7 Easy Summer Barbecue Recipes Both You and Your Dog Can Eat

Enjoying a weekend barbecue with your pup is a lot of fun.

Dogs often end up eating the food at the barbecues too.

Sometimes it’s unintentional – they steal food out of the garbage or manage to snag it off of the table.

Sometimes it’s quasi-intentional – you don’t intend for your dog to eat the people food at the barbecue but Uncle Joe, or one of your friends, just can’t help sneak fido some snacks.

I like to host barbecues where there is food that both people and dogs can eat.

I usually set up a separate table and let my guests know that anything on that table is safe for dogs.

When it comes time to eat, I will make my dogs a little plate of food so they can eat next to us at the table (on the ground).

There are a lot of typical barbecue foods that your dog can eat.

They can have celery and carrots (without dressing) from the veggie tray, sliced watermelon or cantaloupe (without seeds or rind), cheese, or an unseasoned hamburger patty or chicken breast.

But there are also some foods commonly found at barbecues and yard parties that are toxic to dogs.

In this article, I make some suggestions for dog friendly snacks you can make as well as list the foods your dog definitely should not eat.

Dog Friendly Recipes

Hike and Hound 3

I keep a list of easy food and treat recipes that both humans and dogs can eat to provide at barbecues.

I put little cards in front of the plates stating which foods are both for people and dogs.

Here are 5 of my favorite recipes:

  1. Dipped Strawberries With Toasted Coconut Honey Oats – a great desert treat that you can share with your pup. Be sure to remove the sticks before you give it to your dog so they don’t eat the wood splinters.
  2. Healthy gluten free chip and dip alternatives are Strawberry Chips With Banana Dip (I like to add a bit of dates to the banana dip to sweeten it up a bit) or Banana Chips with Peanut Butter ( I prefer to use greener bananas).
  3. Homemade Energy Bars – These yummy bars are good for both the back yard AND the trail. They’re almost like a desert cookie.
  4. No Mayo Healthy Chicken Salad – This dairy free chicken salad is almost as tasty as the fat-ridden mayo kind.
  5. Turkey Meatballs With Cranberry Mustard Dipping Sauce – These appetizers are easy to make and pack a strong flavor punch.
  6. Apple Peanut Butter Rings with Granola – these are crunchy and sweet and take zero cooking.
  7. Grilled Sweet Potatoes With Lemon and Dill – These are a great side dish if you are barbecuing salmon or another kind of fish.

Foods Your Dog Should Not Eat

Toxic Crop

There are several foods typically found at a barbecue that should be kept away from your dog because they are toxic or harmful.

If these foods are at the barbecue, you should let your friends know that you dog absolutely cannot have these (another reason I love to bring them stuff my dog CAN have so I can direct them over there).

You should never let your dog have:

  • Alcohol
  • Caffeine (tea, cola, etc)
  • Onions
  • Grapes and raisins (beware of what is in salads – read this scary story about raisin poisoning)
  • Chocolate
  • Fruit pits and large seeds
  • Raw fish
  • Bones
  • gum

Read more: foods that are poisonous to your dog.

Can dogs eat barbecue sauce?

I’m calling out this specific food because, well, my article is about enjoying a BBQ with your dog.

Sadly though, although there are some barbecue fare items your dog can eat, barbecue sauce is not one of them.

Barbecue sauce is bad for dogs because it may contain ingredients that are unsafe for dogs to consume line onion, sugar, and spices that may be toxic.

Note: If you suspect your dog has eaten something poisonous, please contact your veterinarian or the Pet Poison Helpline (an $85 fee may apply).

Final Thoughts

It can be really fun to include your dog in a summer barbecue.

For next-level fun, consider hosting a barbecue just for your dog-loving friends and their pups!

Your guests will want to sneak the dogs some treats (I mean, expecting everyone to ignore the sweet, pleading eyes is a bit cruel, no?) so be sure to have some dog friendly snacks on hand.

It’s best if you let your dog know what they are allowed to feed dogs when they arrive and label any items that are safe for dogs as such.

You may also want to consider posting signs reminding your guests which foods are toxic to dogs and should not be given.

Have a safe and happy summer!

7 Easy Summer Barbecue Recipes Both You and Your Dog Can Eat

About the Author

Hi, I’m Jessica. I’ve been studying the Dachshund breed since 2007, owned 3 of my own, and shared in the lives of thousands of others through their owner’s stories. When I’m not sharing what I know on this blog, you can find me hiking, camping, and traveling with my adventurous wiener dogs.

5 Comments

  1. Mmm this is making me hungry! Especially the sweet potato one. Great idea btw. Dogs are popular guests at bbq’s.

  2. My dogs agree with Bunny…Steak, burgers, hot dogs!!! But they probably need to experience more of a variety than just what they would choose. Thanks for the ideas.

  3. Thanks for these! Since our new house has a pool and big backyard, we can actually host events in the summer! We close on our house 6/30 and my brother will be on leave from the Army in July, so it will be perfect timing. I’ll be making some of these for our pool party when my bro is home!

    1. I saw your pool. I would say I’m jealous but it only gets in the 70s about 3 months out of the year here 🙂

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