DIY Farmer’s Dog Food Instant Pot Recipe Ideas

Fresh, gently cooked dog food has become one of the biggest shifts in how people feed their dogs, and a lot of that shift traces back to subscription services like The Farmer’s Dog. The appeal makes sense.

Real ingredients, visible recipes, and meals that actually look like something a person would eat.

The price tag, though, adds up fast, and that is usually the point where people start wondering if they can make something similar at home.

The Instant Pot turns out to be the easiest way to get there. It cooks meat and vegetables gently and evenly, locks in moisture, and takes most of the guesswork out of timing.

This post walks through one complete Instant Pot recipe built to copy that fresh, whole food style, a chicken and vegetable meal that comes together in under an hour with minimal hands on effort.

If you want to explore more Farmer’s Dog inspired ideas afterward, my full Farmer’s Dog copycat recipes guide has several additional variations to build a rotation from.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Always consult your veterinarian before introducing homemade meals or changing your dog’s diet.

Amazon Shopping List You Need

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (Multi-Use Cooker)
• Digital Kitchen Food Scale
• Glass Meal Prep Containers with Lids
• Stainless Steel Dog Food Bowls
• Airtight Dog Food Storage Container
• Silicone Freezer Portion Trays
• Dog Multivitamin Supplement Powder

Why the Instant Pot Works So Well for This

Fresh dog food companies lean heavily on gentle cooking methods that preserve nutrients while still making ingredients safe and easy to digest.

A pressure cooker does exactly that. It cooks chicken through fully without drying it out, softens vegetables just enough to make them digestible, and does all of it in one pot with very little cleanup.

It also solves the batch cooking problem. One cook session in the Instant Pot can realistically produce close to a week of meals, which is the same convenience that makes subscription fresh food appealing in the first place, just without the recurring cost.

If you are just getting started with fresh feeding in general, my simple homemade dog food recipes for beginners section covers the basics of building a nutritionally sound rotation before committing to it as an everyday diet.

A Quick Note on Nutritional Balance

Before getting into the recipe, it’s worth being upfront about something. A single homemade recipe, however well balanced it looks on paper, is not automatically a complete and balanced diet the way a properly formulated commercial food is.

Dogs need specific ratios of protein, fat, calcium, and other nutrients over time, not just in one meal.

If homemade food is going to become your dog’s everyday diet rather than an occasional addition, it is worth working with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist to check that your rotation covers everything your dog needs long term.

This recipe is a great starting point and a genuinely healthy meal, but treat it as one part of a bigger, vet reviewed picture rather than a finished nutritional plan on its own.

Ingredients You’ll Need

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs 2 cups carrots, chopped 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped 1 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced 2 cups low sodium chicken broth, no onion or garlic 1 tablespoon fish oil, added after cooking 1 teaspoon ground eggshell, finely powdered, for calcium

Chicken thighs are the better choice here over breast meat, since they hold more moisture through the pressure cooking process and stay tender rather than becoming dry and stringy.

Carrots and sweet potato add fiber and beta carotene, peas contribute plant based protein and additional fiber, and spinach adds iron and a range of vitamins, though it is added at the very end so it doesn’t overcook into mush.

Fish oil is stirred in after cooking rather than during, since heat can break down some of its beneficial omega 3 content.

The ground eggshell is included because muscle meat and vegetables alone don’t provide enough calcium for a dog eating this kind of meal regularly, and it is one of the simplest, most affordable ways to close that gap.

How to Make It: Step by Step

Step 1. Add the chicken and broth. Place the chicken thighs into the Instant Pot and pour in the chicken broth.

Step 2. Add the harder vegetables. Add the carrots and sweet potato on top of the chicken. These take longer to soften, so they go in from the start.

Step 3. Pressure cook. Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 12 minutes. Once finished, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes before opening the valve to release any remaining pressure.

Step 4. Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken thighs and shred them with two forks directly in a bowl, or on a cutting board if you prefer more control.

Step 5. Add the quick cooking ingredients. Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting, or simply stir the peas and spinach into the hot broth and vegetables still in the pot. The residual heat will cook the peas through and gently wilt the spinach within a couple of minutes.

Step 6. Combine everything. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir everything together until evenly combined.

Step 7. Add the finishing touches. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the fish oil and ground eggshell.

Step 8. Cool and portion. Allow the full mixture to cool to room temperature before dividing it into meal sized portions based on your dog’s size and daily calorie needs.

Step 9. Serve or store. Serve a portion right away, or refrigerate and freeze the rest for later use.

Storage and Feeding Tips

Refrigerate portions in an airtight container for up to four days, or freeze individual servings for up to three months.

Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator, and warm gently before serving if your dog prefers food closer to room temperature rather than cold from the fridge.

Portion sizes vary quite a bit depending on your dog’s weight, age, and activity level, so it is worth using a calorie calculator specific to your dog or checking with your veterinarian for a precise daily amount rather than guessing.

As a very general starting point, many adult dogs need somewhere around 25 to 30 calories per pound of body weight each day, split across one or two meals, though active or working dogs often need more.

Easy Ways to Change This Recipe Up

Swap the protein. Ground turkey works well in place of chicken thighs if you want to rotate proteins, and pairs nicely with the approach used in my instant pot turkey dog food recipe, which walks through a turkey focused version of this same basic method.

Scale it up for bigger dogs. If you’re feeding a larger breed, my homemade dog food recipes for large dogs guide has portion and ingredient scaling tips worth reading alongside this recipe.

Add more variety day to day. Rotating in different vegetables, like green beans or zucchini, keeps meals interesting. My green bean crunchies for dogs recipe is a great crunchy side or topper to pair with this meal.

Round things out with a treat. If you want to build a full day of homemade feeding, my peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats recipe makes a good occasional reward alongside meals like this one.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping the calcium source. Muscle meat and vegetables alone are not a complete meal without a reliable calcium source added consistently. Using seasoned or store bought broth with onion or garlic.

Both are toxic to dogs, so always check the label carefully. Overcooking the spinach. Adding it too early turns it mushy and reduces its nutritional value, so it should go in near the very end.

Serving portions that are too large or too small. Take the time to calculate an appropriate daily amount for your dog’s size rather than estimating.

Treating this as a fully balanced long term diet without professional input. It’s a genuinely healthy homemade meal, but ongoing use should be reviewed with your vet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a slow cooker instead of an Instant Pot? Yes, though cooking times will be longer, typically around 4 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low, since a slow cooker doesn’t use pressure the way an Instant Pot does.

Is this recipe safe for puppies? Puppies have different, often higher, nutritional needs than adult dogs. Talk to your veterinarian about appropriate portions and any adjustments before feeding this to a puppy.

How is this different from what The Farmer’s Dog actually sends? Commercial fresh food companies work with veterinary nutritionists to formulate recipes that meet specific nutritional standards over time.

This homemade version follows a similar whole food philosophy, but for regular long term feeding, it’s worth having your own rotation reviewed by a professional.

Can I add rice or another grain? Yes, a small amount of cooked white or brown rice can be added if your dog tolerates grains well and you want a bit more bulk in the meal.

My dog isn’t interested, what should I try? Warm the portion slightly, or stir in a spoonful of extra broth right before serving to boost the aroma, which often makes a bigger difference than people expect.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a subscription box to give your dog fresh, whole food style meals.

This Instant Pot chicken and vegetable recipe delivers that same gently cooked, real ingredient approach for a fraction of the cost, and it gives you a solid foundation to build a full rotation from as you explore other proteins and vegetable combinations.

Start here, check in with your vet about making it a regular part of your dog’s diet, and use it as your entry point into the other homemade recipes linked throughout this post.