Recipe Reviews for Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

Read all the reviews for this recipe, and then try it out for yourself. Don't forget to come back here and let us know what your dog thought or ask questions you may have.

Great results!

by Olivia Nilsson
(Hedemora, Sweden (Europe))

Thank you so much for posting this chicken jerky recipe. I was buying ready-made jerky but found out they came from China and contained formeldehyde (!!!) so wanted to make my own, chemical free.

This recipe was really simple but as I did not manage to cut the raw chicken as thinly as indicated, it took a little longer in the low oven; I stuck a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it open a crack to let out the steam and help dry the chicken. That worked fine and they came out really well, but I cannot cut them with a knife; however, they shrink up so much that they are bite-sized when done. Next time I shall cut the chicken breasts while they are still par-frozen to get thinner slices.

I have two rescue dogs, a small Spitz-mix and a larger terrier so I need different sized pieces and that is what I got in making this chicken jerky. They love them to bits (and so do I) and just knowing that no chemicals went into the process lets me sleep better at night. I attach a picture of the finished product; that is not mold or flour, just a shiny piece of dry chicken. Really yummy! I am very grateful!

Chef's Comments ~ Wonderful! I'm so glad the dog treat recipe worked so well and that you and your dogs are so happy with it. :) Thanks for letting us know!

They LOVE 'Em! New bedtime treat - Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

by Judy
(Tracy, California)

Mia with her favorite toy.

We give our dogs a Milk Bone before bed at night - it started as a way to corral them in at night and now it's a revered family tradition!

Our older dog is having digestive issues and the vet said to feed her just rice and chicken for about a week. Well, I personally can't fathom it but she loves the plain, unsalted rice and chicken ... no problem there ... but the bedtime treat was an issue.

I looked up "dog chew chicken recipe" on Google and TA-DA!

Now she has her nighttime treat and she and her brother are both nuts for them! My husband has been calling it doggie crack because they just go wild.

Thanks so much for sharing a great treat, giving clear instructions and for solving our problem!!

Chicken and Apple Treats for our Kiddo

by Brad
(Oakland, OR)

Kiddo at Mt Rainier, WA

We have been making our own chicken/apple wraps for our Kiddo for about a year. We slice up partially frozen chicken breasts thin, around 1/4". Then peel/slice/core apples. Cut into whatever size you like and wrap chicken around the apple chunk. We use a dehydrator with 4 tiers. One large breast with two apples will make quite a few treats.

Using a dehydrator, the treats shrink to over half their size, so I make them larger. They are no where near the size as those from Waggin' Tails brand, about half the size of the store bought ones.

I highly recommend using a dehydrator if you are going to make the apple wraps. We have in the past, made dried chicken treats using ground chicken. We flattened it out and placed it on a cookie sheet and dried it in the oven, breaking it up and turning it over after a few hours, so I'm guessing we dried it for a total of around 3 hours. We then broke it up into small pieces and used it as a training treat. This might be a more economical way to make chicken jerky.

We also make yogurt and peanut butter treats,which Kiddo really loves. Very simple to make:

mix 1 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup peanut butter. Using the solid plastic sheet of the dehydrator(not the grids), make small blobs of the mixture,maybe around the size of a large chocolate chip. These take forever to dry, so be patient. I thought it wouldn't work at first, but eventually they dried out just fine. Might make a good human treat,too. I ll have to try a few.

Our little (8lb) Kiddo had a bad reaction to the chinese jerky on two occasions when she was a year old. We stopped feeding her those and now make our own. She has not had a reaction since.

Brad in Oakland,OR

Chicken Jerky is a winner

by Dan
(McKenzie, TN)

My two four-legged family members sat in front of the oven while the chicken was in there like they were watching TV, noses working a mile a minute.

I used the tip about propping the over door open and it worked very well. I placed a wire rack over a shallow pan (both sprayed with non-stick spray) and put the chicken on that. It seemed to speed up the "jerking" process.

End result was a winner. The dogs won't leave me alone now following me everywhere with tails up and expectant looks on their faces!

Dogs LOVE these!

by OwnerOf6Pooches
(New York State)

My chinook, Delta. Sorry that I couldn't get any other pictures on here, but my other girls were practicing schutzhund.

My dogs love these treats! They will choose them over another treat any day. I used to buy commercial treats, but my dogs never enjoyed eating them.

