Marco Williams
Raw mix dog food promises the best of both worlds: the convenience and price of kibble, plus the taste and nutrition of raw. For owners who can’t afford a full raw diet, or don’t want to handle raw meat, that’s an easy sell.
What the bag doesn’t tell you is how much raw is actually inside. Every product below is mostly cooked kibble, with a freeze-dried raw coating and a smaller share of freeze-dried raw pieces.
That doesn’t make raw mix a bad buy. It changes what you should pay for it. We compared five raw mix foods on ingredient labels, AAFCO life stage and cost per day for a 50 lb, moderately active adult dog eating 1,000 kcal a day, using Amazon prices checked in September 2026.
- Best Overall (No Peas or Lentils) → Open Farm RawMix Front Range — ~$3.61/day
- Best Value → Instinct RawBoost Real Chicken — ~$2.12/day
- Best Grain-Inclusive (No Legumes or Potatoes) → Wellness CORE+ Wholesome Grains — ~$2.42/day
- Best for Picky Eaters → Stella & Chewy’s Raw Blend Cage-Free — ~$3.25/day
- Best for Large-Breed Puppies → Merrick Backcountry Puppy Recipe — ~$4.56 per 1,000 kcal
Daily cost estimates assume 1,000 kcal/day for a 50 lb moderately active adult dog, using Amazon prices checked September 2026. Prices change; confirm on Amazon before ordering.
What Is Raw Mix Dog Food?
Raw mix dog food is dry kibble that’s coated in freeze-dried raw and mixed with bite-sized freeze-dried raw pieces. It’s cooked kibble at its core, so it stores and serves like any dry food. Stella & Chewy’s describes its Raw Blend as baked kibble coated in freeze-dried raw with freeze-dried raw pieces mixed in, and the other brands here follow the same idea.
Raw Mix vs. Full Raw vs. Regular Kibble
| Raw content | Cost per day (50 lb adult) | Prep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular kibble | None | Lowest | Scoop and serve |
| Raw mix | Coating plus a small share of raw pieces | About $2–$5 | Scoop and serve |
| Full raw meals | 100% raw | About $11–$22 | Thaw or rehydrate |
How Much Raw Is Actually in the Bag?
Ingredients are listed by weight, so where the raw pieces appear on the label tells you a lot:
- Instinct RawBoost: freeze-dried chicken is the 7th ingredient, after chicken, chicken meal, peas, chicken fat, tapioca and herring meal.
- Wellness CORE+: turkey hearts and turkey liver, the source of its freeze-dried pieces, come 9th and 10th.
- Merrick Backcountry Puppy: chicken hearts and livers are 13th.
- Open Farm RawMix: the freeze-dried chunks aren’t listed as a separate ingredient at all.
Owner reviews say the same thing. One Open Farm buyer counted roughly one freeze-dried piece per scoop. Some Petco reviewers of a Wellness recipe reported recent bags with the freeze-dried lamb pieces missing entirely.
Bottom line: buy raw mix for the flavor and a modest nutritional boost, especially for picky eaters. It isn’t a substitute for a raw diet. If you want full raw, our guide to pre-made raw dog food meals compares complete raw options.
Best Raw Mix Dog Foods
1. Open Farm RawMix Front Range: Best Overall
Open Farm’s RawMix is the product many people mean when they search “raw mix.” The Front Range Grain-Free recipe combines beef, lamb and pork in kibble coated with bone broth and freeze-dried raw, with freeze-dried raw chunks added.
Its standout feature is what it leaves out. Front Range contains no grains and no legumes, so there are no peas or lentils anywhere on the label. It’s also popular: Amazon shows 900+ purchases a month for the 20 lb bag.
It isn’t carb-free. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are the 3rd and 4th ingredients. Keep that in mind if you’re avoiding starchy grain-free foods (see “How to Choose” below).
On life stage, it’s complete and balanced for all life stages except growth of large-breed puppies (70 lb or more as adults).
At $5.80/lb for the 20 lb bag, it works out to $3.61 per day for a 50 lb adult.
In December 2024, Open Farm pulled one lot of its Ancient Grains RawMix (a different recipe) and several freeze-dried morsels after finding small pieces of food-grade plastic film liner. The Front Range Grain-Free recipe featured here wasn’t part of it.
