Homemade Dog Food Recipes – 20 Easy Batch-Cook Meals for Hong Kong Dogs
You have thought about cooking for your dog. Most of us have. Then you start reading, and somewhere between “calcium to phosphorus ratio” and “nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism” the whole idea begins to feel like a science project you never signed up for, so the bag of kibble stays exactly where it is.
Here is the thing: home cooking for your dog is not difficult. It simply has to be done properly, and almost nobody tells you what “properly” actually means. So we wrote it down. These are homemade dog food recipes Hong Kong owners can actually cook: 20 of them, covering eight proteins – chicken, pork, beef, fish, turkey, lamb, duck and venison – with every ingredient something you can pick up on a Sunday morning at the wet market or the supermarket downstairs. Pumpkin, sweet potato, rice, carrots, a fillet of saba. Nothing you need to hunt for.
What makes them different is the part you cannot see. Our nutrition team formulated each recipe to NRC (2006) and AAFCO adult standards, so every one comes with its own nutrient analysis, a feeding table built on what your dog actually burns in a day, and the precise supplement dose that closes the gaps home cooking always leaves. Cook once on Sunday, portion it out, and your dog eats properly all week. That is the whole system.
Three steps to a complete and balanced homemade meal
- Cook: quality protein (about half), carbohydrates (about a quarter) and vegetables (about a quarter), in one pot.
- Add the multi: stir in Daily Multi for Dogs at the body-weight dose for 20 essential vitamins and minerals.
- Add the calcium: stir in Eggshell Calcium Powder at the recipe-specific dose, bringing calcium to 1.25 g/1000 kcal (the AAFCO adult level).
Daily Multi per meal (by body weight, same across recipes)
| Dog weight | Per meal |
|---|---|
| 3 kg | 0.5 g |
| 5 kg | 1 g |
| 10 kg | 1.5 g |
| 20 kg | 2 g |
| 30 kg | 2 g |
The eggshell dose differs by recipe (calculated from each formula’s calcium gap and energy density) – follow the dosing table inside each recipe.
How much to feed: by energy requirement
Adult maintenance energy (NRC 2006): MER = 110 kcal x BW(kg)^0.75, varying about plus or minus 15% with neuter status and activity. These recipes run about 1.0 to 1.6 kcal/g as fed, so daily amounts are:
| Dog weight | Daily energy need | Daily food (recipe dependent) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 kg | 251 kcal | about 160 to 240 g |
| 5 kg | 368 kcal | about 230 to 350 g |
| 10 kg | 619 kcal | about 390 to 600 g |
| 20 kg | 1,040 kcal | about 660 to 1000 g |
| 30 kg | 1,410 kcal | about 890 to 1360 g |
Each recipe carries its own feeding table; weigh your dog every 2 weeks and adjust to body condition score.
The cook-once-a-week routine
- Shop the standard batch in one trip (each batch feeds a 10 kg adult for about 6 to 7 days).
- Cook everything in a rice cooker or large pot (40 to 60 minutes for most recipes).
- Cool and portion per the recipe table: 3 days refrigerated, the rest frozen.
- At each meal, warm the portion and stir in both supplements per the dosing table.
The 20 recipes, by protein
Chicken
- Chicken and Pumpkin Rice – Moderate-fat everyday base, one rice cooker cycle
- Chicken, Sweet Potato and Broccoli – High-protein, rice-free
- Chicken, Liver and Carrot Congee – Low energy density, highly digestible
Pork
- Pork and Potato – Grain-free everyday formula
- Pork, Winter Melon and Barley – Low-density summer formula
- Pork, Apple and Oats – High-fibre beta-glucan formula
Beef
- Beef, Pumpkin and Brown Rice – Iron and zinc rich, for active dogs
- Minced Beef, Carrot and Potato – The fastest red-meat batch
- Beef and Chinese Squash Rice – Moderately lean wet market formula
Fish
- Salmon and Potato – EPA/DHA skin and coat formula
- Steamed Seabass and Pumpkin Rice – One of the lowest-fat in the book
- Mackerel and Sweet Potato – High omega-3, high fat
Turkey
- Turkey and Pumpkin Rice – Low-allergy, moderately lean
- Turkey, Carrot and Oats – Lean and high fibre, weight management
Lamb
- Lamb and Sweet Potato – Highly palatable, for fussy eaters
- Lamb, Carrot and Brown Rice – High-fibre red-meat rotation
Duck
- Duck and Potato – Low-allergy lean alternative protein
- Duck and Winter Melon Rice – Low-density summer formula
Venison
- Venison and Pumpkin – Novel protein, first choice for elimination diets
- Venison, Sweet Potato and Broccoli – Novel protein, rice-free
Free download: the Fresh Dog Food Cookbook (PDF)
All 20 recipes with their nutrient analyses in one file: Download the English cookbook (PDF) | 下載中文版食譜書（PDF）
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking for my dog?
Each meal needs quality protein (about half), carbohydrates (about a quarter) and vegetables (about a quarter), with no salt, sugar or seasoning, and never onion, garlic, chives or grapes, which are toxic to dogs. Home ingredients alone cannot reach complete and balanced: the base calcium across the 20 recipes in this book is only about 0.05 to 0.15 g per 1000 kcal, far below the AAFCO adult level of 1.25 g, which is why every recipe carries its own supplement dosing table.
How much should a dog eat per day?
Feed by energy requirement, not a fixed percentage of body weight. Adult maintenance energy is about MER = 110 kcal x BW(kg)^0.75: a 10 kg adult needs about 619 kcal, which works out to roughly 450 to 600 g of these recipes depending on energy density. Every recipe includes its own feeding table; weigh your dog every 2 weeks and adjust to body condition.
How long does homemade dog food keep?
Cool completely, portion, use refrigerated portions (4°C) within 3 days and freeze the rest for up to 2 weeks. Defrost overnight in the fridge and warm gently before serving.
Why are supplements essential in homemade dog food?
Home ingredients are consistently short on calcium, and a chronically unbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratio damages bone health; micronutrients such as iodine, selenium, zinc and vitamins D and E are also hard to reach from food alone. Eggshell Calcium Powder raises calcium to 1.25 g/1000 kcal (the AAFCO adult level), and Daily Multi for Dogs supplies 20 essential vitamins and minerals dosed by body weight.
Why does the eggshell dose differ between recipes?
Because each recipe has a different base calcium content and energy density, the top-up needed differs too. We calculate a recipe-specific dose from each formula’s actual calcium gap (about 2.9 to 3.2 g per 1000 kcal), so calcium reaches target without excess and the calcium to phosphorus ratio stays in the ideal 1.2 to 2:1 range.
Can I feed meat only, without carbohydrates?
Not recommended. Moderate carbohydrate supplies energy and fibre so protein is spared for tissue repair, and it supports gut health and stool quality. An all-meat diet also has a severely inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio, compounding the risk.
This page is general guidance and not a substitute for veterinary advice. No time to cook every week? Dogalicious fresh dog food delivers nutritionist-formulated, heat-and-serve meals – and new customers can claim a free trial.