Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables Wet Dog Food
A clean, short-label canned food that does its best work as a topper. At roughly $6.75 per 1,000 kcal it is not a realistic sole diet for most budgets.
Score breakdown
The overall score of 79/100 is a weighted sum of the six dimensions below. Each dimension shows what we found in this specific formula.
Weight 30% · Algorithm-computed score 88/100
Algorithm: first ingredient “Chicken” is named whole meat; 2 named animal ingredients in the top five; protein 38.6% on a dry-matter basis (target for this stage: 24%).
Weight 20% · Algorithm-computed score 80/100
Algorithm: first ingredient is a named animal source; among the top five, 0 by-product/unnamed and 0 plant-protein concentrate items.
Weight 18% · Editorially assessed score 76/100
AAFCO statement: Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.. Formulated-to-meet profiles are acceptable but weaker evidence than feeding trials, which caps the score here.
Weight 14% · Editorially assessed score 75/100
Nine voluntary recalls; the most recent was March 2017 (elevated beef thyroid hormone in a single lot of Wilderness wet food). Two 2007 events were part of the industry-wide melamine crisis and a 2010 withdrawal involved excess vitamin D. The rest were small lots: a 2015 cat-treat lot containing propylene glycol, salmonella in a 2015 chew-bone lot, a 2016 mould withdrawal, and a March 2017 packaging-seal market withdrawal. Nothing has been recalled since General Mills acquired the brand in 2018.
Weight 10% · Algorithm-computed score 51/100
Algorithm: about $6.88 per 1,000 kcal ($$$ tier), normalized against same-species peers, wet and dry together (cheapest = 100, most expensive ≈ 15).
Weight 8% · Editorially assessed score 91/100
Owner ratings are consistently high across major retailers, with few recurring palatability complaints.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Chicken, chicken broth and chicken liver lead - a short, readable label with visible vegetables
- 78% moisture makes it a practical way to add hydration or topper appeal to a dry diet
- No corn, wheat, soy or by-product meals, and no carrageenan in this recipe
- Rated 4.6/5 by owners, most of whom use it as a kibble topper rather than a sole diet
What we don't
- About $6.88 per 1,000 kcal - feeding wet food exclusively costs several times a dry diet
- Formulated-to-meet only, with no feeding-trial evidence
- 8.5% protein as-fed is normal for wet food but looks low next to a dry label
Ingredients & nutrition analysis
The first five ingredients tell most of the story:
Homestyle Chicken Dinner opens with chicken, chicken broth and chicken liver, then carrots, peas and sweet potatoes - a genuinely short ingredient list with recognisable whole foods and no by-product meals. Blue Buffalo markets it as a complete meal, and nutritionally it is, but its real strength is palatability.
The economics are the limiting factor. At $0.24/oz from a 12-can case and 1,230 kcal/kg, this works out to roughly $6.88 per 1,000 kcal, which is four to five times the per-calorie cost of the dry foods in this ranking. Mixed with kibble at a quarter to a half can per meal, it is affordable; fed alone to a large dog, it is not.
Alternatives to consider
Other products ranked in Best Wet Dog Food:
64/ 100 Purina Pro Plan SAVOR Adult Chicken & Vegetables Entree Slices in Gravy
Frequently asked questions
Is Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables Wet Dog Food right for my pet?
It is our pick for: Topping dry kibble, encouraging a picky or convalescing dog to eat, and adding moisture to the diet. It is not the best fit for: Households feeding wet food as the sole diet on a budget. Individual animals vary — if your pet has diagnosed health conditions, confirm the choice with your veterinarian.
How much does Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables Wet Dog Food cost?
Expect roughly $3.84 per pound ($$$ tier) depending on bag size and retailer. Check the linked retailers for current pricing; our value score compares cost per 1,000 kcal against comparable formulas.
How should I switch to this food?
Transition over 7–10 days, mixing increasing proportions of the new food into the old. Go slower for puppies, kittens, seniors and pets with sensitive stomachs, and watch stool quality during the switch.
Score history
Every change to this product's score is logged here, including the reason. Scores are recomputed by algorithm whenever ingredient or price data changes.
- 2026-10-19 — Product data refreshed: guaranteed analysis, ingredient list, AAFCO statement, calorie content and price replaced with values verified against the manufacturer's current US label and current US retail listings. Editorial scores for standards, safety and reviews reassessed against that data.