Ground Turkey Recipe for Dogs Made with Whole Food Ingredients

4.48 from 134 votes

Dog food made with 100% human grade ingredients and no fillers.

Turkey Veggie Dog Food Recipe

We only want the best for your dogs! That’s why we recommend making your own dog food. It’s the best way to control what ingredients go in (and which preservatives stay out). All of our dog food and treat recipes are made with 100% natural, human-grade ingredients. The same type of clean, healthy foods that you use to create your own meals! That’s why you’ll find lean turkey, protein-rich liver, and nutrient-dense vegetables in this Ground Turkey Recipes for Dogs.

Choosing Ingredients for Our Ground Turkey Recipe for Dogs

Healthy Dog Food Recipe

When creating our dog food recipes, we research which ingredients are best for dogs to eat and digest. Then, we create the recipes and test them on our own dogs. Once we know our dogs are satisfied, we give the recipes to our friends and families and try them out on their dogs. Finally, we share the recipes with the Skinny Ms. community. That way, your dog can also enjoy wholesome, clean-eating dog food and treats.

After doing our research, we selected lean, ground turkey for these Ground Turkey Recipes for Dogs. We also added in a few nutrient-rich vegetables to boost your pet’s health and wellness. As an extra bonus, we included olive oil in the mix. It provides essential fats for your dog’s healthy diet and gives your dog’s coat the shine it deserves.

NOTE: Check with your veterinarian before making any changes to your pet’s diet. Also, please be aware of any pet allergies to specific ingredients. Always avoid ingredients that have caused reactions in your pets in the past. If you are unsure about a specific ingredient found in one of our dog food recipes, introduce the food to your pets in small amounts first.

Homemade Dog Food
4.48 from 134 votes

Ground Turkey Recipe for Dogs

Our dog recipes are filled with good nutrition and made with only whole foods. Dog family members deserve the best!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Yield 8
Serving Size
Course Pet Meals and Treats
Cuisine Pet Recipes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean ground turkey
  • 2 tablespoons chicken liver finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup green beans diced
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Add 1 1/2 cups water to a double boiler, place vegetables in a steam basket over the pot and cover. Heat until boiling, reduce heat to a low-boil and steam until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • In the meantime, add the turkey and liver to a large skillet and cook on medium-high heat until done. Drain off any fat and discard. Chop veggies or pulse in a food processor. Add veggies to cooked turkey.
  • Add the olive oil and toss with turkey & veggie mixture. Allow to cool before dividing into freezer safe containers.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3080IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg |
Keywords Healthy Dog Food, Healthy Dog Recipes

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NOTE: Freezer-safe bags are great for freezing individual meals. Before tossing them into the freezer, make sure to label each bag with the date of preparation and name of the meal. The serving size for each meal will depend on the breed and weight of your dog. Check with your vet regarding how much to feed your dog on a daily basis. Always allow time to defrost each meal in the refrigerator the night before serving.

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Gale Compton

Gale co-founded SkinnyMs. with a goal to provide women with delicious recipes, fitness routines, and ways to reach their ideal weight. Gale has been featured on the Today Show in which she won a cook off for the best Lasagna. Be sure to search for her winning recipe, Skinny Lasagna Rolls.

Guided by her firm belief in healthy eating and the power of exercise, Gale has written two cookbooks and several fitness ebooks. She earned her Fitness Training Certification from, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association. Gale loves to run with her dog Maggie and has completed numerous half-marathons.

More by Gale

80 Comments

    1. Carol, Please talk to your vet about your dog’s individual needs. For example, my dog gets a variety and I sometimes add fish oil and/or probiotics just before he eats. Sometimes he gets grass-fed ground beef with veggies and a little beef liver cooked in. At any one time, I have 2-3 gallon size ziplock bags packed with meals in individual quart size baggies…all in the freezer. I usually cook for a few hours every other week. It’s work, but he’s so worth it. 🙂

      I get a lot of recipes from Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Dogs and Cats.