I do agility with all six of my girls, so I need a portable treat that is healthy and not too big. These are perfect.

I make them extra crunchy, so that they can be broken up into tiny pieces. My dogs are all fed a prey model diet, and I don't give them artificial crap or plant material.

My four German shepherds, Cayenne, Echo, Olive and Shadow, do schutzhund, and I reward them with these as well.

My Chinook, Delta, used to like commercial treats, but I didn't want her to have it, because of the scary recalls. I was using a Made in America brand, but was still suspicious. When they ran out, my dogs were very sad, but my Malinois was going crazy (try telling a very upset Malinois that her favorite treats are gone!) I made these, and Ava was finally back to normal! THANK YOU DTK!!!

Chicken jerky dog treats - EXCELLENT

by Lane Curameng
(Boca Raton, FL USA)

I buy chicken breast and tenders when they are on sale. I made the jerky for our dog, Buddicelli, and he is in heaven.

A trick I learned from an online blog by a man who used to make jerky in a grocery store deli, is to crack open the oven door with a wooden spoon to allow the air to circulate.

It was his opinion that expensive dehydrators were not necessary and that oven made jerky turns out better.

I have no experience with dehydrators but I can say that the oven made jerky is wonderful.

I have also made liver jerky. Due to the consistency and moisture content of liver, it takes longer, but our dog loves it. I have also made jerky from beef hearts and that was great too.

Making homemade jerky is a wonderful way to save money and keep your baby healthy. Commercially made dog treats are over priced, loaded with chemicals and preservatives - and GOD HELP US IF THEY COME FROM CHINA!!!

Dehydrating dog treats is Better

by Sharon W.
(Michigan)

I've been making my own dog treats since the big dog food recall a few years ago. I quit buying anything from China and as far as jerky treats go, it may be a little more expensive, but so much cheaper (and SAFER) in the long run. You won't have to worry about huge vet bills, trying to save your pets life after giving him unsafe treats made in China.

To make Chicken Jerky, I simply fillet boneless, skinless chicken breasts very thin and place them on my Dehydrator trays. I use the Meat setting on my dehydrator, and let them dehydrate for about 6 hours, or until all moisture has evaporated and they are nice and crispy. I store them in an airtight container without refrigeration.

I also do my own version of the "Yam Goods"-using both fresh yams and baby carrots. The Yams I peel, cut into 2-3" strips, and the baby carrots I usually cut in half lengthwise, and take a small piece of filleted chicken which I wrap around the veggie and again place it on a Dehydrator tray. Time length is about the same, but I do place those in an airtight container (even a Ziploc baggie will do) and then refrigerate them.

My dogs love them, I know they are getting healthy treats, and the effort and time involved is worth the safety factor. Haven't tried to make the chicken wrapped Apple treats yet, but that's coming :)

Dried Chicken Strips for Dogs

Mallie and Max

I have not yet tried your recipe. I just wanted to Thank You for posting it. I will be making these for my furry kiddos. I do not own a Food Dehydrator, so finding an oven recipe was wonderful. Hope mine turns out.

Dog treat only "brown" on one side...

(Sarasota, FL)

Sadie

I made these for my Jack Russell, Sadie... she's normally very gentle when it comes to taking treats from my hand, but snatches these right up!

My only question is, was I supposed to turn them during the baking process? They came out nice and golden on one side, but still white on the other... although Sadie doesn't mind at all!

Chef's Answer ~ Sadie is so cute! Thanks for sharing the picture and how she snatches your homemade dog treats. :)

No, you were not suppose to turn the treats. However, you can if you would like to see them browned on both sides.

My only concern is that the "white" side was cooked or dried completely. If it was, then your only concern is the way they look, and that can be remedied with turning the slices over half way through the drying time.

What about dark meat? I.E. Leg & thighs?

by Joe
(Denver)

Link (120 lbs)

What about using dark meat? I made jerky for my dog from chicken breast, and (obviously) he loves it.

I'm wondering if anything different needs to be done to dark meat?

Also, as with people jerky, is there any advantage (besides taste) to marinating the chicken meat prior to dehydrating?

Chef's Answer ~ It's great to hear that Link loves the chicken jerky! :)

Dark chicken meat can be treated the same as the white breast meat. However, keep in mind that it tends to have more moisture and fat in it, so you will probably need to dry it longer than the white meat.

