This study mainly investigated the effects of dietary energy level on the growth-fattening performance and slaughter performance of meat donkeys, and provided a theoretical basis for the formulation of nutrient requirements of stall-feeding meat donkeys. Using a single-factor completed random design, thirty-six meat donkeys (male) aged 1 years with similar body weight [(150±25) kg] were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups (E1, E2 and E3 groups) with 4 replicates in each group, and 3 donkeys in each replicate. Donkeys in the E1 group were fed low-energy level diets, and the digestible energy levels in the diets at the early fattening period (1 to 45 d), middle fattening period (46 to 90 d) and late fattening period (91 to 135 d) were 10.13, 11.23 and 11.97 MJ/kg, respectively; donkeys in the E2 group were fed middle-energy level diets, and the digestible energy levels in the diets at early fattening period, middle fattening period and late fattening period were 11.14, 12.02 and 12.82 MJ/kg, respectively; donkeys in the E3 group were fed high-energy level diets, and the digestible energy levels in the diets at the early fattening period, middle fattening period and late fattening period were 11.49, 12.44 and 13.22 MJ/kg, respectively. The results showed that the body weight, average daily gain of E2 group were significantly higher than those of E1 and E3 groups (except for average daily gain at the late fattening period) (P<0.05), and the feed to gain ratio was significantly higher than that of E1 and E3 groups at the middle fattening period and the late fattening period (P<0.05). The average daily gain was E2 group>E3 group>E1 group in the whole trial period, and the differences were significant among groups (P<0.05). The live weight before slaughter and carcass weight were E2 group > E3 group > E1 group, and the differences were significant among groups (P<0.05), but the meat to bone ratio and eye muscle area of E3 group were significantly (P<0.05) or tended to be significantly (0.05≤P<0.10) lower than those of E1 and E2 groups, respectively; the omental fat weight, mesenteric fat weight, perirenal fat weight, intra-abdominal fat weight and GR value of group E3 were significantly higher than those of E1 group (P<0.05), and those (except omental fat weight) of E2 group were significantly higher than those of E1 group (P<0.05). The lung weight of E3 group was significantly higher than that of E1 and E2 groups (P<0.05). Compared with E2 group, the index of whole visceral organ of E1 and E3 groups trended to significantly increase (0.05≤P<0.10), the whole digestive tract weight, ileal weight and whole digestive tract length significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the indexes of jejunum, rectum and whole digestive tract weight and rectal weight significantly increased (P<0.05). In summary, meat donkeys can obtain the better growth-fattening performance and slaughter performance when the dietary digestible energy levels at the early fattening period, middle fattening period and late fattening period are 11.23,12.02 and 12.44 MJ/kg, respectively. When dietary energy levels are too high or too low, they will not beneficial to the development of growth-fattening performance and slaughter performance.