How To Make a Dog-Safe BBQ Plate

When building your dog’s BBQ plate, keep it simple. Stick to whole foods without seasoning, sauces, or added fats so they’re gentle on your pup’s stomach.  

Some seasonings may contain toxic ingredients like garlic or xylitol, which can be fatal to dogs, so it is best to avoid all of them just to be safe.

Here are a few dog-safe options to get you started:

• Chicken: Keep it boneless, skinless, and cooked plain; cut it into small pieces
• Lean beef: Well-cooked, without seasoning, and trimmed of fat; cut it into small pieces
• Turkey: Boneless, skinless, and cooked plain; avoid deli meats

• Bell peppers: Remove the seeds and avoid seasoning; thinly slice or dice them
• Carrots: Steam or finely chop them for easier chewing
• Green beans: Plain, steamed, or cooked; cut them into small pieces
• Corn: Never give your dog the cob, which is a choking hazard; remove the kernels and serve plain
• Sweet potatoes: Serve plain, no butter or seasoning; cut them into small pieces
• Zucchini: Grilled or steamed, no oil; dice them

• Apples: No seeds or core; thin slices or small cubes
• Blueberries: Serve whole for larger dogs; mash for small dogs
• Strawberries: Sliced or chopped; remove the tops
• Watermelon: Seedless, rind removed; cut into small cubes

Not everything on the grill is fair game for your pup—even BBQ classics that seem harmless. 

Here’s what to skip:

• BBQ sauce and marinades: They contain sugar, salt, onion, and garlic, all which can be toxic to dogs.
• Cooked bones: These can splinter and cause injury or perforation.
• Grapes and raisins: They can cause serious kidney damage in canines.
• Onions and garlic: Both are toxic to dogs.
• Fatty meats: Fatty meats can cause digestive upset or pancreatitis.

When in doubt, keep the food off your dog’s plate.

Putting together your dog’s BBQ plate doesn’t have to be a mystery—just follow these simple steps:

1. Keep it plain: Skip seasoning, sauces, and marinades.
2. Remove bones, seeds, and pits.
3. Cut food into small, bite-size pieces.
4. Serve small portions.

Looking for inspiration? These simple combos make it easy to build a balanced, dog-friendly plate with flavors your pup will love.

Aim for small, bite-size pieces and keep portions light. You can mix and match based on what you have on hand:

• Mini Burger Bowl: Unseasoned lean beef, sweet potato, green beans
• Chicken and Veggie Mix: Unseasoned chicken, zucchini, carrots
• Summer Fruit Plate: Watermelon pieces with no rind, blueberries, strawberries with tops removed

Want to get even more creative? Try one of these fun, dog-safe BBQ-inspired recipes:

• Make your dog their very own BBQ sauce.
• Skewer up something special with these pet-safe kabobs.
• Serve up a festive treat with these Fourth of July hot dog treats.
• Cool things down with these DIY frozen pupsicle treats for dogs.

Keep portions small—this is a treat, not a full meal.

Treats should never make up more than 10% of your dog’s daily calories, with the rest coming from a complete and balanced diet.

Start with a few small pieces, especially if it’s your dog’s first time trying these foods, and adjust based on their size.

• Small dogs: One piece of fruit, 1-inch cube of cooked sweet potato, 1/2 tablespoon of ground beef, or a nickel-sized piece of plain chicken
• Medium dogs: Two to three pieces of fruit; two to three 1-inch cubes of cooked sweet potato; one quarter of a plain, cooked hamburger patty or two 1-inch cubes of chicken
• Large dogs: Three to four pieces of fruit; three to four 1-inch cubes of cooked sweet potato; half of a plain, cooked hamburger patty or half of a plain, boiled chicken breast

Also keep a few safety basics in mind:

• Introduce new foods slowly.
• Watch for signs of digestive upset, such as:
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Loss of appetite
• Keep skewers, corn cobs, and other BBQ hazards out of reach.

After the BBQ wraps up, pack any dog-safe leftovers into a storage container and pop them in the fridge—they’ll keep for up to three to four days.

And if you’re fresh out of leftovers, don’t worry. There are other dog-safe, BBQ-inspired store-bought treats you can have at the ready to keep your pup happy.

Is it safe for dogs to eat BBQ? 

No, it’s not safe for dogs to eat most items at a BBQ. They may have seasonings that are toxic to dogs or can be a choking hazard.

What can dogs eat at a BBQ?

Many dogs can have very small amounts of lean, unseasoned meats or dog-safe unseasoned veggies. Check with your vet before giving your dog any new foods.