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In the summer the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven to bake dog treats.
It’s just been way to hot at Casa de Kolchak to turn on the oven and let’s be honest? When it’s nice outside, I’d rather be off enjoying life with my dogs than cooped up in the kitchen making homemade dog treats. The good news is, there’s another way! Dehydrator dog treats are perfect to make in the hot weather.
Dehydrator dog treats are my summer go to recipe.
Because a dehydrator works by circulating warm, but not roasty hot air, the machine doesn’t generate a ton of heat, plus I have power on my deck, so I can plug that suck in outside and avoid running it indoors altogether.
Usually, when I make dog treats in the dehydrator I don’t worry to much about pre-cooking the meat. Yes, not cooking it through can leave behind traces of bacteria, like salmonella, but since my dogs are raw fed (and I believe the canine system is much better equipped to handle these bacteria than our human systems are), this slight risk doesn’t cause me a lot of concern. In the summer however, when the heat and especially the humidity are high, it takes me longer than usual to dry out our treats and I feel better knowing the meat was cooked through prior to drying it.
I still don’t want to turn on the oven though and thus, BBQ DIY Dog Chews were created.
Chances are the BBQ becomes the food prep MVP of your home during the summer. Most people I know use it several times a week and so, it was the easiest most logical choice for our latest dog treat recipe, which is super easy and drives my dogs absolutely WILD.
Since it’s already on, there’s no extra pan or tray to clean up. It won’t heat up the house and WHO DOESN’T LOVE BBQ?!
BBQ Dog Chew Dehydrator Dog Treat Recipe
This homemade dehydrated pork jerky for dogs is so easy to make and it's the perfect chewy to spoil your dog with.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean pork loin
Optional Marinade
- 3/4 c. minced sage or parsley
- 1 c. real maple syrup
- 1 c. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- If desired, stir together Maple Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Soy Sauce, and Sage or Parsley.
- Slice the Pork Loin into generous 1/4" - 3/8" medallions. Place pork slices in a zip-top bag or covered dish and place in the fridge to marinate overnight.
- Heat the BBQ to medium heat. (Ideally, you can cook your own dinner, then toss these on while the BBQ cools down!) Place pork medallions on the grill and cook 2 - 4 minutes per side, until pork is cooked through.
- Remove pork from BBQ and place in the dehydrator. Turn to 165F or the "meat" setting. Dry for 8 - 12 hours until chews are firm and non-pliable.
- Once chews are fully dried, preheat your oven to 275F and layout chews on a baking sheet. Allow the oven to come fully to temperature, then bake the chews for 10 minutes to kill off any harmful food bacteria.
- Allow treats to cool completely before packaging or storing.
Notes
- Store in a airtight sealed container in a cool, dry place for up to three weeks on the counter or 3 months in the freezer.
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Not a pork fan? We gotchoo covered. Check out all of our great dehydrator dog treat recipes here or help your pooch cool down with a homemade frozen dog treat.
What is your go-to homemade dog treat to make when the weather is warm?
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Mary Nielsen
Tuesday 15th of August 2017
I see that you are a practical dog mom :) Combining the use of BBQ and the need for dog treats in one great thing.
I don't have a dehydrator but my neighbors do so I will either ask them to make a bunch or I will just BBQ the meat every day as I anyway do and have enough treats for my dogs and cats.
I love your ingredients list and I like it how even if it is a pet treat you didn't exclude the marinade. Maybe I wouldn't use the soy sauce as my pets don't like it but I will figure something out.
I usually make for my pets some frozen yogurt treats but this time not to make an extra effort I will go with the BBQ as I am already doing it a lot almost every day in my yard.
Christoper
Monday 31st of July 2017
I love the recipe, I'm trying this out. Perfect for the season. Thanks for sharing.
Mat Coulton
Wednesday 26th of July 2017
Great idea! I have a dog on a grain-free diet and the jerky treats that I like to give him are really expensive in the store. I am going to give this a try.
My favorite go to snack for my dogs in the summer is chicken broth ice cubes. They love the crunch and it really cools them down. I have made the mistake of feeding them inside – don’t do that, lol. But “ice bones” are a fantastic and easy treat in the heat, with the advantage of adding fluid and electrolytes to their diet.
Rebekah
Tuesday 25th of July 2017
I grill out multiple times a week. You have inspired me to pull my dehydrator out of the garage and use it.