Ground beef and rice for dogs with spinach
Ground beef and rice for dogs with spinach, peas and carrot: budget-friendly homemade food in 25 minutes and one skillet, with calcium and omega-3.
- Time
- 30 min + 10 min resting
- Makes
- About 1.25 kg / 2.75 lb (2 days for a 15 kg / 33 lb dog; 3 days for a 10 kg / 22 lb dog)
- Type
- Main meal
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 41 % lean ground beef
- 37 % white rice
- 10 % carrot
- 7 % green peas
Follows THE RULE. All 7 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.
Ground beef and rice for dogs is the ultimate weeknight recipe: lean ground beef, white rice and frozen vegetables, all ready in about 25 minutes with ingredients from any grocery store. It's one of the most affordable homemade meals you can make for your dog without giving up calcium or omega-3s.
While the rice cooks, the beef cooks in the skillet with a little water, and the spinach, peas and grated carrot go straight in, frozen or raw. You get a loose, crumbly mix with no big chunks that small dogs eat easily and big dogs finish in no time. Ideal for the day the last container in the freezer runs out and you're short on time.
Why it works
Lean ground beef provides complete protein, iron and zinc at a good price. White rice is the easy-to-digest energy. Spinach, in a moderate amount, adds folate, iron and vitamin K; peas add fiber and some plant protein; and carrot adds beta-carotene. The eggshell balances the phosphorus in the meat, and the salmon oil provides the omega-3s EPA and DHA, which beef contains only in very small amounts.
Step by step
Start the rice
Put the rice in a pot with 600 ml (2½ cups) of water. When it boils, lower to medium heat and cook for 18 minutes, until tender and a little overdone.
Cook the beef
In a large skillet, put the ground beef with 100 ml (scant ½ cup) of water and no oil. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until no pink remains. If fat rises to the surface, spoon it off.
Add the vegetables
If you're using fresh spinach, blanch it first for 1 minute in boiling water, drain it and throw that water away: some of the oxalates go with it (frozen spinach is already blanched). Add the grated carrot, peas and spinach (chopped, if fresh) to the skillet. Cover and cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring halfway, until the spinach has broken down and the peas are tender.
Mix with the rice
Drain the rice if there's any water left and tip it into the skillet. Mix well so the beef and vegetables are spread through all the rice.
Cool and add the calcium
Let it cool for 10 minutes, sprinkle over the ground eggshell and stir well. The salmon oil goes on each portion right before serving.
How much should I feed?
Approximate daily portion for a "spayed or neutered adult" profile. Split it into two meals (three or four for puppies).
— g a day
| Weight | 3 kg | 5 kg | 10 kg | 15 kg | 20 kg | 30 kg | 40 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grams/day | 195 | 285 | 475 | 645 | 800 | 1,085 | 1,345 |
Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.
- Energy
- 132 kcal/100 g
- Protein
- 40 % dry matter
- Fat
- 11 % dry matter
- Calcium:phosphorus
- 1.3 : 1
Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). An everyday meal. To feed it daily as the only food, add a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets.
Storage
Fridge: up to 3 days in a sealed container. Freezer: up to 3 months in one-day portions; flattened freezer bags thaw in a few hours in the fridge. Serve lukewarm, adding the salmon oil after warming.
If you don't have…
- Your dog has bladder stones or is prone to them
- Zucchini instead of the spinach, in the same amount
- You'd prefer another budget-friendly ground meat
- Lean ground turkey in the same amount, cooked the same way
- You want more fiber
- Brown rice in the same amount, cooked for 35-40 minutes; increase the eggshell to 6 g
- You don't have peas
- Frozen green beans in the same amount
Cooking tips
- Frozen vegetables (spinach portions, peas) are cheap, don't spoil and need no washing or chopping: keep a bag on hand for this recipe.
- Buy ground beef when it's on sale and freeze it in 600 g (1.3 lb) blocks: then the recipe is ready as soon as the rice is cooked.
- To feed it every day as the only meal, add a vitamin and mineral supplement made for homemade diets: the recipe covers protein, energy, calcium and omega-3, but not every vitamin and trace mineral.
- If your dog is very active or thin, you can use 90% lean ground beef; if they tend to put on weight, stick with 95% lean.
Safety
- Ground meat must always be thoroughly cooked: grinding spreads surface bacteria through all the meat.
- No ground meat prepared for burgers or meatballs: it usually contains salt, garlic, onion, bread or preservatives.
- Spinach in moderation because of its oxalates, and don't make this recipe your dog's only meal for weeks: rotate it with others. If your dog has bladder stones, use the zucchini substitution.
Frequently asked questions
Can dogs eat ground beef?
Yes, lean ground beef, turkey or chicken makes a good base for a dog's homemade food, always cooked and unseasoned. Choose ground meat from a single species with no additives, not burger mixes, which can contain salt, garlic, onion or preservatives. If your dog is sensitive, spoon off the fat that cooks out.
Should dogs eat raw or cooked ground beef?
Cooked, unless you follow a well-planned raw (BARF) diet. Ground meat carries a higher risk of bacterial contamination than a whole cut, because grinding spreads surface bacteria through the whole mass. Cooking it until no pink remains eliminates that risk and makes it easier for most dogs to digest.
Is it OK to feed my dog ground beef and rice every day?
It can be if the recipe is balanced. Plain beef and rice falls short on calcium, omega-3s and several vitamins. With vegetables, eggshell, salmon oil and a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets, as in this recipe, it can be your dog's daily meal. Rotate the meat every few weeks to vary nutrients.
How much spinach can a dog eat?
In small amounts, as part of a recipe, it's fine for a healthy dog: in this one, spinach makes up about 6% of the total. What's best avoided is feeding large amounts every day, because of its oxalates, which can contribute to stones. If your dog has oxalate stones or kidney problems, swap it for another vegetable.
What's in it, in detail
If they liked it, try
The fridge list
The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.