Does your dog give you those soulful puppy dog eyes when you eat a cheeseburger? Well, there’s no need to share–spend a few minutes and make some cheeseburger dog treats! These have no spices or condiments that are bad for your dog–just good old meat and cheese. Let’s look at two ways you can prepare this homemade treat for your dog.
Supplies for Making Cheeseburger Dog Treats
If you’ve followed DogTipper for a while, you’ve read about my love for shopping at thrift stores. On last week’s run, I scored five mini cupcake pans for a total of $2. But what to make in them?
They look like regular-sized cupcake pans in that above shot, don’t they? But side by side with my regular cupcake pans and you can see we’re talking mini here:
I came up with a dog treat recipe that’s quick to make and inexpensive, using ingredients you probably already have on hand.
NOTE: If you don’t have cupcake pans, you can also make these cheeseburger dog treats on a cookie sheet; you’ll want to leave at least a 1/2 inch between cheeseburgers.
Making the Dog Treats
The ingredients list for this treat is simple:
1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (your choice of cheese–I used Colby Jack and Cheddar)
1 egg
2 pieces toasted bread, crushed. (You can also substitute other leftover breads, unsalted crackers, cornbread, etc.)
Before you get started, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your mini cupcake pans.
The preparation of these mini-burgers literally takes minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine all your ingredients by hand and knead mixture until the bread is worked throughout the mix.
Pinch off one-inch balls of meat, roll into a ball, and drop into the greased cupcake pan, pressing lightly to pack mix into mold.
Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven.
Remove miniburgers from the cupcake pans and allow them to cool on paper towels. Cool completely before refrigerating. That’s it!
These treats will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator or freeze for longer storage.
They’re a simple treat that’s sure to fetch a lot of appreciation.
FAQ
Which kind of hamburger should I buy for dog treats?
Opt for lean ground beef (90% lean or more) or ground turkey. Fatty meats can lead to pancreatitis in dogs so for any treat it’s always good to stick with leaner offerings. If possible, choose grass-fed and organic meat.
How many treats should I give my dog?
Remember, treats should only make up about 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake. If you’re giving them a cheeseburger treat, break it into small portions and give it to them sparingly. Take into consideration your dog’s size and total daily diet.
Printable Recipe
Cheeseburger Dog Treats
Make these mini cheeseburgers for your dog in just minutes!
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (your choice of cheeses)
1 egg
2 pieces toasted bread, crushed. (You can also substitute other leftover breads, unsalted crackers, cornbreads, etc.)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease two mini muffin pans or line a cookie sheet with foil.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Pinch off a small ball of the meat and cheese mixture.
Roll mixture into a ball, and drop into the greased cupcake pan, pressing lightly to pack mix into mold. (If you don't have mini cupcake pans, drop onto cookie sheet, leaving at least 1/2 inch between cheeseburgers.)
Bake for 30 minutes.
Cool completely before serving to your dog.
Would your dog love this recipe?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest
BBQ Burgers for Dogs
Want to turn those cheeseburgers into barbecue burgers for your dog? Summer means barbecue–and fun your dog can take part in as well.
We received this recipe for Scooby BBQ Summer Sliders from Executive Chef, Marc Erhler at the pet-friendly Loews Hotels.
Ingredients
4 ounces Raw ground beef 2 ounces Rendered bacon, soft, chopped 3 slices Large button mushrooms 3 “Pupperoni” 3 Mini dog biscuits 1 tablespoon Parsley 1 teaspoon MILD BBQ sauce
Mix ground beef, chopped rendered bacon, chopped parsley. Shape into 3″ patties. Barbecue for two to three minutes on each side.
Place three patties on a rectangular plate. Garnish each with “Pupperoni” and mushroom. Top with mini dog biscuit. Drizzle the barbecue sauce on the plate.
Pin It to Remember How to Make Cheeseburger Dog Treats!
Cooks: Don’t miss our My Dog Says I’m a Great Cook™ cookbook with over 100 dog treat recipes from the publishers, readers and fans of DogTipper! This paperback book is available in our YUCKY PUPPY gift store!
Paris Permenter is the award-winning co-author, with John Bigley, of over 30 pet and travel books including The Healthy Hound Cookbook and Texas with Dogs, both available through Simon and Schuster. Paris is also a member of the Dog Writers Association of America.
