Merrick Slow Cooked BBQ Dog Food Review (Canned)

Merrick Slow Cooked BBQ product range consists of four recipes, each receiving the Dog Food Advisor’s rating of 4.5 stars.

Deboned protein is the primary ingredient in each of these recipes to support lean muscle mass and healthy energy levels, combined with a holistic blend of sweet potato and green beans, both naturally rich in dietary fibre and other beneficial nutrients.

The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Merrick Grain Free Slow Cooked BBQ Texas Style With Braised Beef was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.¹

Beef is naturally rich in all 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

 The next two ingredients are beef and vegetable broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common component in many wet products.

The fourth  ingredient is beef liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fifth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.

The sixth ingredient is green beans, legumes naturally high in dietary fiber and other healthy nutrients.

However, beans contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The seventh ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries -from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

After natural flavor we find potato starch. Potato starch is a gluten-free carbohydrate used more for its thickening properties than its nutritional value.

From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.

This recipe has four notable exceptions.

First flaxseed oil, one of the best non-fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids – essential to a dog’s health.

Next fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, fish oil should be considered a commendable addition.

This food also contains chelated minerals,  that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Lastly we find molasses, although molasses can be rich in minerals, it’s also a less refined form of sugar with a glycemic index in humans similar to maple syrup. 

Like table sugar (and in excessive amounts), molasses has the potential to raise a dog’s blood sugar.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Merrick Grain Free Slow Cooked BBQ Texas Style With Braised Beef looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 43.2%, a fat level of 13.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 31.8%.

As a group, the brand features a protein content of 43.2% and a mean fat level of 14.2%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31.3% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 33%.

This means this Merrick product line contains near-average protein, above-average carbohydrate, below-average fat when compared to typical wet dog food.

Merrick Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Merrick through January 2026.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

Our Rating of Merrick Slow Cooked BBQ Dog Food

Merrick Slow Cooked BBQ is a wet dog food using a significant amount of named meat as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.

Highly Recommended

About

All Merrick dog foods are produced in the United States. Most of the brand’s dry and wet recipes are manufactured at one of its 3 company-owned facilities in Hereford, Texas. Unlike most pet food brands, Merrick owns its own cannery.

Merrick also owns Castor and Pollux Natural Petworks (a quality brand known for its certified organic dog and cat foods)… and produces Whole Earth Farms pet foods, too.

Merrick was sold to Nestle Purina PetCare in 2015.

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