🇬🇷 Greek Kitchen  |  Cook Once. Two Bowls.

Greek Lemon Chicken
Kotopoulo Lemonato

Slow-cooked chicken with potatoes, green beans and fresh parsley. Make it for yourself — your dog eats the exact same base. You just add the lemon, garlic and salt to your own bowl afterward.

Greek lemon chicken with potatoes and herbs
8Whole-Food Ingredients
60 minTotal Cook Time
4 SizesSmall → Giant
0Separate Dog Recipes

🐾 One Cook. Two Dinners. That's It.

Cooking for your dog shouldn't be difficult, complex or time consuming. You're already making dinner for yourself — so make this for your dog at the exact same time. The only difference is two minutes at the end of cooking. Scoop your dog's bowl before you add the lemon, garlic, oregano and salt. That's the entire "dog food recipe" right there. One pot, one shopping list, one cleanup.

🧑‍🍳

Your Greek Lemon Chicken — add these

  • Juice of 1½ lemons
  • 3–4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Extra drizzle of olive oil
  • Fresh parsley and lemon wedges to serve
  • Crusty bread on the side
🐾

Your Dog's Bowl — keep it plain

  • Chicken, potato and green beans from the pot
  • No lemon — citric acid irritates dogs
  • No garlic — toxic to dogs
  • No oregano in quantity — can cause GI upset
  • No salt — unnecessary and hard on kidneys
  • Cool fully, then stir in eggshell calcium
  • Stir in salmon oil cold — never when warm

Is This Recipe Right for Your Breed?

This recipe works well for most healthy adult dogs — but a few specific breeds need one small adjustment. Check below before serving.

✅ Suitable for most breeds

The vast majority of healthy adult dogs can enjoy this recipe exactly as written — including German Shepherds, Border Collies, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, Bulldogs, Rottweilers, Beagles, Shih Tzus, Poodles, Pugs, Dachshunds, Jack Russells and most mixed breeds. The ingredient list is clean and simple.

⚠️ One small adjustment
  • Miniature Schnauzers, Cocker Spaniels, Yorkshire Terriers — these breeds are prone to pancreatitis. Swap chicken thighs for chicken breast and reduce olive oil to ½ tsp per serving.
  • Overweight dogs of any breed — use chicken breast instead of thighs and increase the green bean portion.
  • Giant deep-chested breeds (Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Weimaraner) — split into two smaller meals per day rather than one. Rest your dog for 45 minutes before and after eating.
❌ Not recommended

Dogs with confirmed chicken allergy — signs include chronic skin itching, ear infections, paw licking and loose stools. Substitute with turkey or rabbit as an alternative lean protein.

Puppies under 6 months — this recipe is designed for adult dogs. Puppies need significantly different calcium, protein and calorie ratios for safe bone development.

🍗

Complete Protein

Chicken thighs deliver all essential amino acids for muscle, coat and immune function

🥔

Sustained Energy

Potato provides slow-release complex carbs — stable blood sugar without spikes

💚

Vitamin K & Folate

Green beans and parsley together provide vitamin K, C and folate for blood and cell health

🫚

Anti-Inflammatory Fat

Olive oil's oleic acid reduces inflammation and helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins A and K

🦴

Calcium Balanced

Eggshell powder corrects the Ca:P imbalance caused by meat-heavy meals

🐟

Omega-3 Cold

Salmon oil added after cooling delivers DHA and EPA — the omega-3s chicken can't provide

How Much to Feed — By Dog Size

Based on feeding ~2–2.5% of body weight daily. Adjust for your dog's activity level and current condition. If feeding twice a day, split these amounts in half per meal.

🐩 Small (5–10 kg)
🐕 Medium (10–20 kg)
🦮 Large (20–35 kg)
🐘 Giant (35 kg+)
IngredientAmountNotes
🍗 Protein
Chicken thigh (cooked, boneless, skinless)70gShred or dice small — easy to eat
🥔 Carbohydrate
Potato (cooked, peeled, mashed or cubed)45gPlain — no butter, no salt, no milk
🫘 Vegetables
Green beans (cooked, trimmed)30gSoft from the simmer — vitamin K, C
🌿 Flavour & Fat
Olive oil½ tspStir in — oleic acid, helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins
Fresh parsley (chopped)1 small pinchVitamin K, C, natural breath freshener
💊 Supplements (add cold)
Eggshell calcium powder¼ tspStir in cold — corrects Ca:P ratio
Salmon or sardine oil COLD½ tspAdd after fully cooled — never heat

Total: ~150–160g per day. Small breeds do well split into two meals (75–80g each).