      Hope this helps. 🙂

      1. Thank you for the recipe! I need to feed my dog 700 kcals a day and don’t know how to calculate for this recipe. How many kcals per ounce is this? It says 176kcals but doesn’t say how many kcals per ounce.

        1. The 176kcals were determined by dividing the recipe into 8 servings. It really depends on the serving size your dog eats.

          1. Hi Gale! I made a huge batch of this recipe tonight, and portioned it into a variety of freezer safe containers. The thing is…I didn’t weigh out the final batch! I realize that your recipe yielded 8 servings at 176 kcals each, but how much is a serving? A cup? Half cup? I know my dog’s caloric needs, but since I didn’t weigh my total batch I don’t know how to measure their serving!5 stars

          2. Hey Holly, The way I measure one serving is simply to eye ball 1/8 of the recipe. Now, you can do this with a measuring cup if you like. I don’t weigh the servings, but you can. This recipe makes quite a bit of food. My dog, Maggie, for example, weighs 45 pounds. She gets a heaping cup of food along with 1/3 cup of quinoa and a scoop of baked sweet potato.
            YUM!

            Just like with people, I give Maggie enough food to satisfy her. Of course she would eat the entire recipe if allowed too. lol Hope this helps.

        2. So, I have six dogs I have to feed. I spend about $50 a week to feed them. They all get 2 cups twice a day. My question is, would this be cheaper then what I buy? And would I feed them the same amount with this food as I would the food I have now?

          1. Danielle, With six dogs I don’t know for certain what this recipe would cost as compared to the other food. Also, you would know best how much to feed them based on weight and their daily calorie needs. It’s a good idea to check with your vet about how many calories each dog needs on a daily basis.

    2. My dog needs to lose weight, I’m currently giving him 1 3/4 cups of dry, and a few tablespoons of canned. How much would he get on this diet? He weighs 98lbs, and needs to loose 15 pounds

      1. Theresa, Please check with your vet to see how many calories per day your dog needs to eat in order to lose the weight.

  1. This recipe needs a calcium supplement if not feeding raw meaty bones. Otherwise it’s too high in phosphorus and too low in calcium. 1/2 tsp of powdered eggshell per pound of food will be enough.

      1. Love hearing how much dogs enjoy this recipe. Thank you so much for the feedback. Please review the recipe if you have a moment.

  2. My little dog loves this! I usually do 1/2 cup 2x a day, with about 1/4 cup, or less of his favorite Can food. He sits and cries/begs the whole time it is cooking?

  3. I’ve been feeding my dog ground Turkey for about a year now. I buy 3lbs of ground Turkey. I add about 6 eggs, 2 cups of mixed vegetables, 1 Tablespoon of egg shell that’s been boiled for 5 min and ground to a fine powder., 1 cup of oats or white rice or barley. I add one vitamin per day and 1teaspoon of ACV. Sometimes I add non salted beef boilion cube to the turkey. She gets a half cup a day. She is a Shih-Poo. Weighs 15 lbs.

    1. How are you fixing this, in the crock pot or are you feeding raw. Sounds like one I would like to make. Thank you.

  4. Thanks so much for this recipe! I love making my own dog food and I would agree with some of the previous comments regarding supplements. I use Azestfor because its super easy, you just mix it right in and it takes the guessing out of what my pups are getting or not getting.
    Can’t wait to try your turkey/veggie dish 🙂