You're right, a marinade is primarily for taste. Since your dog already loves the chicken jerky, there's no need to bump up the flavor. Plus, most marinades have a large amount of sodium, which your dog does not need in his treats.

A marinade can also tenderize the meat and make it more chewable. That's usually not something that our dogs need, since they have such strong jaws.

Overall, my recommendation is to skip a marinade when making jerky for your dog. The natural flavor of the dried meat is almost always enough of a lure to make it a very satisfying treat.

Secret of thin Chicken Jerky strips!

by Apple
(New Orleans)

My sweet Siro

I'm not very good at slicing the Chicken breast meat very thin. My knives are never quite sharp enough to do the job.

So, what I do is this...I cut the strips as thin as I can without driving myself crazy. Then I put them between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound them as thin as I need with a rubber mallet or a meat pounder. Then I take these nice thin strips and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to keep them from sticking and make cleaning the pan easy.

I sprinkle the strips with a little bit of powdered thyme and garlic powder. A little bit goes a long way and too much may turn the furry ones off.

Put them in a 225 degree oven for 2 to 4 hours... depending on your oven and the thickness of the jerky.

I store mine in a plastic bag in the fridge because I don't really trust chicken at room temperature without preservatives...and that's what we're trying to avoid.

Good luck!

My Great Dane adores these treats and I don't have to cut them up. He likes nice long strips.

Thanks for the basic recipe. It really helped me.

I make these dog treats for my girls and their friends

by Daniel
(Pennsylvania)

Lucy and Ethel

Everyone loves these! The most difficult part is slicing the chicken breast so thin.

Using a dehydrater for these dog treats - how long to cook?

by Anna Wozniak
(Olmsted Twp, Ohio)

Our puppy Beauregard

Beauregard really loves his treats.....

Chef's Answer ~ First, Beauregard is an adorable name for your puppy & he's just as cute as his name! His fur looks so shiny and soft. :)

Dehydrators are all a little different, but I can give you a couple guidelines to follow. The USDA sets 165 degrees to be the minimum temperature for poultry, so that will be your first check. You want the jerky to be flexible, but not moist. It may take a little longer past the temperature setting, depending on how thick your chicken pieces are & how many you are preparing at once.

If all else fails, check your dehydrators user manual. If you do not have it, check online for your make and model, as many manuals can be found.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Jerky dog treat recipe besides chicken?

by Rocki Haire
(Parma Hts., Ohio USA)

I won't put the bottle down till I get one of your special Dog Treats!

I love the ingredients of your recipes.

I can only find chicken jerky recipes. Do you have any more recipes for jerky's? Can't wait to start cooking. Making chicken jerky today. Rock

Chef's Comments ~ Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying my dog treat recipes.

You may want to try my Liver Dog Treats or for a veggie version you can try my Sweet Potato Treats.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. :)

Is any meat ok to feed to my dogs if it is made in a dehydrater?

by Rochelle
(Fort Collins,CO)

I have been wanting to make jerky for my 2 small dogs but was unsure if the process of dehydrating would be safe with all meats. Especially chicken.

Chef's Answer ~ Any meat that is safe for your dog to eat like Chicken, Turkey or Duck would be wonderful made into jerky dog treats.

Just make sure that your jerky is cooked all the way through and does not have any sharp edges that could poke small mouths.

Follow your dehydrators manual and cook the meat until done, it should be just fine. There is no need to season or salt the meat before dehydrating.

SAFE Chicken Jerky dog treats

by Treata
(AR)

I am making the chicken jerky for the first time. I hope it comes out good and my Chihuahuas like it.

They LOVE the ones from the store but since basically ALL chicken jerky comes from China I HAD to do something.

So glad to know how easy they are to make. Why doesn't any American company start making Chicken Jerky? I have only found 2 made in the USA. One was more like a pressed chicken, not real strips and the other was absolutely unreal in the price it was so expensive.

Chicken Jerky dog treats took a long time to dry

by Veronica
(Kirkland, WA)

I bought the chicken tenderloin strips you can get from Costco. I sliced them in half and followed instructions. But for some reason it took like over twice as long to get them cooked- is this normal? Should I up the temp for the oven? We have a pretty new oven so I don't think the temp would be off but I also don't think that 4+ hours is normal to get them cooked either.

Chef's Comments ~ A longer dehydrating time could be caused by several different things. Since you shared that you live in Washington, it could be that the humidity in your home was higher. This would make the treats stay moister longer.

