Best Grain-Free Dry Dog Foods
Why you should trust our dog food reviews
We've been reviewing food since 2008 with a proprietary formula in partnership with experts and user feedback. All reviews are verified by our in-house animal nutritionist. Why trust us
Review verified by
All reviews are 100% impartial but if you buy using links on this page, we may earn a referral fee.
In general, the best grain-free dry dog foods contain more protein than their grain-containing competitors.
But…
Many are made using ingredients that can upset the delicate amino acid balance of the finished food.
Which is why the best grain-free kibbles typically contain…
More Meat and Less Plant Protein
By design…
Grain-free dog foods use either potatoes or legumes (like peas, beans and lentils) to replace the cereal grains found in conventional recipes.
Yet even though both make adequate grain substitutes…
Legumes provide an additional benefit.
They’re naturally rich in protein.
But compared to meat, plant protein tends to be less complete in its essential amino acid content.
Which is why we selected the 18 grain-free kibbles below … where meat remains the primary source of protein in each recipe.
Best Grain-Free Dry Dog Foods February 2026
Here are The Dog Food Advisor's best grain-free dry dog food brands for February 2026.
-
Taste of the Wild Wetlands Grain-Free Kibble
Taste of the Wild Wetlands is one of nine recipes included in our review of the Taste of the Wild dry product line.
Taste of the Wild Wetlands derives the majority of its animal protein from duck, duck meal and chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 20% fat and 36% estimated carbs… which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
A popular and impressive grain-free formula. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Taste of the Wild Dog Food range here
Main Ingredients Duck, duck meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, peas Texture Dry Protein Percentage 36% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) -
Tender and True Salmon and Sweet Potato Grain-Free Recipe
Tender and True Salmon and Sweet Potato is one of eight recipes included in our review of the Tender and True dry product line.
Tender and True Salmon and Sweet Potato derives most of its meat protein from salmon and whiting meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 18% fat and 41% estimated carbs… which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 53%.
An above-average product made without grain.
Read our review of the full Tender & True Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Salmon, whiting meal, dried sweet potato, tapioca starch, dried potato Texture Dry Protein Percentage 33% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All adults + small or medium breed puppies -
Go! Carnivore Grain-Free Lamb and Wild Boar Dog Food
Go! Carnivore Lamb and Wild Boar is one of five recipes included in our review of the Go! Carnivore dry product line.
Go! Carnivore Lamb and Wild Boar derives the bulk of its animal protein from lamb, lamb meal, salmon meal and herring meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 18% fat and 39% estimated carbs… yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Read our review of the full Go! Solutions Carnivore Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients De-boned lamb, lamb meal, de-boned salmon, herring meal, lentils Texture Dry Protein Percentage 36% -
Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Beef with Apples
Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Beef is one of five recipes included in our review of the Nulo Freeze-Dried product line.
Nulo Freestyle Freeze-Dried Beef derives most of its animal protein from beef and beef organs. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 44% protein, 30% fat and 18% estimated carbs… resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.
A great choice for an adult dog. Enthusiastically recommended.
See all five available recipes
Read our review of the full Nulo Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food (Freeze-Dried) range here
Main Ingredients Beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef kidneys, ground beef bone Type Grain-free, freeze-dried Protein Percentage 44% -
Instinct Original Grain-Free with Real Rabbit
Instinct Original with Real Rabbit is one of five recipes included in our review of the Instinct Original Grain-Free dry product line.
Instinct Original with Real Rabbit derives the bulk of its animal protein from rabbit, salmon meal and menhaden fish meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 41% protein, 23% fat and 29% estimated carbs… which yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
An quality all life stages option. Highly recommended.
See all five available recipes
Read our review of the full Instinct Dog Food range here
Main Ingredients Rabbit, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, chickpeas, canola oil Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 41% -
Canidae Pure Real Duck and Sweet Potato Recipe
Canidae Pure Real Duck and Sweet Potato is one of 11 recipes included in our review of the Canidae Pure dry product line.
