Stella and Chewy's Beef Stew: Homemade Dog Topper Recipe

This homemade beef stew is a soft, simple dog-food topper made with lean beef, sweet potato, carrots, green beans, and peas. It is inspired by the idea of a beef stew, not an official Stella & Chewy’s recipe or a nutritionally complete replacement for a commercial dog food.

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) lean beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water, or unsalted broth made without onion, garlic, or seasoning
1 cup (150 g) peeled sweet potato, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup (65 g) carrot, peeled if desired and finely diced
1/2 cup (65 g) green beans, trimmed and chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup (65 g) peas, fresh or frozen (thaw frozen peas first)

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Trim away visible, heavy fat from the beef and cut it into evenly sized cubes. Rinse and prepare the vegetables, keeping the pieces small so they soften quickly and are easy to portion. Wash your hands, knife, and cutting board after handling raw beef.
Start the beef. Put the beef in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the water or suitable unsalted broth. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat so it simmers steadily. Do not add salt, onion, garlic, bouillon, or seasoning blends; these are unnecessary for this dog topper, and onion and garlic are unsafe for dogs.
Simmer until the beef is cooked. Cover the pan loosely and simmer for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil, which can make the meat tough and cause the liquid to evaporate too quickly. Add a splash of water if the pan looks dry.
Check the meat temperature. Use a food thermometer to check several of the largest beef cubes. The USDA FSIS safe minimum for whole cuts of beef is 145°F (63°C), followed by a 3-minute rest. The pieces should reach that temperature before you proceed; if they have not, continue simmering and check again.
Cook the vegetables. After the beef has rested for 3 minutes, stir in the sweet potato, carrot, green beans, and peas. Cover the pan and simmer for about 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are soft enough to mash easily with a fork. Add a little water if needed to keep the stew moist.
Cool and portion. Remove the pan from the heat and let the stew cool for 20 minutes. Stir it and check that no hot pockets remain before serving. For smaller dogs, mash or chop the beef and vegetables into pieces suited to their size. Divide the remainder into clean, covered containers and refrigerate promptly.

Tips

Choose lean beef and trim it well. Stew meat varies in fat content, so remove large, visible pieces of fat before cooking. If the finished stew has a layer of fat on top, skim it off after cooking and cooling. Avoid using bones, which can splinter or cause choking or injury.
Use water if you cannot verify the broth ingredients. Many packaged broths contain onion, garlic, salt, or other seasonings. Water makes a perfectly practical cooking liquid here. If using broth, read the full ingredient label and choose one without those additions.
Keep the pieces small and soft. Vegetable size affects how long they take to cook. Dice them fairly evenly, and test the sweet potato and carrot with a fork before turning off the heat. Mash the stew for a dog that needs a softer texture, while still allowing it to cool completely before serving.
Serve it as a topper, not a complete diet. This recipe has not been formulated to meet a dog’s full nutrient needs. Use it as an occasional addition to a complete dog food, and ask your veterinarian how it fits your dog’s portions, age, and dietary needs. It may not suit a dog on a prescribed diet or one with ingredient sensitivities.

Serving Suggestions

Once the stew has cooled, spoon a modest amount over your dog’s usual complete food or serve a small portion on its own as an occasional treat. The yield is about 4 cups, or roughly eight 1/2-cup portions, but that is a recipe yield rather than a recommended serving for every dog. A dog’s suitable portion depends on its size, usual food, activity, and individual needs, so introduce any new food in a small amount and check with your veterinarian if you are unsure.

For a smaller dog, mash the vegetables and cut the beef into very small pieces before measuring a portion. For a larger dog, keep the pieces manageable rather than leaving oversized chunks. Serve the stew at room temperature or just slightly warm, never hot. Do not leave a bowl of stew sitting out for an extended period; discard food that has been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Variations

Swap the vegetables thoughtfully. You can replace the green beans with an equal amount of chopped zucchini, or replace the peas with extra green beans. Keep the total vegetable amount close to the original so the stew remains moist without becoming mostly vegetables. Avoid onion, garlic, leeks, chives, and seasoning mixes, and do not add grapes, raisins, or chocolate.

Use a different lean meat. Boneless, skinless chicken or turkey can stand in for the beef, but poultry must reach 165°F (74°C) according to USDA FSIS guidance. Pork can be used only if it is plain and cooked thoroughly; use a thermometer and follow the safe minimum for the cut. Changing the meat changes the flavor and may change whether the recipe suits your dog, so do not assume a substitution is appropriate for a dog with food restrictions.

Make the texture smoother. Mash the cooked vegetables with a fork and shred or finely chop the beef after cooking. Add a spoonful of the cooking liquid if the mixture needs loosening. Avoid blending the stew while it is steaming hot, and check carefully for any large pieces before serving.

Keep the recipe plain. This is not a place for salt, pepper, sauces, wine, stock cubes, or human stew seasoning. Those additions are not needed to make a palatable topper, and some may contain ingredients unsuitable for dogs. If you want a stronger flavor for people, season a separate human portion after removing it from the pan rather than seasoning the whole batch.

Storage and Reheating

Transfer the stew to shallow, clean containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. Keep it covered and use it within 3 to 4 days. Smaller containers cool more quickly than one deep pot; do not leave the stew on the counter until it reaches room temperature before refrigerating. Label containers with the cooking date so you can keep track of the storage window.

To freeze, divide the cooled stew into meal-sized portions in freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. Thaw a portion overnight in the refrigerator, not on the counter, and use it within 3 to 4 days after thawing. Discard any portion that smells off, has an unusual appearance, or has been stored outside safe time limits.

Reheat only the portion you plan to serve. Warm it on the stove or in a microwave-safe dish, stirring well so it heats evenly. USDA FSIS guidance says cooked leftovers should be reheated to 165°F (74°C); check the temperature with a food thermometer. Let the portion cool to a safe serving temperature before offering it, and do not repeatedly warm and cool the whole batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an official Stella & Chewy’s beef stew recipe?

No. This is a homemade dog-food topper and is not an official Stella & Chewy’s formula or a copy of a specific product. Commercial pet foods are formulated differently, and this simple stew should not be treated as equivalent to a complete commercial diet.

Can I feed this stew as my dog’s whole meal every day?

Do not use this recipe as a complete daily diet without guidance from a veterinarian or a veterinary nutrition professional. It does not provide a verified balance of all nutrients a dog needs. If your dog eats a prescribed or therapeutic food, ask the veterinarian who recommended it before adding a topper.

Can I use frozen vegetables?

Yes. Plain frozen peas and green beans are convenient; thaw them before measuring so the quantities are consistent. They do not need extra salt or sauce. Add them with the other vegetables and cook until tender. Avoid frozen vegetable mixes that include onion, garlic, or seasoning.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

You can adapt the method, but slow cookers vary, so timing is not identical from one model to another. Add the beef and liquid first and cook until the largest pieces reach the safe temperature and are tender, then add the vegetables near the end so they do not turn to mush. Use a food thermometer rather than relying only on the appliance’s timer.

What broth is safe to use?

Water is the simplest option. If you choose broth, inspect the ingredient list and use an unsalted product with no onion, garlic, leek, chive, or seasoning blend. “Low sodium” alone does not mean a broth is suitable if it contains those ingredients.

How much should I add to my dog’s food?

There is no single portion that fits every dog. Begin with a small spoonful mixed into the usual food, and consider the stew part of the overall amount your dog eats rather than an extra unlimited snack. For a specific portion recommendation, especially for a puppy, a senior dog, or a dog with dietary restrictions, ask your veterinarian.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).

Stella and Chewy’s Beef Stew: Homemade Dog Topper Recipe