Another possibility is that your pan was crowded. If the chicken slices were really close together it would again slow the drying process.

However, with those things being said, if your chicken jerky turned out the way you and your dog wanted, I wouldn't give a second thought to the longer time.

If you want you could raise the temperature by 25 degrees to see if that helps shorten the drying time.

I hope this helps! :)

He loves the chicken dog treats but needs something softer

by Angel
(California)

My dogs love these chicken treats, but my older dog, poor guy, is missing most of his teeth & the few he has are in bad shape so he has a hard time chewing. He loves treats & really gets excited for them, but I really need to find a softer treat he can chew with ease that's also good for him. Any suggestions? :-)

Chef's Answer ~ One option is to look for dog muffin recipes for your older companion. Or, when you make homemade dog biscuits, bake the treats for about half the recommended time. Take several out for your older dog and let the rest bake the full time for your other dogs.

Chicken came out chewy not crunchy

by Sue
(Oakley, CA)

I boiled my chicken breast sliced them into 1.8 or less laid them on a cookie sheet lined with foil and baked for 2 hours at 200 degrees but they came out chewy not crunchy. Do I need to cook longer?

Chef's Answer ~ Before I can answer your question, I have one of my own. Did your dog like the chewy chicken jerky? If your dog enjoyed the treat, then I would keep making it the way you described.

That being said, the chicken jerky is suppose to be chewy, not crunchy. Also, the instructions do not mention boiling the chicken before baking it in the oven, so I can't say whether or not you should bake it longer.

If your dog is craving a crunchy homemade dog treat, I would recommend the Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Dog Cookie recipe.

Undercooked to overcooked dog treats

by Shirley Neal
(Georgia)

After 2 hours in the oven, the chicken jerky was still white and foamy looking. I was afraid it was not done. I raised the temp up to 250 degrees for another hour and it still looked white and foamy.

Finally after 3 hours, I turned the oven up to 300 degrees. Then they were nice and brown and harder than a brick. I have an older dog and she needs them to be chewy. What am I doing wrong?

Chef's Answer ~ First, I don't think you did anything "wrong". I do have some tips that may help you if you choose to make this dog treat recipe again.

The first tip is to pound out your chicken breast into uniform thicknesses. This will help you get an even cooking throughout without any underdone or overdone parts.

The second is to check your ovens temperature with an oven thermometer. All ovens are a little different and it's possible that yours is not quite hot enough. Once you know the actual temperature you can better determine how long to dehydrate the chicken.

Third, if you live in a cool or cold environment it will take your oven longer to heat up and cook the chicken. You may want to start at 250 or 275 if this is the case.

Fourth, since your chicken strips continued to look "white and foamy" I would recommend turning the strips over halfway through the baking time.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

LOVED the Dog Treat Recipe, But Not Cheap!

by Kimberlee W
(Iowa)

Actually, I started making these after I found out my dog's favorite chickie-treats were made in China (try not to buy ANYTHING from China!).

But an organic chicken? Well, that's the whole reason in the first place, right? But, MAN! that's $9.00 for a chicken!! (4 1/2 lbs.) which only yields about 14 oz. of treats. Yes, I feed the whole chicken to the dog, except the bones. And I don't bone a chicken very well, LOL! Takes about an hour to cut it up & get it in the oven. They will last for about 2 months at a rate of one or two a day.

But our Bobo? He's generally an outdoor dog, but comes in on occasion. When he does, now he walks RIGHT TO THE FREEZER! AND STARES, LOL! So yes, my dog does prefer them to say the least.

Will try the peanut butter cookies next; look a bit cheaper to make.

Chef's Comments ~ You're right, some of our dog treat recipes are not easy on the budget. But, if the treats really do last for 2 months, then that's only $4.50 each month or .15 cents a day. Maybe if you look at it like that, it won't seem so bad, especially since Bobo is enjoying them so much. :)

I'm glad to hear the recipe turned out well for you, hope you enjoy the other recipes, too.

Just the dog treats I was looking for!

by Gunnar's Chef
(Massachusetts)

I had been buying the Waggin Train chicken tenders. My dog just loves these, but they're even more expensive per pound than boneless chicken breast. So for us, this will be an economical treat I know my dog will love ... I'm off to make them now!

Fantastic dog treats!!!

by Patty
(Illinois)

Just made these chicken treats and Wow! My 2 yr old chihuahua Loves them! I am so Happy that I found this site!! Keep up the Fantastic Work!! I Thank You! To know that all is natural is the Best for any Pet!