Best For: Owners who want a raw mix with no peas or lentils.
Cost Per Day: $3.61 (20 lb bag)
Why It Made the List?
- Legume-free: no peas, lentils or grains in the recipe.
- Multi-protein: beef, lamb and pork, with a bone broth and freeze-dried raw coating.
- Proven demand: 900+ Amazon purchases a month on the 20 lb bag.
Key Specs
- Macros: 30% protein / 15% fat / 4.5% fiber (min/max); 3,545 kcal/kg (405 kcal/cup)
- AAFCO: All life stages, except growth of large-breed puppies
- First 5 ingredients: Beef, menhaden fish meal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pork
Honest Take
- Rated 4.5/5 on Amazon across 711 ratings.
- One owner says her dog eats it without a topper and cleans the bowl every time (Kar, Aug 28, 2026). Another says her three dogs prefer it over pricier foods (coco renona, May 26, 2026).
- Most common owner report: strong appeal for picky eaters. Most common complaint: too few raw pieces; one buyer counted about one per scoop (Ann, Oct 16, 2024).
2. Instinct RawBoost Real Chicken: Best Value
Instinct RawBoost is the cheapest raw mix in this comparison at $2.12 per day, using the 21 lb bag at $4.29/lb. It also has the highest protein of the five, at 37% minimum.
The formula is grain-free kibble with freeze-dried chicken, chicken liver and chicken heart pieces. Instinct Raw Boost Chicken is complete and balanced for all life stages except growth of large-breed puppies.
Two things to weigh. Peas are the 3rd ingredient. And at 20.5% fat, this is the richest food on the list. If your dog has a history of pancreatitis or a sensitive stomach, check with your vet before switching.
The Amazon listing is sold and shipped by Only Natural Pet, an established pet retailer, rather than by Amazon. The price is in line with other major stores.
Instinct’s 2015 recall involved its frozen raw chicken products, not this kibble.
Best For: Budget-minded owners who want the most protein per dollar.
Cost Per Day: $2.12 (21 lb bag)
Why It Made the List?
- Lowest cost per day in this comparison.
- Highest protein of the five: 37% minimum.
- Three freeze-dried raw ingredients: chicken, chicken liver and chicken heart.
Key Specs
- Macros: 37% protein / 20.5% fat / 3% fiber (min/max); 4,469 kcal/kg (512 kcal/cup)
- AAFCO: All life stages, except growth of large-breed puppies
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, peas, chicken fat, tapioca
Honest Take
- Rated 4.5/5 on Amazon across 575 ratings.
- One owner calls it the only food her dog truly thrives on (Marina Campbell, Aug 3, 2025). A boxer owner says her dog loves the freeze-dried chicken and has had no stomach trouble (Sylvia, Dec 6, 2023).
- Most common owner report: healthy energy and digestion. Most common complaint: bag quality, with one reviewer noting a seal glued on only one side (Tim, Mar 30, 2023) and another receiving bags of mostly crushed kibble.
3. Wellness CORE+ Wholesome Grains: Best Grain-Inclusive
Wellness CORE+ (formerly CORE RawRev) Wholesome Grains is the only food here with no peas, no lentils and no potatoes. Its carbohydrates come from oatmeal and barley instead.
That makes it the simplest choice for owners who want to avoid grain-free and legume-heavy diets altogether.
Wellness says its dry recipes have been substantiated through AAFCO-recognized feeding trials. The freeze-dried pieces are turkey hearts and livers.
It’s for adult dogs only: the recipe is formulated to AAFCO’s maintenance profile. It isn’t suitable for puppies.
At $4.10/lb for the 20 lb bag (Amazon’s Choice), it costs $2.42 per day, or about $2.29 with Subscribe & Save.
Wellness’s only FDA-posted dog food recall we found was a 2017 recall of a canned beef topper over elevated thyroid hormone. It has since been closed and didn’t involve CORE+ kibble.
