The meatball goes back to ancient times.It is not known who the first person was to make a meatball but what is known is that people in ancient China, Rome, and Greece enjoyed them. It is also not known who the first person was to give a meatball to a dog.
But once they did, dogs were hooked on the delicious meal ingredient. It is safe to feed meatballs to dogs if you make them right. Plus, these delicious little food items are very easy to make.
Even if that meatball is the largest one made in the world at 1757 pounds.
Is it ok for your dog to eat meatloaf? Check out our post “Can Dogs Eat Meatloaf?” to learn more.
Ground Beef Meatballs for Dogs
This is the go-to meat for any meatball. You can get creative and use ground turkey, chicken or even lamb but ground beef is the meat most people select. That is because it goes with just about any food item you like.
Plus, you do not have to buy ground beef to make this type of meatball. You can buy flank steak, sirloin cuts, and more than put them through your grinder to make those higher-class cuts of ground beef.
There are a lot of options available to you even if you are making the meatballs for your dog.
How To Make Meatballs for Your Dog
Every recipe for this task has a couple of things in common. Number one, the meatballs are made without any seasoning at all. While there may be some seasoning that is healthy for your pet, most spices are not.
It is best to leave the seasoning for your human family and spare your dog any discomfort or toxic ingredients. The second thing all these recipes have in common is that there are no onions, pieces of garlic, or other vegetables that are toxic to your dog.
Other than that, you are free to make those meatballs in just about any way you can imagine. Your dog won’t complain if you make plain Jane varieties as they are usually happy to just get the beef.
But add in vegetables, eggs, and other safe ingredients to provide a well-balanced dinner.
We all know dogs can eat beef and chicken, but what kind of ground meats can dogs eat? Check out our post “What Ground Meats Can Dogs Eat?” to learn more.
Can Your Dog Eat a Subway Meatball?
That sandwich company does make a meatball sandwich. While it is made of ground beef, the beef content may be too low, and the other ingredients may not be healthy for your pet.
That Subway meatball provides almost 1000 calories, far too much for a small or medium-size dog. Then only 18% of the total nutrition is protein. Fats are at 18% and carbs are registering at 49%.
Also, the ingredients may cause you to hesitate to feed those Subway meatballs to your pet. These meatballs contain lots of water, soy dehydrated onions, and garlic. Not the best ingredients for your dog.
It would be wise not to share your Subway meatballs with your dog.
Some Easy-To-Make Meatballs for Dogs
No matter who you make them for, meatballs are one of the easiest food items to make. Here are a few recipes to prove that statement true:
Carrot Meatballs
Carrot Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2/3 Cup Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 Cup Chopped or Shredded Carrots
Instructions
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
2. Form the meatballs and make them any size you want
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs
Notes
Thanks to Gone to the Snow Dogs for this great recipe!
Beef & Rice Meatballs
Beef & Rice Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Ground Beef
- 1 Cup Dry Brown Rice
- Mixed Vegetables (Cooked)
- 2 Raw Eggs
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix all the ingredients together, crack the eggs and mix them into the mixture
3. Shape the mixture into meatballs
4. Bake till done
Turkey & Broccoli Meatballs
Turkey & Broccoli Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
- 3/4 cup cooked broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped oregano
- Butter
Instructions
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl first
2. Turn the mixture into meatballs (should make between 10 & 20)
3. fry the meatballs in butter in a pan over a medium heat
Notes
If you want, you can use pork, chicken, beef, a lamb for the meat and cauliflower instead of broccoli
Magic Meatball Recipe for Dogs
Magic Meatballs for Dogs
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Hamburger Meat (85%lean–can use sausage-like meat of any kind that is unspiced, so allergic dogs can have lamb, turkey etc.) You can also use a 3:2 muscle meat to organ meat recipe, but the livers, etc. must be ground
- 1 lg box Total Cereal (any complete dry boxed cereal).
- 1 lg. box Oatmeal (rolled quick oats are fine, otherwise cook first).
- 1 jar Wheat Germ
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Unsulfured Molasses
- 12 Eggs
- 2 boxes/ 8 envelopes Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 pinch Garlic powder or pinch of garlic salt.
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Beat eggs, add in molasses & oil, & stir into dry.
- Knead the raw meat into the mixture to distribute it evenly. (Wash hands, etc. after handling raw meat, etc.)
- Roll into balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.
- Can freeze extra & thaw as needed.
Turkey Meatballs for Dogs
Turkey Meatballs for Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
- 3/4 cup cooked broccoli, chopped
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Roll into large meatballs, there should be enough for between 10-20. All depends on the size of your dog.
- Fry them in a pan with butter on medium heat until done.
Notes
Try ground chicken, lamb, beef, or pork! Change out the chopped cooked veggie for cauliflower. You can even use long grain rice instead of brown rice.
Homemade Dog Meatballs with Cheese
Homemade Dog Meatballs with Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef -I use 95/5
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2/3 cup Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 cup Chopped or Shredded Carrots
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together all of your ingredients. Everything should stick together very nicely. Now form your meatballs. As I said, you can do these any size you want depending on the size of your dog. I like to make mine about 1 inch sized balls.
- Place your meatballs on your cookie sheet. I used non-stick aluminum foil, but you can also just spray your cookie sheet as well. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Again, the time depends on the size of your meatballs. If you made smaller ones, do a bit less time, if they are larger, cook a bit longer. And that's it! A very easy, diy dog treat, that your dogs are going to love!
Some Final Words
Making meatballs will not be stressful or that time-consuming. It is a great way to keep your dog interested in their daily meals. The key is to not feed your dog too many at one time.
You still need to make sure they do not eat too much and get fat. Everything in moderation to have a healthy pet.
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Please note: We are not veterinarians and you use our advice at your own discretion. We always recommend that you consult your veterinarian whenever you have health-related conditions your furbaby is facing. With that in mind, as pet parents ourselves, we wish nothing but the best for your pet and their healthy and happy lives.