Just put the chicken jerky dog treats in the oven!!

by Katie C
(KY)

The chicken I used was originally frozen & left to thaw in the fridge overnight. When I took it out to slice it, it was still partially frozen & I think that helped me make the slices thinner! If you struggle with slicing the chicken thin, put it in the freezer for an hour or two!

Dogs loved the homemade chicken jerky!

by Kim
(Kansas)

Used this dog treat recipe 3 weeks ago, with 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts. Only own one cooking sheet so used a pan for some. They didn't quite turn out like the picture, but the dogs didn't care and loved them. I needed recipes for a diabetic dog and this did the trick. Also was concerned about the wagon train chicken jerky from China.

Can you use duck breast or thigh for this dog treat recipe?

by Carol
(Newfoundland)

This recipe sounds easy.

Chef's Answer ~ Absolutely you can use duck meat to dry for dog treats.

However, duck has a higher fat content so you will want to trim the fat before drying. You'll most likely need to dry it longer than the chicken jerky. Check your slices of meat every hour or so and take them out when you achieve the right consistency and texture.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

How do you use a dehydrator to make chicken jerky dog treats?

by Colleen
(Howell, NJ)

I need a recipe for using a dehydrator instead of the oven.

Chef's Answer ~ Since each dehydrator is different, I won't be able to give you a specific recipe. But I can give you tips for drying your own chicken jerky dog treats.

First, check your model of dehydrator for their manual. If you don't have a physical copy, you may be able to find it online in a pdf format.

Many recommend cooking the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees before drying.

Once your chicken slices have been prepared, lay them out on your dehydrator trays without touching. Use the highest setting on your machine or 165 degrees. Dry until there is no more moisture. Usually about 6-8 hours, depending on how thick your slices are.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Loved the dog treats!

by Jackie
(Romulus, MI)

It took almost 4 hrs in my oven, but well worth the wait to know that Boss' treats were safe for him to eat....Oh yeah I wasn't the only one who was impatient!

The key to thin, consisent slices of chicken breast

by Dorien
(Colorado)

I was sure I'd need to freeze the chicken breast, but gave it a try straight from the fridge. Use a large knife, sharp knife.

Place breast on smooth side and slice across the top for thin slices. Initially you will have sections that are thick, simply butterfly those sections (slice through but not off)to ensure consistent thickness. I turned the breast frequently to keep it a consistent thickness.

Avoid sawing. Slide the knife through in one stroke. If you aren't at the end start the knife again.

Finally, make adjustments with the thickness when you lay the treats in the pan. extra thin pieces can be pushed together a bit. Thicker pieces can be spread out, or make some small butterfly cuts if needed.

Chicken Jerky for Dogs - why is it greasy?

by Gail
(CA)

I have tried the recipe twice, with very thin slices then with thicker slices. I liked the thinner slices as they cooked faster. The dogs love them. I put them in ziplock bags, after cooling on paper towel, and noticed the next day they were greasy. Is there anything I can do to eliminate this?

Chef's Answer ~ First, I'm so glad to hear that your dogs love the homemade dog treats. :)

Sometimes jerky can become greasy if all of the fat is not cooked out. Is it possible that your chicken jerky can be dried longer?

You could try dehydrating this batch longer or dab with paper towels before serving to your dogs if the jerky is completely cooked.

I hope this helps. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)

Thank You Thank You or WOOF WOOF for this Dog Treat Recipe!!!!

by Noreen
(Tulsa, OK)

My Shelties love the chicken jerky dog treats, but I can't always afford the price that the store is charging.

But I can get chicken at a good price. So now my furry little friends have their favorite treats back!

I also use the dark meat. I take the bones out of the thighs and lightly pound out the meat so it is more evenly flat. I then freeze it for about an hour so that it is easier to cut into stripes. Then dehydrate in the machine. Works great!

How can you make chicken wrapped dehydrated fruit dog treats? Is it as simple as wrapping chicken around a piece of fruit and sticking it in the dehydrator?

by Laurie
(Phoenix, AZ)

I ordered a bag of chicken wrapped dehydrated fruit dog treats from Drs Foster and Smith and after seeing them, I am positive I can make these myself. I just don't know if there is anything special I need to do to the chicken before putting in in the dehydrator. I was just going to cut the raw chicken very thinly, wrap it around a piece of fruit (banana, apple, apricot etc.) and put the entire thing in my dehydrator. Do I need to precook the chicken before I do this?