4. Stella & Chewy’s Raw Blend Cage-Free: Best for Picky Eaters
Stella & Chewy’s is best known for freeze-dried raw, and its Raw Blend brings that flavor into kibble. The Cage-Free recipe uses chicken, duck and quail. The oven-baked kibble is coated in freeze-dried raw and mixed with whole freeze-dried raw pieces.
It’s complete and balanced for all life stages except growth of large-breed puppies. Peas and lentils are the 3rd and 4th ingredients.
The 10 lb bag costs $5.50/lb, or $3.25 per day. The 3.5 lb bag (Amazon’s Choice) is easier to try but costs about $4.89 per day.
One caveat: this listing has only 75 ratings on Amazon, and most reviews are several years old. That’s a thin sample for a brand this well known.
Best For: Picky eaters who respond to raw flavor.
Cost Per Day: $3.25 (10 lb bag); about $4.89 with the 3.5 lb bag
Why It Made the List?
- Raw coating plus whole raw pieces from a raw-focused brand.
- Three proteins: chicken, duck and quail.
- Probiotics added to the recipe.
Key Specs
- Macros: 36% protein / 14.5% fat / 5% fiber (min/max); 3,735 kcal/kg (442 kcal/cup)
- AAFCO: All life stages, except growth of large-breed puppies
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, peas, lentils, duck
Honest Take
- Rated 4.2/5 on Amazon across 75 ratings (10 lb listing).
- One owner says it’s her picky dog’s favorite and has kept her healthy for seven years (Rhonda, Feb 23, 2026).
- Most common owner report: strong appeal for picky dogs. Most common complaint: some dogs still refuse it (Jamie Parker, 2020) or get an upset stomach (Chocolatema19, 2020).
5. Merrick Backcountry Puppy Recipe: Best for Large-Breed Puppies
This is the only product in our comparison you can feed a large-breed puppy. Merrick’s spec sheet states the Backcountry Puppy Recipe meets AAFCO for all life stages including growth of large dogs (70 lb or more as adults).
The kibble uses chicken and salmon, with freeze-dried raw pieces mixed in. Merrick puts the raw inclusion through high-pressure processing (HPP) for food safety. The bag’s feeding chart covers puppies expected to reach 101+ lb.
Peas are the 6th ingredient and pea protein the 8th, so this isn’t a legume-free option.
Watch the formula code. The 4 lb bag sold by Amazon carries code B278123, the version Merrick’s spec sheet confirms for large-breed growth. We found a different formula listed on some larger bags. If you buy a bigger size elsewhere to save money, check that the code on the bag matches.
At $7.50/lb for the 4 lb bag, it’s $4.56 per 1,000 kcal. Larger bags cost less per pound.
Large-breed puppies need controlled calcium and calories to grow at a healthy rate. Confirm daily portions with your vet, and adjust as your puppy grows.
Merrick’s 2018 FDA-posted recall covered beef treats, including a Backcountry jerky, over elevated thyroid hormone. It didn’t involve kibble.
Best For: Large-breed puppies, and puppies of any size.
Cost Per Day: $4.56 per 1,000 kcal (4 lb bag)
Why It Made the List?
- The only pick here approved for large-breed puppy growth.
- HPP-treated freeze-dried raw pieces mixed into the kibble.
- DHA added for developing puppies.
Key Specs
- Macros: 28% protein / 14% fat / 3.5% fiber (min/max); 3,626 kcal/kg (462 kcal/cup)
- AAFCO: All life stages, including growth of large-breed puppies
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, turkey meal
Honest Take
- Rated 4.6/5 on Amazon across 373 ratings.
- One owner praises the clean ingredients, small kibble and mild smell (Denis V, Mar 6, 2026). Another says the freeze-dried meat pieces make it worth the price (Mizbling06, Mar 31, 2025).
- Most common owner report: puppies eat it readily. Most common complaint: some puppies turn it down (Bruce E. Munck, Dec 18, 2025), and one owner found the freeze-dried pieces varied a lot in size (Hannah Kakowski, 2023).
