A celebrity chef launching a cat food is exactly the kind of thing that deserves suspicion. Bobby Flay’s face on a bag does not make the contents better.
So the interesting detail is the co-founder list. Alongside Flay and his cat Nacho sits Dr Katja Lang, Nacho’s own veterinarian, who acts as the brand’s veterinary consultant.
That does not automatically make the food good either. But it does mean somebody with relevant training was in the room, which is more than several boutique brands can say. Here is what is actually in it.
- Made by Nacho includes bone broth in almost every recipe, including the dry food, which raises moisture content.
- Made by Nacho contains no by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.
- The brand was co-founded by chef Bobby Flay with Dr Katja Lang, a practising veterinarian who acts as veterinary consultant.
- All Made by Nacho recipes are formulated to AAFCO standards for growth or maintenance depending on the product.
- Made by Nacho launched in April 2021, so it has a shorter track record than most brands at this price point.
Our Top Picks
Made by Nacho Wild-Caught Chicken & Herring Recipe Grain-Free Pate Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24
Made by Nacho Turkey Bone Broth Grain- Free Wet Cat Food Topper, 11-oz carton
Made by Nacho Cage Free Chicken Recipe Cuts In Gravy with Bone Broth Wet Cat Food, 3-oz pouch, bundle of 24
Made by Nacho range compared
| Product | Best for | Size | Price | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made by Nacho Wild-Caught Chicken & Herring Recipe Grain-Free Pate Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24 | Best overall | Case | $59.38 | Grain-free pate |
| Made by Nacho Sustainably Caught Salmon & Sole Recipe Grain-Free Pate Wet Cat Food, 3-oz can, case of 24 | Best fish recipe | Case | $50.16 | Grain-free |
| Made by Nacho Cage Free Chicken Recipe Cuts In Gravy with Bone Broth Wet Cat Food, 3-oz pouch, bundle of 24 | Best texture | Case | $47.12 | Cuts in gravy |
| Made by Nacho Turkey Bone Broth Grain- Free Wet Cat Food Topper, 11-oz carton | Best value | Pouch | $6.99 | Bone broth topper |
| Made by Nacho Immune Support Cage-Free Chicken Puree with Bone Broth Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.4-oz pouch, case of 18 | Best functional topper | Pack | $25.02 | Immune support |
| Made by Nacho Chicken Recipe with Bone Broth Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz pouch, case of 12 | Best treat | Pack | $13.08 | Lickable |
What does bone broth actually do?
Bone broth appears in almost every Made by Nacho recipe, including the kibble, and it is the brand’s signature. It is worth separating what it genuinely does from what gets claimed for it generally.
What it does: adds moisture and palatability. Broth-based food carries more water, and cats are famously bad at drinking. It also smells strongly, which matters enormously for a cat who has gone off food or whose sense of smell is fading with age.
What is less established: bone broth is often credited with joint benefits through collagen and glucosamine. The amounts in a commercial recipe are modest, and evidence in cats specifically is thin. Treat joint claims as a possible bonus rather than a reason to buy.
So the honest version is that bone broth is a good ingredient for ordinary reasons rather than a functional wonder. Moisture and palatability are genuinely valuable in cat food, and that is enough. The Cornell Feline Health Center covers feline hydration and nutrition.
Does the celebrity name mean anything?
Not by itself, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise. Chef credentials have no bearing on feline nutrition, which is a veterinary discipline rather than a culinary one.
What does carry weight is that Dr Katja Lang, a practising veterinarian, co-founded the brand and consults on the recipes. That is a meaningful difference from a brand assembled by a marketing team around a famous face.
The formulation supports it. Recipes meet AAFCO profiles, by-products and fillers are genuinely absent rather than merely unmentioned, and the protein sources are named. Judged on the label alone and with the celebrity stripped out, it holds up against other premium brands. The AAFCO nutrient profiles are the standard worth checking any brand against.
The 6 Made by Nacho products, reviewed
Made by Nacho Wild-Caught Chicken & Herring Recipe Grain-Free Pate Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24: best overall
Wild-caught chicken and herring, grain free, with bone broth worked through. This is the recipe that best represents what the brand is trying to do: named proteins, no fillers, and moisture built in rather than added as an afterthought. Buy the case rather than singles.
Made by Nacho Sustainably Caught Salmon & Sole Recipe Grain-Free Pate Wet Cat Food, 3-oz can, case of 24: best fish recipe
Sustainably caught salmon and sole. The sourcing language is doing marketing work, but the recipe itself is clean and the protein is named rather than hidden behind a generic term. A sensible option in a protein rotation rather than an everyday sole diet.