Chef's Answer ~ Great question! :) Since I have not personally made this dog treat recipe, I'll refer you to someone who has. You can find her detailed instructions on this website:

http://www.make-and-build-dog-stuff.com/special-and-healthy-chickenapple-treats.html

You've inspired me to try to make these treats. As soon as I do, I'll be sure to share my tips. :)

My little guy loves these chicken jerky treats

I found that the easiest way to slice the chicken breast (or any meat) is to PARTIALLY FREEZE the chicken first. You can easily slice it as thin as you want.

First time making chicken jerky, can I make it in a convection oven?

Have not made yet!

Chef's Answer ~ Yes, you can make it in a convection oven. However, because of the increased air flow, you will not need to dry your chicken jerky for as long as our recipe states.

I would check the chicken every 30 minutes and remove any pieces that are done as you go.

They loved the homemade chicken jerky dog treats

by Bill
(Chicago)

I've been worried sick about giving my bassets chicken jerky treats from China so I tried your recipe for the first time last night.

I had to adjust the baking temperature and time a bit, but the finished product was perfect! They love them and I will not worry about what is in the treats.

I made a week's worth last night and I'll make another couple of week's worth this weekend. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Keeping the slices thin and even cooking of chicken jerkey dog treats

by Joe
(VA Beach, VA)

Freeze chicken and then slice with a large knife. That will make it easy to keep cuts thin.

It helps with cooking if you use a rack on a cookie sheet so hot air gets on both sides at the same time. Worked well for me.

Excellent dog treats

by Carl
(Rochester, NY)

We sliced up a few chicken breasts and put them in our dehydrator for about 36 hours. It took longer than expected because we're going for really crispy and dry - shelf stable, not jerky consistency, but it worked. The dog loves them and I only pay for the price of chicken - not the $5 the chemical-laden dog treats at the store cost!

Thanks -- perfect!

by Skippie
(Seattle)

We are transitioning to All Raw feeding and I only recently heard that liver treats aren't the best thing (tell Ian Dunbar, author of "Before and After Getting Your Puppy"!!).

Anyway, the "All natural Turkey Jerky!" "Grain Free!" treats we were giving for training had BROWN SUGAR, MOLASSES....good grief!! And they cost $15 a bag!

I'm thrilled to have a cheap, super-easy way to do this myself, still have healthy dogs with healthy teeth, and be able to TRAIN them.

Don't know if this is related or not...

by Mike
(NJ)

My chicken was done in the oven. After 3 batches I thought I had the process down, came out crispy and dehydrated just like the store bought type. I used the oven at 200 for 8 hrs.

Now for my question. One of my three dogs has taken to throwing up bile. The other 2 are unaffected. Could it be related to my chicken process? Or is it coincidental? The timing is uncanny but the other 2 are perfectly fine. Very peculiar.

Chef's Answer ~ Wow, that is very concerning. I would call your Vet immediately to discuss the details of your dogs symptoms and any recommended treatment.

Any time your dog has a different reaction to a new food or treat, it's best to discontinue serving this to your dog and talk to a Vet.

My dog was afraid of the oven before these chicken jerky treats

by Donna
(NJ)

My dog LOVES them. What a great recipe. Much Cheaper to make than buy. I am making another batch tonight. This is my 3rd time. My dog is laying in front of the oven waiting.

Just a Suggestion on how to do in an Oven

by Monique
(Kentucky)

I've made regular jerky in my oven. I put a piece of foil large enough to cover the bottom of the oven. I cut my strips of meat to 1/4 inch, and then used toothpicks to run through the meat, and hang it on the rack leaving space that the meat doesn't touch each other.

Then, I have the oven set to the lowest temp. The drippings are caught by the foil so it doesn't make a mess in your oven, and they seem to dry very well.

My pups never turned them down! I have 2 Chihuahuas and they love their jerky treats. I have also used turkey and flank steaks. Do watch the fat content...try and keep it lean.

Chicken jerky for my dogs

Made these today, success, changed temp to 225, turned chicken half way, cooked for 2.15 hours.

The chicken was organic, cheaper than the vet bill if they get sick, chicken was a little frozen, ease to cut in thin slice, they love it, thank you.

