Best Homemade Meatloaf For Dogs Recipe - Spoiled Hounds (2024)

Homemade meatloaf for dogs with healthy ingredients like lean ground beef, a medley of colorful vegetables, and a sprinkle of beneficial herbs, offers an aromatic fusion that will have your canine companion’s taste buds doing the happy dance.

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Why Make Dog Meatloaf

Dog owners are always looking for healthy food and treats for their furry family members. We love them, so we want them to enjoy their meals and snacks.

Human meatloaf has harmful ingredients such as onions, tomato sauce, and salt. That’s why the best thing is to make food and treats for dogs instead of giving them human foods.

Store-bought meatloaf (canned commercial dog food) has extra ingredients like artificial flavors, artificial colors, and preservatives. Homemade dog food can be made with simple, wholesome ingredients and none of that mystery stuff.

Thankfully, this is one of the easiest and healthiest meatloaves you can share with your dog. It’s made with real meat and vegetables and a nice change of pace.

Why This is the Best Meatloaf Recipe for Dogs

This will be one of your favorite dog meatloaf recipes because it’s basically a good homemade meatloaf made with dog-safe ingredients.

It’s so fun to make homemade meals for your furry friend. This one smells so delicious as it bakes that you might forget that it is your dog’s meal! And if you have a picky pup, you can easily add to or swap out ingredients for different flavors. See the ingredient notes below.

​Plus, you can see the whole chunks of sweet potatoes and veggies in the cooked meat. It’s a really healthy way to give your dog their dinner.

Dog Meatloaf Ingredients

The entire ingredient list, quantities of each, and the step-by-step directions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

This simple dog meatloaf is made with common ingredients you can find at any grocery store. If you want to make organic meatloaf you’ll need to use organic ingredients.

First, I want to share some additional information about the ingredients I used in this easy dog meatloaf recipe:

• Lean Ground Beef is a great protein source and is loaded with vitamin B.
• Eggs are a binder for meatloaf and add extra protein.
• Oats are a great source of vitamins and other healthy nutrients plus fiber.
• Sweet Potatoes are a healthy vegetable loaded with beta-carotene and fiber.
• Peas add protein, fiber, and minerals (iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc).
• Parsley adds flavor, vitamins, and minerals, and is a natural breath freshener. Be sure to use curly parsley and do not use Italian flat leaf parsley.

Ingredient Notes, Substitutions, and Additions

It’s easy to customize this meatloaf recipe to meet your dog’s specific nutritional needs or tastes. Here are some great options:

• You can use other lean meats such as ground turkey, ground chicken, ground lamb, or ground venison. Lean meat is best, especially for dogs with certain health issues such as pancreatitis or gastrointestinal problems.
• You can also substitute up to half of the ground beef with beef heart or liver.
• You can substitute any dog-safe fresh vegetables for peas and sweet potatoes. Green beans and broccoli are great choices.
• You can substitute or add any dog-safe herbs for the parsley.
• Add a little cheese, about ¼ cup of low fat cheddar, parmesan, or cottage cheese.
• Add some brown rice, about ½ cup.
• Add some cooked or uncooked pasta, from ¼ to ½ cup.
• Add up to ¼ cup of flaxseed meal or wheat germ for extra fiber.

Equipment Needed

You probably have all the equipment needed for making this dog meatloaf recipe. Just in case, here are a few of the important ones:

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Mini Loaf Pans

How to Make Meatloaf for Dogs

These are the recipe steps and photos of the process of making the meatloaf. You can bake the loaves in the oven or air fry them. I hope they help you make this healthy meatloaf for dogs recipe!

You can scroll down to the bottom of this article for a printable recipe card.

Oven Method

1. Place the ground beef and eggs in a large bowl.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.
3. Combine everything together.

4. Divide the ground meat mixture evenly into 3 greased mini loaf pans.
5. Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes, or until the internal temp is 160°F.
6. Place the baked loaves on a wire rack. Cool them to room temperature.

Air Fryer Method

1. Prepare the raw meatloaf mixture like you would for the oven method.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F.
3. Shape the meatloaf mixture into 2 or 3 loaves.
4. Place the meatloaves in the air fryer basket with space between them, or air fry them individually.
5. Air fry for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160°F. Check the internal temp after 20 minutes, using an instant-read or meat thermometer.

Recipe Variation – Meatloaf Cake for Dogs

Transform this meatloaf into a birthday cake simply by adding mashed potatoes on top as the icing. It can be regular mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes.

Remember to make the mashed potatoes without butter, milk, or seasonings. You can use a little plain Greek yogurt to mix with the potatoes for a smoother consistency.

You can also make meat cupcakes for dogs using a cupcake pan instead of loaf pans. Fill the cups 3/4 full and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160°F.

Serving Size

How much meatloaf should you give your dog? It depends on your dog’s size. Smaller dogs need less than larger dogs. A serving could range from a small slice to a whole loaf.

It’s always a good idea to start with small pieces when giving your dog any new foods or treats. Watch for any adverse reactions.

Maintaining a dog’s healthy weight is very important. Keep that in mind when feeding your dog either food or treats.

How to Store Dog Meatloaf

Store meatloaf in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator. It will last up to 4 days.

You can freeze it for longer storage and later use. Wrap the meatloaf with plastic wrap and then either a layer of aluminum foil or place the plastic-wrapped loaf in a plastic freezer bag.

Frozen meatloaf will last up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.

Can humans eat homemade meatloaf for dogs?

Yes, absolutely! They are yummy. Just note that folks would want them seasoned a bit with salt and pepper.

More Meaty Dog Recipes

Want to make more good stuff for your dog? Check these out:

• Bacon Dog Treats
• Chicken Pot Pie for Dogs
• Liver Dog Treats
• Meatballs for Dogs
• Chicken Pizza for Dogs
• Salmon Dog Treats

Not in the mood for making homemade dog treats? Check out myfavorite dog treatson myAmazon dog treatslist.

Find lots ofeasy dog treats recipeshere on Spoiled Hounds!