      1. No one should give their dog or cat any canned or bag dog food ever! These food companies really don’t care what your pet eats! The ingredients mentioned on the ingredients are not totally true or clear. Did you know, what is actually in the vast majorities of dog food?! When the label on your dog food says ” by products” what it is really saying is, dead animals crushed up” also, diseased animals that have died anbd died crushed up. Also by products mean, any garbage that they can make pass as an ingredient combined with another terrible ingredient in dog food. Don’t you ever wonder what all the ingredients are that you never heard of or even understand? These people are making millions and some people are making billions of dollars, making dog and cat food! It really is one of the most terribly, awful things that has been going on with out pets food for over 50 years! These ingredients that do not list that, are breaking the law or just flat out lying! Also the many things that are in dog foods are not good for your pets and are actually the reason so many animals are getting sick with many ailments including Cancer. If you really want to know exactly what is in your dogs or cats food you need to look up, ” Homemade Dog Food”. There are several different recipes online. Take some time and read as many as you can or want. They cover a variety of food that is ” good” for dogs! The recipes look so good, you would want to eat them yourself. They contain proteins ( meat, dairy) many kinds of vegetables ( most) and many fruits including berries! Just like berries are so good for us, they are very good for dogs as well! Especially blueberries! Good for us and wonderful for dogs too! Wouldn’t you feel better, if you knew that your were giving your dog a healthy food instead of those icky things that are kept in cans for many years, let alone kibble that is kept in that bag for many years. The both have a ton of preservatives in them. That’s why they last so long. Do you really want your beloved pet to eat all those, ” chemical” preservatives?! Not to mention the artificial coloring and whatever ” by products” they decided to go with. There are grains that you should ” never” give to your pets as well. One that is in dog foods that are suppose to be in prescription dog foods, such as Science Diet and Royal Canin. Wheat and corn..are not good for your dog! No matter how these companies word these products in dog food, does not make them any healthier. If you don’t have time or want to worry about making the next batch of dog foid, you can order it! There are the….fresh dog foods. I believe there are only 3 on the market right now. Farmers Dog, Soot and Tango and Fresh Pet. Read up on ALL of these foods and try one or all. They tell you exactly how to change over from one to another or from what ever yoy’ve been giving your pet. You must ” slowly” inroduce any new food to your dog over a period of 1 week. Add little by little to the food you’ve been giving them. If you don’t, your dog will most likely get sick and vomit for days! Start out with adding a 1/4 of the new food to 3/4 of the old for 2 days, then 1/2 to 1/2 for 2 days then, 3/4 of new to 1/4 old for 2 days then, on the 7th day, give 100% new food!!! Your dog or cat shouldn’t have any problem with the transition if you do this. I would like to add that dogs ” LOVE” fresh food! At least the many dogs that I know, who have been luckily changed to it. Just think, knowing what your pet is eating and not being worried as much, if your dog will get a cancer or many other health problems. At least you’ll know it’s not because of their diet. I don’ t know about treats yet, but I’m learning about that now. Just try to stick with ingredients that you know. You can also google, ” Healthy Homemade Treats for my Dog”. You would be surprised at all the healthy treats you can make easily for your dog. Thanks for reading! This wasn’t directed to the person who had posted on this same subject, It was meant for everyone that wants to give their pets ” A Healthy Diet” Thanks for reading!

        1. Excellent information, Donna. In addition to the companies that mail order the homemade type of dog food is, NOM NOM NOM.

          1. NOM NOM was good when I first started using them but they seem to be using a lesser quality of chicken. Their food does not even look appetizing. I had two bags of chicken 13 oz but they were not equal weight. One was only 9 oz . I was cooking for them and they seemed to like it better. I have one that eat it any more. I already tried Farmers Dog and they did not like it at all. I may try Pet Plate or go back to cooking it myself

          2. Beverly, My dog, Maggie, is very picky and gets tired of eating the same thing. I also tried Pet Plate and she loved it in the beginning but then turned up her nose. Back to cooking from scratch… I’ve tried about 5 mail order “fresh” dog food.

          3. I have just started… My dog is a Springer Spaniel 6 years old about 50 pounds
            Lately he’s been eating so much grass!! And very gassy ! Throws up his meals sometimes too. Well he’s on his 3 day 😊 must say no gas and not running for the lawn to eat and not throwing up. He loves it … Turkey, broccoli, carrots, bone broth.
            I will continue to educate my self to make his meals even healthier.
            Any advice is welcomed to make his meals healthier.