IngredientAmountNotes
🍗 Protein
Chicken thigh (cooked, boneless, skinless)150gShred or dice — holds together well after slow cooking
🥔 Carbohydrate
Potato (cooked, peeled, mashed or cubed)90gPlain — potassium, vitamin C, B6
🫘 Vegetables
Green beans (cooked, trimmed)60gFolic acid, manganese, low calorie
🌿 Flavour & Fat
Olive oil1 tspAnti-inflammatory oleic acid
Fresh parsley (chopped)1 tspVitamin K, C, chlorophyll
💊 Supplements (add cold)
Eggshell calcium powder¼ tspStir in cold — corrects Ca:P ratio
Salmon or sardine oil COLD1 tspAdd after fully cooled — never heat

Total: ~305–320g per day. Split into two meals if your dog gulps food fast.

IngredientAmountNotes
🍗 Protein
Chicken thigh (cooked, boneless, skinless)250gUse breast instead if dog is overweight or pancreatitis-prone
🥔 Carbohydrate
Potato (cooked, peeled, mashed or cubed)150gGood energy source for active large breeds
🫘 Vegetables
Green beans (cooked, trimmed)100gIncrease this further for weight management
🌿 Flavour & Fat
Olive oil1½ tspCoat health, anti-inflammatory
Fresh parsley (chopped)1 tbspNatural antimicrobial, breath freshener
💊 Supplements (add cold)
Eggshell calcium powder½ tspStir in cold — corrects Ca:P ratio
Salmon or sardine oil COLD1½ tspAdd after fully cooled — never heat

Total: ~505–520g per day. Two meals strongly recommended for large breeds — resting 45 minutes after each meal reduces bloat risk.

IngredientAmountNotes
🍗 Protein
Chicken thigh (cooked, boneless, skinless)360gMix of breast and thigh works well for giant breeds
🥔 Carbohydrate
Potato (cooked, peeled, mashed or cubed)220gHigher carb needs for larger bodies
🫘 Vegetables
Green beans (cooked, trimmed)150gVolume with very few calories — keeps them satisfied
🌿 Flavour & Fat
Olive oil2 tspEssential fatty acid support for large frames
Fresh parsley (chopped)1 tbspAnti-inflammatory, vitamin K
💊 Supplements (add cold)
Eggshell calcium powder½ tspStir in cold — critical for giant breed skeletal health
Salmon or sardine oil COLD2 tspAdd after fully cooled — joint and heart health

Total: ~735–750g per day. Always split into two meals for giant breeds — never one large meal. Rest your dog before and after eating, and avoid vigorous exercise within an hour of feeding.

Why Every Ingredient Is Here

🍗
Chicken ThighsComplete Protein • Taurine • B Vitamins • Zinc

Chicken thighs provide all essential amino acids for muscle maintenance, immune defence and coat health. They contain more taurine than breast — an amino acid directly linked to dilated cardiomyopathy prevention. The higher fat content makes thighs more palatable for fussy eaters. If your dog is prone to weight gain or pancreatitis, swap to breast.

⚠️ Use breast if dog has pancreatitis history

🥔
PotatoPotassium • Vitamin C • B6 • Slow-Release Carbs

White potato is one of the most digestible carbohydrate sources for dogs and provides meaningful amounts of potassium (critical for heart function), vitamin C and vitamin B6. When cooked and cooled, potato also develops resistant starch — a prebiotic fibre that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Serve plain with no butter, salt or milk.

🫘
Green BeansVitamin K • Vitamin C • Folic Acid • Manganese

Green beans are one of the best low-calorie bulk vegetables you can add to a dog's bowl. They're rich in vitamin K1 (blood clotting), vitamin C, folic acid and manganese. They also provide fibre that slows digestion and keeps dogs satisfied longer. Safe in generous amounts — excellent for managing weight in food-motivated breeds.

🫚
Olive OilOleic Acid • Omega-9 • Anti-Inflammatory • Vitamin E

Olive oil is the cornerstone of Mediterranean cooking and a genuinely useful fat for dogs. Its oleic acid (omega-9) has documented anti-inflammatory properties and supports cardiovascular health. It also acts as a carrier for fat-soluble vitamins — helping the body absorb the vitamin K from green beans and parsley.