Made by Nacho Cage Free Chicken Recipe Cuts In Gravy with Bone Broth Wet Cat Food, 3-oz pouch, bundle of 24: best texture
Cage-free chicken in cuts and gravy, which matters because a lot of cats reject pate outright and will only eat food with visible structure. If your cat has turned down every smooth food you have offered, texture is the variable to change before you change brand again.
Made by Nacho Turkey Bone Broth Grain- Free Wet Cat Food Topper, 11-oz carton: best value
Turkey bone broth as a standalone pour-over, and at under seven dollars it is by far the cheapest way to try the brand. Genuinely useful for adding moisture to a dry diet or tempting a cat who has gone off food. It is a topper, not a meal.
Made by Nacho Immune Support Cage-Free Chicken Puree with Bone Broth Wet Cat Food Topper, 1.4-oz pouch, case of 18: best functional topper
Cage-free chicken puree with immune support additions. Functional toppers occupy a slightly awkward space between food and supplement, and the honest framing is that they are a nice extra rather than a treatment. A cat with a genuine immune problem needs a vet, not a pouch.
Made by Nacho Chicken Recipe with Bone Broth Grain-Free Lickable Cat Treats, 0.5-oz pouch, case of 12: best treat
Chicken with bone broth in a lickable tube. Same practical advantages as any lickable treat: useful for medication, distraction during grooming, and adding a little moisture. Cheap enough to keep in the drawer.
The honest drawbacks
- Short track record. The brand launched in April 2021. That is not a criticism of the food, but a long clean recall history is a genuine quality signal and this brand simply has not existed long enough to have one.
- Premium pricing. You are paying premium rates for a newer brand without the manufacturing history of an established competitor.
- Some products are toppers. The bone broths and functional purees are complements rather than complete meals. Read the panel.
- Limited range. Fewer recipes than established premium brands, which matters if your cat is fussy or needs rotation.
Who should buy Made by Nacho
Buy it if you want a clean premium food with high moisture and you like the idea of bone broth built in rather than water added. The cheap bone broth topper is a genuinely low-risk way to find out whether your cat cares.
Skip it if you prefer a brand with a decade of recall-free history behind it, or if you need a wide recipe range for a fussy cat. Compare against our best wet cat food picks and the main cat food guide. If moisture is your goal, a fountain is the cheaper route to the same end.
The bottom line on Made by Nacho
This is a better food than the celebrity branding suggests, which is not something you can say about most famous-name pet products. Bone broth throughout, no by-products or fillers, named proteins, AAFCO formulated, and a real veterinarian involved in the recipes.
The reservations are about age rather than quality: a brand founded in 2021 has not had time to build the track record that justifies premium confidence. If you want to test it cheaply, Made by Nacho Wild-Caught Chicken & Herring Recipe Grain-Free Pate Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24 is the sensible first purchase before committing to a case. This article is educational rather than veterinary advice.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Made by Nacho a good cat food?
Yes. Made by Nacho contains no by-products, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial additives, includes bone broth in almost every recipe for extra moisture, and is formulated to AAFCO standards. Its main limitation is a short track record, having launched in April 2021.
Q: Who makes Made by Nacho cat food?
Made by Nacho was co-founded by chef Bobby Flay, his cat Nacho, Stella Flay, and Dr Katja Lang, a practising veterinarian who serves as the brand’s veterinary consultant. It launched in April 2021.
Q: What does bone broth do in cat food?
Bone broth adds moisture and makes food more aromatic and palatable, which helps cats who drink too little or have lost interest in eating. Claims about joint support through collagen are less well established in cats, so treat those as a possible bonus.
Q: Is Made by Nacho complete and balanced?
Made by Nacho’s food recipes are formulated to AAFCO standards for growth or maintenance depending on the product. Some items in the range, including the bone broths and functional purees, are toppers rather than complete meals, so check each label.
Q: Has Made by Nacho been recalled?
There is no widely reported recall of Made by Nacho. The brand launched in April 2021, so it has a much shorter history than most competitors at this price. Check the FDA recall database for current status.
Q: Is Made by Nacho worth the price?
It is priced with other premium brands and the formulation justifies that on ingredients. Whether it beats an established premium brand with a longer clean record is a judgement call. The inexpensive bone broth topper is a low-risk way to test it first.
Q: Does Made by Nacho have grain-free options?
Yes. Much of the Made by Nacho range is grain free, and no recipe contains corn, wheat, or soy. Grain free is a preference rather than an automatic nutritional upgrade for most healthy cats.
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