          4. Good news Sue! My recommendation is stick with Whole Foods and good quality meats or poultry. I just recently added another healthy recipe that includes lots of helpful tips, including how to meal prep for dogs. It should be published fairly soon.The working title is “Turkey and Beef Dog Food Recipe”. Be on the look out!

  5. My recipe is basically the same as Katterkat’s, but I grind up hard boiled eggs for the calcium, and include white rice (not brown rice-dogs don’t digest it well) for added “filler”. Recently have been adding a couple of teaspoons of tuna for the topper – my dog loves any kind of fish. I don’t cook the turkey or veggies, but mix all ingredients and then freeze the mixture into patties that I can thaw in the microwave. My dog is 11 years old and is in great health!

  6. my Maltipoo is so fussy what he eats, I would love to top his dog food off with this. Thanks for the recipe

  7. Maybe fix this to include calcium so people don’t cause unnessary damage to their dog. Also, it is missing micronutrients. Anyhow at least fix it with the calcium requirements so people don’t hurt their dog. 🙂

    1. Jo, Actually cauliflower contains calcium. However, if you’re concerned about micronutrients, add one sardine and you’ve got the micronutrients and calcium covered. Of course, as stated in the recipe, check with your vet before introducing any new foods to your dog’s diet. 🙂

      1. My dog has cancer she won’t eat her dog Food .I now cook for her ,her red cells are also low and she has always been a picky eater but I would appreciate any help with recipes. I bought her ground turkey maybe I cooked it wrong she won’t eat it .
        She is such a good dog

        1. Diane, I understand. :(. I started cooking for my sweet boy when he cancer of the jaw. He could only eat very soft foods. You might try mashing them with a fork. I ground boneless chicken thighs in a sausage grinder along with a little liver. I then cooked it and mixed it with steamed cauliflower and baked sweet potato…all mashed together. He loved it! 🙂

          Thinking of and wishing the best for your sweet girl. They are precious!!! 🙂

  8. My dog loved this recipe! He’s usually such a picky eater, so I’m grateful to find something he really enjoys. Thanks!

  9. Our dog is allergic to most everything but ground turkey so we cook this recipe for him minus the olive oil as he is allergic to that too but we’ve been adding a product called Dynovite to it for vitamins and minerals doesn’t the recipe need these added? Also taurine for his heart. Other than that he loves his meals and always wants more.5 stars

    1. I made this recipe for our picky eating girl that has sensitive skin and stomach and she absolutely devoured it! She’s never been a big eater, ever. She loves the Merrick Salmon BUT will pick and choose when she’s going to eat and it stresses me out! She’ll go 1.5 – 2 days without eating like it’s nothing. I add some of this food mixer to her kibble with some hot water poured over it and she instantly eats, every single time. Licks the bowl clean and wants more. Makes me so happy!! This is huge for her!5 stars

  10. I have a 65 lb German Shepherd. I am browning the ground turkey, adding a carrot,sweet potatoe and then frozen peas. How much should I feed her and how many times a day?

    1. Linda, That depends solely on your German Shepard’s needs and appetite. For example, my dog weighs 50 pounds and she gets 1 1/2 cups for dinner. She eats dry food in the morning. This amount satisfies her. I would suggest starting with 2 cups and see how it goes. You can increase or decrease the amount as needed.

  11. Hi there! I have made this for my dog as a first attempt at home cooking. She loved it and we did not have any digestive issues in response, which is great. I am wanting to make sure I completely understand the recipe though so I can ensure I calculate the calorie yield and make and feed enough for my specific dog. I understand that every dog’s needs are different and what may be a good serving size for one will not be enough or could be too much for another. But can you tell me: Is the adjustable yield in the recipe in cups or oz? In example: This recipe with Yield = 8 makes 8 cooked cups of food? And the nutrition information (176kcal): Is this per 1 yield, so 1/8th of the 8 yield recipe? I feel like the calorie count for this is low, but I am not really sure since I am so new to this.