🌿
Fresh ParsleyVitamin K • Vitamin C • Chlorophyll • Antimicrobial

Parsley is not just a garnish. It provides vitamin K1 for healthy blood clotting, vitamin C as an antioxidant, and chlorophyll that acts as a natural deodoriser and antimicrobial. One of the most common natural breath fresheners used in dog treats. Use flat-leaf parsley, not curly, and in the amounts shown.

⚠️ Flat-leaf parsley only. Avoid spring parsley (higher in furanocoumarins)

🥛
Eggshell Calcium PowderCalcium Carbonate • Ca:P Balance • Bone Health

Every meat-based homemade meal has the same problem: meat is very high in phosphorus and very low in calcium. Without correction, the body compensates by pulling calcium from bones. Eggshell powder provides bioavailable calcium carbonate to restore the correct ratio — approximately 1.2:1, per NRC recommendations. Always add cold, after cooking.

🐟
Salmon or Sardine Oil (cold)EPA & DHA Omega-3 • Coat • Brain • Joint • Heart

This is the ingredient that turns a good meal into a nutritionally complete one. Chicken provides protein but almost no EPA or DHA. Fish oil added cold fills that gap completely. DHA is essential for brain development and cognitive function. EPA reduces systemic inflammation — joints, skin, gut. Add cold every meal. Refrigerate and use within 4–6 weeks of opening.

🍵
Unsalted Chicken BrothHydration • Collagen • Amino Acids

The broth does two jobs: it provides the cooking liquid for slow-simmering, and it adds flavour, hydration and collagen to the final bowl. Homemade unsalted broth is ideal. If buying commercial, check the label carefully — most store-bought broths contain onion, garlic or salt. Look for "dog-safe bone broth" specifically, or make your own.

How to Make It

1

Brown the chicken

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown for 3 minutes per side — you want a little colour on each piece, not just pale grey. No seasoning at this stage. Browning develops real flavour depth that benefits both your bowl and your dog's. Remove and set aside briefly.

💡 Don't move the chicken for the first 3 minutes — let it brown undisturbed. Patience creates the crust.
2

Add vegetables and broth

Return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the quartered potatoes and trimmed green beans. Pour in the unsalted chicken broth — it should come about halfway up the chicken. Bring the whole pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat. The broth will pick up flavour from the chicken and vegetables as it cooks.

3

Slow cook — one pot, both dinners

Cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 35–40 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through and tender, and the potatoes are soft. Your dog's portion and your portion are cooking together right now. The broth becomes rich and the chicken falls apart slightly — exactly what you want for both bowls.

4

⭐ The split — scoop your dog's bowl first

This is the only step that matters differently. Before you touch the lemon, garlic or seasoning, scoop your dog's portion into a separate bowl. Add a small pinch of fresh parsley and stir it through. Set the bowl aside to cool. Everything you add to the pot after this moment is for you only — your dog's dinner is already done and safe.

5

Finish your Greek lemon chicken

Add to the pot: the juice of 1½ lemons, 3–4 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt and black pepper. Stir well and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes more, letting the sauce reduce and intensify. The lemon brightens the broth into something properly Greek. Taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and scatter fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

🇬🇷 For the full Greek experience: add a few Kalamata olives and a sprinkle of dried thyme alongside the oregano.
6

Finish the dog bowl

Once your dog's portion has cooled completely to room temperature — not just warm — stir in the eggshell calcium powder and the salmon or sardine oil. The cooling step is not optional: heat above 40°C oxidises omega-3 fatty acids and destroys most of their benefit. If refrigerating, let the portion come back up from fridge cold before serving.

❄️ Add fish oil fresh at every serving — do not store with fish oil already mixed in.

⚠️ Important Notes

🧊 Storage and Batch Cooking

This recipe batch-cooks beautifully. Make 3–4 days of your dog's portions at once and refrigerate in airtight containers.

🐕 Featured Breed: Greek Harehound (Hellenikos Ichnilatis)

The Greek Harehound is one of the oldest hunting breeds in the world, depicted on ancient pottery dating back over 3,500 years. They are medium-sized, lean and athletic scent hounds bred to track game across the rocky Mediterranean terrain of Greece — and this recipe suits their heritage almost perfectly.

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