Homemade Chicken Dog Treats
NO MORE CHINA DOG TREATS. ANOTHER RECALL AGAIN.
Homemade Chicken Treats for My Dog
Need:
o Chicken breasts
o Costco: Kirkland, skinless, boneless, breast; 13 to 16 per bag (Consider: beef, liver, turkey)
o Baking sheets or pans for baking and drying
o Tin foil (optional)
o Cutting surface and knife
o Oven
o Storage/freezer containers or bags
o Space in freezer
1. Storage
o Put market bag(s) of chicken in fridge (not freezer) overnight for next day cooking
o Bag instructions state that cooking frozen is ok
2. Cooking
o Pre-heat oven to 375
o Chicken is placed uncovered on sheet (with tin foil is best for reusing sheets for drying)
o No seasoning, no salt
o Bake semi-unfrozen chicken at 375 for ~ 50 minutes
o Bag instructions suggest less time, but looking for thorough cooking
3. ‘Chips’
o Slice thin, 1/8 to 1/16”
o Cut while still warm
o Cut ‘medallions’ by cutting at angle rather than down, especially at thin end of breast. At ‘fat’ end, can be cut down.
o Use flat of fork to hold chicken while cutting. Avoid poking holes in chicken with fork
o Resist the staring dog
4. Drying
o Spread chips on a baking sheet. Do not stack
o Bake at about 200 degrees for 2+ hours. Wedge oven door open an inch or two while baking
- Length of time depends on thinness and other factors
- Flip the chips during cooking at about 1 ¼ hours, until crisp. Looking for leathery to crisp texture after cooled.
- The ‘white’ of the meat should be gone
o As chips will be stored in the freezer, they do not have to be jerky
o Continue to resist giving the dog all the chips now.
5. Storage
o Store chips in plastic freezer bags in the freezer; not truly dried, must be frozen
o Date the bags
o Take one bag from freezer at a time and keep in fridge for current use