Raw Mix Dog Foods Compared
| Product | AAFCO life stage | Large-breed puppy? | Protein / Fat (min) | Peas, lentils or potatoes | Cost per day | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Farm RawMix Front Range | All life stages* | No | 30% / 15% | Potatoes (no legumes) | $3.61 | Legume-free |
| Instinct RawBoost | All life stages* | No | 37% / 20.5% | Peas | $2.12 | Value |
| Wellness CORE+ Wholesome Grains | Adult maintenance | No | 35% / 16% | None | $2.42 | Grain-inclusive |
| Stella & Chewy’s Raw Blend | All life stages* | No | 36% / 14.5% | Peas, lentils | $3.25 | Picky eaters |
| Merrick Backcountry Puppy | All life stages incl. large breed | Yes | 28% / 14% | Peas, potatoes | $4.56† | Large-breed puppies |
*Except growth of large-breed puppies. †Per 1,000 kcal; puppy food. Cost per day assumes 1,000 kcal/day for a 50 lb moderately active adult dog, using Amazon prices checked September 2026 for the largest reasonably priced bag.
How Much Does Raw Mix Dog Food Cost?
For a 50 lb adult, the raw mix foods here cost about $2 to $4 per day. Full raw meals cost roughly $11 to $22 per day for the same dog.
That gap is the real decision. Raw mix gets you raw flavor and some raw ingredients at kibble-like prices, but only a small share of the food is raw. If raw nutrition is your main goal, the extra cost of full raw may be worth it. If you mainly want a picky dog to eat well, raw mix is the far cheaper route.
How to Choose the Right Raw Mix Dog Food?
Check the Life Stage First
- Large-breed puppies: Merrick Backcountry Puppy is the only option here. The other four exclude large-breed puppy growth, or are for adults only.
- Other puppies: Open Farm, Instinct and Stella & Chewy’s also work.
- Adults: any of the five, though Wellness is formulated only for adults.
Peas, Lentils and Potatoes
FDA’s investigation into a type of heart disease called DCM found that affected dogs more often ate diets high in pulses or potatoes. FDA has said its reports don’t prove these ingredients cause the disease.
If you’d rather avoid them:
- Wellness CORE+ Wholesome Grains has none of the three.
- Open Farm is legume-free but potato-heavy.
If your dog’s breed is prone to heart disease, ask your vet which diet fits best. Our grain-free vs. grain-inclusive guide covers the research in more detail.
Transition Slowly
Switch over 7 to 10 days, mixing a little more of the new food each day. Richer raw mixes, especially higher-fat ones, can cause loose stool if you change too quickly.
FAQ
What is raw mix dog food?
Kibble coated in freeze-dried raw, with freeze-dried raw pieces mixed in. It stores and serves like regular kibble, but tastes more like raw food.
Is raw mix the same as a raw diet?
No. Raw mix is mostly cooked kibble. The raw pieces usually appear well down the ingredient list, so it’s a flavor and nutrition boost, not a raw diet.
Is raw-coated kibble safe?
Lower-risk than full raw, but not risk-free. Some brands treat the raw pieces with high-pressure processing (HPP) to reduce bacteria, as Merrick does. Handle any raw-containing food with clean hands and bowls. If anyone in your home is immunocompromised, consult your vet first.
Can puppies eat raw mix dog food?
Yes, if the label says all life stages or growth. For large-breed puppies, the label must include large-breed growth. In this comparison, only Merrick Backcountry Puppy qualifies. Consult your vet to confirm portions for a growing puppy.
Which raw mix dog foods don’t contain peas?
Open Farm RawMix Front Range and Wellness CORE+ Wholesome Grains. Open Farm is grain-free with no legumes; Wellness has no peas, lentils or potatoes.
Is raw mix worth the extra cost over regular kibble?
For picky eaters, often yes. The raw coating and pieces improve taste. If your dog already eats kibble well, the nutritional difference is modest, because the raw portion is small.
Final Recommendation
- No peas or lentils → Open Farm RawMix Front Range: the best all-around choice.
- On a budget → Instinct RawBoost: the lowest cost per day and the most protein.
- Avoiding grain-free and legumes → Wellness CORE+ Wholesome Grains: no peas, lentils or potatoes. Adult dogs only.
- Picky eater → Stella & Chewy’s Raw Blend: raw flavor from a raw-first brand.
- Large-breed puppy → Merrick Backcountry Puppy Recipe: the only pick here approved for large-breed growth.
