
• •Meat grinder (optional): Useful for mixing organ into ground meat or grinding bone for dogs that refuse whole bones. Not needed if your dog accepts whole or roughly chopped pieces.

Ingredient Sourcing Tips

Where you source ingredients affects both cost and quality. A few practical guidelines:

• •Muscle meat fat content should be 10–20% (packaging reads 80–90% lean). Very lean meat can cause digestive issues over time.
• •Organs are often the hardest ingredient to source. Build a relationship with a local butcher — most can set aside kidney and liver regularly if you ask.
• •For fish, sardines in spring water from a supermarket are fine. Avoid sardines in oil or brine, and avoid farmed Atlantic salmon for regular feeding due to higher contaminant loads.
• •Buy the best quality you can afford. Grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and wild-caught fish all have better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios than their conventional equivalents.
• •Avoid any cooked bones — they splinter and can cause perforations. Only raw bones are safe to feed.

See the raw dog food cost guide for how to reduce monthly spend through bulk buying and supplier strategy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most raw feeding problems come from a small set of repeatable errors. These are the ones worth knowing before you start.

• •Too much liver too soon: Liver is rich in vitamin A. Introduce it in small amounts over two to three weeks. A dog hitting full liver ration on day one will almost always have loose stools.
• •No bone source: Muscle meat alone is high in phosphorus and low in calcium. Without bone or a bone substitute, the Ca:P ratio is badly unbalanced. Every meal needs a bone component or bone meal.
• •Only one protein forever: Chicken-only diets are common and create nutrient gaps. Rotate proteins once your dog is settled, adding a new one every few weeks.
• •Thawing on the counter: Always thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Counter thawing accelerates bacterial growth in the outer layers while the centre is still frozen.
• •Skipping the kitchen scale: Eyeballing portions consistently misses the target ratio. A 10% error in the bone component is the difference between a balanced diet and one that causes digestive issues over months.
• •Adding supplements without a plan: Broad supplementation — especially fat-soluble vitamins A and D — can cause toxicity when food sources already provide them. Supplement only confirmed gaps.

Preparation and Storage

• •Batch prep: weigh and pre-portion a week or two of meals at once, then freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before each feeding.
• •Never feed cooked bones — they splinter. Only raw, unprocessed bones are safe.
• •Avoid very small bones (fish vertebrae, small poultry bones) for large dogs — swallowing risk without chewing.
• •Thawed raw food keeps in the refrigerator for two to three days maximum. Discard anything that smells off or has changed colour.
• •Label freezer bags with protein type and preparation date. A chest freezer at -18°C or below keeps meals in good condition for three to six months.
• •Wash all bowls, boards, and prep surfaces with hot water and soap after every use.