Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Dog Food (USA) product range is made up of three recipes with ratings varying from 3 to 4.5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4 stars.
These recipes are freeze-dried to preserve the nutrient content of raw ingredients and use quality cut meats among the top five ingredients.
Pros
- High-quality protein sources
- Eco-friendly ingredients and transparency
- Freeze-dried to preserve nutrients
Cons
- Expensive
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.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Original | 4.5 | A |
| Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Regional Red | 3 | A |
| Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Tundra | 3.5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Original recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Original
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken liver, turkey, whole herring, turkey giblets (liver, heart, gizzard), eggs, flounder, pea fiber, chicken hearts, whole pumpkin, collard greens, whole apples, whole carrots, whole pears, salt, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, dried kelp, vitamin E supplement, mixed tocopherols (preservative), riboflavin, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, rosemary extract, citric acid (preservative)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 40% | 34% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 42% | 35% | 15% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 29% | 60% | 11% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The third ingredient is turkey. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”.2
Turkey is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The fourth ingredient is herring, a fatty marine fish naturally high in protein as well as omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.
The fifth ingredient is turkey giblets, an edible by-product of poultry slaughter. They include the heart, liver and gizzard of a bird’s carcass.
Though the thought of eating an animal’s internal organs may not be appealing to most humans, these items can all be considered a natural part of a canine diet.
Giblets are an acceptable and healthy meat ingredient.
The sixth ingredient includes eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The seventh ingredient is flounder, a type of marine fish describing several distantly related species.
The eighth ingredient lists pea fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from pea hulls. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, this agricultural by-product provides no other nutritional value to a dog.
The ninth ingredient is chicken heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, heart tissue is pure muscle – all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.
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 this Champion Petfoods product line.
With three notable exceptions…
First, pumpkin is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, beta-carotene and dietary fiber.
Next, we note the use of collard greens. Due to their notable vitamin and mineral content, collards boast a high nutrient Completeness Score3 of 81.
And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Original looks like an above-average freeze-dried product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45.1%, a fat level of 38% and estimated carbohydrates of about 4.2%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 42.6% and a mean fat level of 38.4%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 6.4% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 90%.
Which means this Orijen product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical freeze-dried product dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a raw dog food containing a notable amount of meat.
Orijen Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Orijen through July 2025.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions Dog Food
Orijen Freeze-Dried Medallions is a grain-free raw dog food using a notable amount of named meats and organs as its dominant source of animal protein. The recipes in this range have received lower ratings due to their high fat-to-protein ratios, with lower fat, these would be 5 stars.
About
Orijen is a premium brand of dog food and cat food introduced in 2005 and manufactured in Alberta, Canada and Kentucky by Champion Petfoods. Orijen uses only fresh or raw meat in its recipes.
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