    Thanks!

    1. Shelly, The calories are for 1/8 of the entire recipe. So, 176 calories per serving (8 servings). Yes, the recipe yields approximately 8 cups. I hope this helps.

  12. I am adopting a dog who has been fed raw food and freeze dried food due to having a yeast infection from poor nutrition. The foster mother has used primal and instinct food for her. These foods are very expensive. I would like to see if there is a lot cost effective way to do this..thank you

    1. Linda, Hmmmmm…Once you have a vet, I would run these diets by him or her. I have given my rescue sweetie Nom Nom dog food and Farmer’s Dog, both a excellent subscriptions in which the food comes frozen. She got tried of both after a couple of years. Now, I cook her fresh chicken (shred it), baked sweet potato mostly, and quinoa or millet. I alternate cooked chicken with https://skinnyms.com/healthy-homemade-dog-food-mutt-loaf-recipe/. She gets Ziwi Peak dry food in the morning and a cooked meal for dinner. I give her a one a day vitamin, Pet-Tabs Original Formula Vitamin Supplement. I think dogs need a good whole grain at least once a day, that’s where, quinoa, millet, or brown rice comes in.

      I hope this helps. Best to you and your new family member. 🙂

  13. My dogs are very very fussy. They love “people food” even though I don’t feed scraps. I’m any event, my male is allergic to chicken but not Turkey. So I only feed Merrick dry food. They have a couple with no chicken. I make a food topper of cooked ground turkey, spinach and quinoa. I don’t add fat because it is only a topper and there is fat in the dry. I add about a heaping tablespoon to the kibble and a crumble a probiotic chewable (which they hate) but this topper makes them love it. Sometimes I used mixed frozen veggies instead of spinach and they love that too. Does this sound like it is a healthy addition to their diet? Their poop seems to be much better.

    1. Diane, This recipe is healthy but you’ll need to decide if it’s right for your dog. My dog loves it. 🙂

  14. I love all these recipes. I just recently had an allergy test done on my STAFFORDSHIRE, she’s allergic to chicken, beef, oat, corn, peas, tomatoes + others, grass, trees, weeds. Due to her allergies I’ll have to frankenstein the meals, but they all got me going into a better direction. She’ll be on a better diet than me. So ty for sharing recipes. You’re all awesome!!!!!

    WOLVERINE’S MOM

  15. How much do I feed my 2 dogs…one should be 8 pounds and one should be 9 pounds. They are both 2-3 pounds overweight.

    I have been feeding home made food to my doggies for about a year now. I also add pumpkin (pure pumpkin), egg whites, egg shells and baby spinach to this recipe.

    Thank you so much for your help.5 stars

    1. Portia, Try giving your dogs enough so they are satisfied but not stuffed. If your dogs have a healthy diet, they may lose the extra weight eating their normal amount. Treats can add those extra pounds! So, I would limit the treats and stick with nutritious meals.

  16. My Fur Baby is allergic to everything it seems like! Chicken, Beef and her body is full of Yeast. I have to try something else to help her out. She is constantly scratching, her poor paws are all red and swelled because of the Yeast…. And she has had problems walking around in the past 2 yrs because of arthritis and other ailments due to the wrong food.

    1. Carmen, Oh no, I’m so sorry. Have you tried a vegan diet? I do know that some dogs have severe allergies to animal products. With the proper ingredients, vegan diets can work for dogs, just like people. Dogs digest plants as well as meat. If you tried making her food, you would need to make sure it included enough protein, veggies, and some fruit and/or berries. In addition, dogs need specific vitamin and minerals. Would you like me to create a vegan dog food recipe?

  17. My lab loves this recipe. I started making it for her about a year ago. She had so many skin problems from the dry food. I’ve been mixing this one and some of the others on your site. Thank you so much!5 stars

  18. I kinda want to see the recipes before making a comment. I never tried to make my dog food but thought I would give it a try. Could I please look at the 6 recipes?

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