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It is so easy to make healthy, quality chicken jerky treats for dogs using a countertop dehydrator.
By now, I think everyone has heard about the controversy surrounding chicken jerky treats imported from China. There’s no solid proof. There’s no explanation, but there are many reports that these treats are making dogs sick.
Back when I adopted Felix, I didn’t know anything about quality dog treats.
There were no good treats or bad treats, there were just treats. Felix ate a lot of things I would never imagine giving to him now. He ate a lot of things that I thank my lucky stars didn’t make him very , very sick.
We adopted him just a few weeks before the great pet food recall of 2007. As a new dog owner, I was understandably freaked out when almost everything in my house was recalled. You can understand why I panicked when Felix got sick, vomiting a yellow foam. (Holy woof, I sure talk about vomit a lot lately, don’t I?)
These days we know better. Treats can be scary – you have to know that what you’re feeding your dog is safe. That’s why I love making dehydrator dog treats at home.
Jerky treats have always been one of Felix’s favourite treats, but with jerky treats making dogs very, very sick, I just don’t trust them anymore. When even the FDA is saying that Chinese made jerky treats are dangerous, you know it’s time to take notice.
Too many brands are made in China. Still more say they are a “Product of the US”, but they’re made using Chinese ingredients. It’s scary and I’m not taking any chances with my dog’s health and safety.
Not when jerky dog treats are so darn easy to make at home – you can even add fun flavours to make your chewies extra special.
Now, I’m sure if you asked my dogs, they would tell you that chicken jerky treats in any flavour are pretty woofing awesome, but flavoured jerkies just might be a nice gift for the furry friends in your life, don’t you think? And they’re SO FREAKING EASY.
Homemade Chicken Jerky Treats for Dogs
There's no need to buy expensive dog treats when it's so easy to make healthy, delicious dehydrated chicken jerky treats at home.
Ingredients
Basic Jerky
- 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
OPTIONAL: Pineapple Ginger Marinade
- 2 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp.. finely chopped cilantro
OPTIONAL: Apple Rosemary Marinade
- 1 c. apple cider vinegar
- 1 c. unsweetened apple juice
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
Optional: Honey Basil Marinade
- 1 1/2 c. water
- 1/2 c. honey
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped basil
OPTIONAL: Maple Thyme Marinade
- 1 1/2 c. water
- 1/2 c. real maple syrup
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
Instructions
- Whisk together your marinade ingredients.
- Place chicken in a shallow dish or plastic bag and cover with marinade. Place in the fridge and marinate 12 - 24 hours.
- Place chicken chunks onto dehydrator trays. Set to the HIGH or MEAT setting. Dehydrate for 2 - 12 hours, no flipping necessary, until jerky is dry
- Cut a piece in half to test for doneness. Jerky is dry when there is no moisture in the center of the treat and it is the same colour throughout.
- Preheat your oven to 275F and lay your chews out on a baking sheet. Allow the oven to come fully to temperature, then cook chews for 10 minutes to kill off any harmful bacteria.
- Allow treats to cool completely before storing or packaging.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tonja
Tuesday 10th of May 2022
I don't have a 'meat' setting on my dehydrator, but I have various temps. At what temp should the chicken strips be dehydrated?
Felix
Saturday 18th of June 2022
When dehydrating meat, I would always opt for 165F or higher
Andrea
Tuesday 22nd of February 2022
Can you dehydrate thighs too or do you just use the breast meat?
Felix
Saturday 18th of June 2022
You can absolutely dehydrate thigh (and given the price of breasts these days, they've become my go to!) The only thing to keep in mind is that because they have a higher fat content they may spoil faster, so you'd want to keep an eye on that and not make too much!
muriel perrier
Wednesday 16th of February 2022
Hi , I am new to this,and want to make chicken jerky for my dogs, if I understand I don't need to buy a Dehydrator machine ,I can use my home oven and in ten minutes ,I have treats ready for my dogs???
Felix
Sunday 20th of February 2022
You can absolutely use your home oven, but it will take 10 minutes of PREP time and then 12 - 24 hours for the treats to fully dry out in the lowest tempt of your oven.
Tamara
Saturday 26th of December 2020
Hi,
is number 5 step necessary for all meat dehydrated treats? (I saw in some other recipes you don't mention it, so I am just wondering. I'd do that to be on the safe side, but do you ver do it without it, say, if you want to be quick or something?)
Thank you very much! :)
Jodi & Kolchak
Saturday 26th of December 2020
I usually do step 5 on all dehydrated meat treats that go into the dehydrator RAW. For other treats, like our leftover turkey treats or our mango chicken treats, I cook them BEFORE they go into the dehydrator, so they don't need to be flashed after to kill off bacteria. Does that make sense?
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