These homemade chicken jerky dog treats are the ultimate treat! Easy to make, delicious (for our pups), and good for them – what could be better?
I have never met a dog who doesn’t get wide-eyed when chicken comes out. And Rhubarb is no different. I used to buy chicken jerky dog treats thinking it was one of the healthiest treats on the market. I mean, it should just be dried chicken, right?
It turns out, some major brands were recalled back in 2006 for contaminants that caused dogs to become very ill. I don’t want to be feeding that to Rhubarb, so I set out to make my own homemade chicken jerky treats. Thankfully, they are so simple to make and I feel so much better feeding her treats I make at home and have full control over how they are made.
You just need an oven and a wire rack to make these yummy treats for your own four-legged friend. Let’s cook!
Ingredients for Chicken Jerky Dog Treats
Jerky treats are so darn easy to make! They only require an oven, baking sheet, wire rack, and chicken. Yup – 1 ingredient!
Chicken Breast: This is chicken jerky after all. I prefer to use boneless but you could use bone-in as long as you remove the bone before cooking. Or make this a turkey jerky by using dog-friendly turkey breast!
How to Make Chicken Chews for Dogs
I know I have been harping on just how easy these are to make, but really they only take three steps!
Step 1: Cut
Slice the chicken breast as thin as possible using a sharp chef’s knife. Remove any bones from the chicken. If using frozen, thaw it before cutting.
Step 2: Rack
Place strips of chicken onto a wire cooling rack that’s set on top of a baking sheet. This will allow air to circulate around the chicken, while also catching any drippings while they cook.
Step 3: Dry
Set on the middle rack of a 225°F (107°C) oven. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, flipping the chicken strips over after an hour, until chicken is tough and dried out. You can cook these for longer and they will stay shelf stable for longer, but will become crispier.
Recipe tips
Jerky Tip: With jerky that is served to a human, we would want to cut against the grains of the meat to make it easier to chew. For these chicken jerky for dogs, I recommend cutting with the grains to make it harder to chew. This leads to more enrichment, makes them take longer to chew, and is better for your dog’s teeth.
Storage: These treats can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I put these in a tall mason jar with a date label made from masking tape to make sure I don’t keep them past two weeks.
More Tasty Treats for Your Pup
If your dog needs multiple different kinds of treats to rotate through (like any dog deserves), try any of these!
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Dog Treats are the vegetable version of this chicken jerky. Just as easy!
- Homemade Dog Biscuits are another very easy treat to make and are shelf stable!
- Egg Cups for your Dog are great for you and your dog! Meal prep your breakfast and enjoy with your pup every morning.
- Dog Charcuterie Boards are a super fun way to treat your pup and are extra fun when chicken jerky is added to the board!
- Chicken Dog Treats take shredded chicken and turn it into a chewy high reward.
Chicken Jerky For Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast
Instructions
- Cut: Slice the chicken breast as thin as possible using a sharp chef's knife.
- Rack: Place strips of chicken onto a wire cooling rack that's set on top of a baking sheet. This will allow air to circulate around the chicken, while also catching any drippings.
- Dry: Set on the middle rack of a 225°F (107°C) oven. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, flipping the chicken strips over after an hour, until chicken is crispy and dried out.
Laurent
Wednesday 13th of December 2023
This recipe is Great. I was paying $30 a bag for 15 chicken jerky treats. Thanks for sharing🤗
Sarah Bond
Tuesday 2nd of January 2024
So happy to hear it, Laurent! Enjoy! :D
Emilie
Friday 28th of July 2023
Good