Very Popular with Our Picky Dog

Our dog loves these, and I make some every weekend. It's not hard to do, but I wish I knew a way to make the slices thinner.

We buy the chicken breasts whenever they're on sale for rock-bottom prices and freeze them.

I use a super-sharp bread knife to get the thinnest slices possible, but I'm not a very patient person, so sometimes I'm disappointed at the thickness.

I've tried slicing them frozen, partially frozen, cold and room-temp and so far, the most uniform slices have been from partially frozen chicken.

We break the pieces up and mix them with a grain-free dry dog food to get her to eat it. First she cherry-picks all the chicken out and then she goes back for the dry food after the chicken strips are gone. We also give her the chicken strips for training, rewards, treats, and we "trade" them with her when she has a sock or something she shouldn't have.

She hates food and is the pickiest dog we've ever had, but she never turns her nose up at these!

Baked Chicken Strip treats for my dogs

by Sheilagh Howe
(Mount Morris, MI)

This recipe is in fact very easy. I found that semi frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast meat works the best.

Even a surgeon can't cut evenly sliced squirmy chicken breast strips if it's not semi frozen!! I also found that 1/8 of an inch cooks down to paper thin strips.

My two Boxers and our 10 year old Yorkie thought these treats were awesome! And I will continue to back these for my "furry kids". I know what they are made from, where they are made and I certainly want the very best for my dogs.

Best o'luck to anyone who wants to give this a whirl. It's sure worth the joy on your pets face when you ask them "want a treat?" I'll take pics the next time I make these - OH! And they freeze well too.

If my dogs eat the dog treats within 4-5 days, do I still need to keep them in the refrigerator or can I store them is an airtight container on the counter?

by Lynn
(Los Angeles, CA)

My dogs LOVE the chicken jerky dog treats and they are actually less expensive than buying the already made chicken strips from the pet store.

Even though I always bought chicken strips that were labeled as being made in the U.S.A., it makes me feel better to know that I made them myself. I know that there are no preservatives or salt on the strips. Thanks for the recipe!

Chef's Answer ~ If your dogs are really eating all of the chicken jerky within a few days, I think it would be fine to keep them on the counter in an air tight container.

Just keep an eye on how long you keep them out and store any in the fridge or freezer for longer periods of time.

Thank you for this technique

by Kim
(Colorado)

Thank you for this technique. I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to.

I'm concerned about the safety of the store bought jerky as well as the ethical treatment of the animals that are used to make my dog's food.

Now I can buy fresh, free range chicken and we can both feel good about the treats!

Lazy Man's way of Making Jerky for Dogs

I go to the deli and buy the best roast beef they have, and the best turkey meats, (not pressed meat) they slice it for me and I put it into my food dehydrator and in 2 hours voila!! Fresh treats.

They go fast too. I at least know they are getting something good for them and it is a quick and satisfying solution.

Nobody really specifies-do you start with raw chicken?

Do you start with raw chicken or the pre-cooked breasts?

Chef's Answer ~ Our recipe uses raw chicken breasts for the jerky.

You could actually use either one, as long as the final product was completely dried.

The benefit of using raw chicken breast is that you know there is nothing extra on or in the chicken. Some cooked chicken breasts will have spices, preservatives or other things that you may not want in your dogs chicken jerky.

Yummy Chicken Jerky Treats

by Betsy
(California)

These are so good and easy to make. They did take longer to get really dried and crisp, about 3.5 hours at 225 degrees. But I made a big batch using 4 lbs. of chicken tenders, sliced, and rotating pans.

The problem is that I also like the crispy treats which are really cooked chicken. One dog treat for them, one for me.

I love how pure with no preservatives, just chicken. I always felt guilty giving my dogs the treats from China but it is the one dog treat that they love. Now I will always make my own.

Did anyone else try the treats? My dogs love them as much or more than the store bought brand that were just dehydrated, almost too chewy to eat. These are crisp and crunchy. Excellent, thank you!

Do you need to worry about salmonella if you dehydtrate chicken for 8-12 hours?

by Kay
(NJ)

My dog LOVES them. Turned his nose up to a pigs ear after he tried the chicken jerky!!

Chef's Answer ~ Wow, what a result, I'm so glad to hear the jerky was a big success. :)

No, there should be no cause for concern if you completely dry your chicken jerky.

Be sure to clean the utensils, counters and anything else the raw chicken may have touched before it was completely dried.