Canidae Pure Real Duck and Sweet Potato derives the majority of its meat protein from duck, duck meal and turkey meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33.3% protein, 16.7% fat and 42% estimated carbs… resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.
An excellent grain-free option for adult dogs.
Read our review of the full Canidae All Life Stages Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Duck, duck meal, turkey meal, sweet potatoes, peas Texture Dry Protein Percentage 33.3% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) -
Health Extension Grain-Free Buffalo and Whitefish Recipe
Health Extension Buffalo and Whitefish is one of nine recipes included in our review of the Health Extension Grain-Free dry product line.
Health Extension Grain-Free Buffalo and Whitefish derives most of its animal protein from buffalo, buffalo meal, whitefish and whitefish meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 28% protein, 17% fat and 48% estimated carbs… which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 60%.
A superb all life stages selection. Easily recommended.
See all nine available recipes
Read our review of the full Health Extension Grain Free Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Buffalo, deboned whitefish, whitefish meal (source of omega 3 fatty acids), whole sweet potatoes, pork meal Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 28% -
Farmina N&D Grain-Free Chicken Formula Dry Dog Food
Farmina N&D Grain-Free Chicken Formula is one of eight recipes included in our review of the Farmina N&D Grain-Free dry product line.
Farmina N&D Grain-Free Chicken Formula derives most of its animal protein from chicken and dehydrated chicken. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 41% protein, 20% fat and 32% estimated carbs… which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
An excellent grain-free option for adult dogs.
See all eight available recipes
Read our review of the full Farmina N&D Prime Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Chicken, dehydrated chicken, sweet potatoes, chicken fat, dried whole eggs Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 41% -
Wysong Epigen Grain-Free Dog Food
Wysong Epigen is the only recipe included in our review of the Wysong Epigen dry product line.
Wysong Epigen derives the bulk of its meat protein from chicken and poultry meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 67% protein, 17% fat and 9% estimated carbs… which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 25%.
An protein-rich, grain-free option. Easily recommended.
Read our review of the full Wysong Epigen Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Organic chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, potato protein, meat protein isolate Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 67% -
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Beef Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Dehydrated Beef is one of eight recipes included in our review of The Honest Kitchen dry product line.
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Beef derives the bulk of its animal protein from dehydrated beef. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 34% protein, 15% fat and 43% estimated carbs… which yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 45%.
A great option for dogs of all sizes and ages.
See all eight available recipes
Read our review of the full The Honest Kitchen Wholemade Grain Free Dog Food (Dehydrated) range here
Main Ingredients Dehydrated beef, dehydrated sweet potatoes, dehydrated potatoes, organic flaxseed, dried organic coconut Texture Dry Type Grain-free, dehydrated Protein Percentage 34% -
Orijen Regional Red Dog Food
Orijen Regional Red is one of nine grain-free recipes included in our review of the Orijen dry product line.
Orijen Regional Red derives most of its meat protein from beef, pork, wild boar and lamb. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 43% protein, 20% fat and 28% estimated carbs… which yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.
A biologically appropriate, all life stages recipe. Highly recommended.
See all nine available recipes
Read our review of the full Orijen Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Beef, wild boar, lamb, pork, beef liver Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 43% -
Wellness Core RawRev Original Recipe
Wellness Core RawRev Grain-Free Original is one of three recipes included in our review of the Wellness Core RawRev dry product line.
Wellness Core RawRev Original derives the majority of its meat protein from poultry and poultry meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38.9% protein, 11.1% fat and 42% estimated carbs… producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 29%.
An exceptional, protein-rich recipe. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Wellness CORE Grain-Free Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, lentils, peas, Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 38.9% -
Acana Wild Atlantic Dog Food
Acana Wild Atlantic is one of four recipes included in our review of the Acana Regionals dry product line.
Acana Wild Atlantic derives the majority of its meat protein from various types of fish and fish meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38% protein, 19% fat and 35% estimated carbs… which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 52%.
A superb, all life stages selection. Easily recommended.
See all four available recipes
Read our review of the full Acana Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Whole mackerel, whole herring, whole redfish, whole silver hake, mackerel meal Texture Dry Protein Percentage 38% -
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison Formula
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison Formula is one of four recipes included in our review of the Grandma Lucy’s Artisan dry product line.
Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Venison derives most of its meat protein from venison. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 30% protein, 16% fat and 46% estimated carbs… which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 54%.
Highly recommended.
See all four available recipes
Read our review of the full Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Dog Food (Freeze-Dried) range here
Main Ingredients Venison, potatoes, flax, sweet potatoes, carrots Texture Freeze-dried Protein Percentage 30% -
Diamond Naturals Grain-Free Skin and Coat All Life Stages Dog Food
Diamond Naturals All Life Stages Skin and Coat is one of 13 recipes included in our review of the Diamond Naturals dry product line.
Diamond Naturals Skin and Coat derives the majority of its meat protein from salmon and fish meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 28% protein, 16% fat and 49% estimated carbs… producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
A quality, budget-friendly option. Enthusiastically recommended.
Read our review of the full Diamond Naturals Grain Free Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Salmon, fish meal, potatoes, lentils, peas Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 28%
How we review dog foods
We read the label.
This may sound simple, but there are thousands of dog foods on the market, and the label is the only source of reliable, standardized and government-regulated data available on every one of them. This includes the AAFCO nutrient profile, the Guaranteed Analysis and the ingredients.
We use our algorithm.
We take the data and enter it into our unique algorithm to produce a different set of figures, including the Dry Matter Analysis (the nutrient levels after water has been removed). This algorithm gives us a base score range on our five-star rating system.
We refine the score.
We take into account other factors, such as the quality of ingredients and the nature of the first few ingredients on the list (and therefore the most prevalent in the food), and narrow the score. The key ingredients are explained in-depth in the review.
Our expert nutritionist takes over.
At this point, our expert pet nutritionist, Laura Ward, goes through the review to check and approve it. She has the authority to make small discretionary changes to the star-rating based on her judgment of a food. We now have our final star-rating.
What other information do we include for dog parents?
Each dog food review includes sample consumer reviews and links to other reviews. It also includes the brand’s recall history. Our Best Dog Food pages also include consumer reviews.
Why we don’t just feed foods to our dogs.
Despite what other dog food review sites claim, simply giving a food to a dog and seeing if they eat it is completely unscientific and has little value as a review method. If you give a kid candy, they’ll happily eat it, but it doesn’t mean it’s good for them. And no one food suits every dog.
It’s also dangerous for dogs. We rate every dog food, good and bad. Why would we deliberately feed a dog bad dog food?
That said, we understand that personal experience of a food is important to dog parents and include consumer reviews on our pages.
What about lab-testing dog food?
Lab-testing dog food can provide useful, in-depth information, but as mentioned, there are thousands of dog foods on the market. We’d love to test them all, but there isn’t a facility in the country that could. Therefore, it’s impossible to have a fair universal rating system using lab tests.
It’s worth noting that dog food brands carry out their own testing. This ensures compliance with AAFCO and FDA pet food standards, as well as checking for pathogens.
Why you should trust our dog food reviews
Dog Food Advisor has been impartially reviewing dog food since 2008. We are the most trusted dog food review site in the United States, with a 4.9-star TrustPilot rating.
Here's why:
We do not accept money, gifts, samples or any other incentives in exchange for special consideration in writing our reviews.
We rate every dog food in the same way, using the only information we believe is equally available for all foods, reliable and therefore fair: what’s on the label. It’s the only way for any review site to rate every dog food on the market.
We focus on ingredients, nutrient profiles and recipes. We look at the ingredients used, including their quality, and review the nutritional analysis and macronutrient balance. We take into account any controversial or harmful ingredients.
Every review is expertly checked and approved by our highly qualified in-house animal nutritionist, Laura Ward.
We report all dog food and dog treat recalls through our Dog Food Recall Alert service, no matter the brand.
For more information, read our How We Rate Dog Food and Disclaimer and Disclosure pages.
More Top Picks
To view more top dog foods by category… click the link below that best meets your personal feeding needs.
Final word
The Dog Food Advisor does not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.
However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.
For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.
