If you’ve been here before, you know I love making homemade dog food and treats for our pup, Magnus. That includes jerky treats—yes, even the meat ones! These Dehydrated Chicken Strips for Dogs are incredibly easy to make, budget-friendly, and way healthier than most store-bought options. I make ours in a dehydrator, but I’ve included an oven method as well, so anyone can try it.

Magnus (our Great Dane) goes crazy for these jerky treats! They’re one of his absolute favorites, and I love knowing exactly what’s in them—just one ingredient, no fat, and no mystery additives. We make all kinds of dehydrated treats, from dehydrated sweet potato dog treats to beef jerky and even dehydrated hamburger patties.

While these treats were initially made for our Dane, our cat, Athena, also loves them! I break them into small pieces for her, so these treats are not just for dogs—they are cat treats as well!

What Kind of Chicken Works Best?

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best. Thin-sliced breast strips are ideal because they’re easier to cut evenly. Just make sure to trim off any visible fat before slicing.

What You’ll Need

Food Dehydrator – I use a 10-tray dehydrator (Ivation) because we do a lot of batch dehydrating, especially during garden season. A smaller one works just fine for this recipe!
Sharp knife
Cutting board

How to Make Dehydrated Chicken Strips for Dogs

Dehydrator Method

Sliced strips of chicken on tray lined with parchment paper.

Dehydrator with trays of sliced chicken strips.

This recipe is as simple as it gets.

Trim off any fat from your chicken breasts.
Slice the chicken into ¼-inch strips.
Place the strips in a single layer on dehydrator trays (or line trays with parchment).
Dehydrate at 165°F–167°F (or the highest setting for your dehydrator) for 10–12 hours. This high temp is key for safely dehydrating meat and killing any bacteria. I’ve tried stopping at 6–8 hours before, but the texture wasn’t quite right—longer is better for full dehydration.
Cool completely on trays or a wire rack.

Pro tip: Flash freeze the chicken for 1–2 hours. (This helps with slicing thin, uniform strips.)

Hand holding a piece of chicken jerky in front of a Great Dane.

Great Dane eating a piece of chicken jerky from a hand.

Oven-Baked Chicken Jerky for Dogs

Oven Method

Preheat oven to 250°F.
Slice chicken into ¼-inch strips.
Place strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 2–3 hours, or until the chicken is dry and snaps when broken, flipping the chicken strips half way through.
Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Storage Tips

Store cooled chicken jerky in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months.

How Much Should You Give Your Dog?

These treats are great for dogs of all sizes, but serving size depends on your dog’s size, age, and activity level. Our Great Danes can handle a few strips a day, but a smaller pup will need less.

General recommendation: 1–2 strips per day.

When in doubt, check with your vet!

Why Make Your Own Dog Jerky Treats?

There are a few really good reasons:

No preservatives or additives—just clean, simple ingredients.
Cost-effective—store-bought jerky treats can cost $10 or more for a small bag. Homemade saves you money and gives you more bang for your buck.
Customizable—you control the thickness, texture, and size based on your dog’s needs.

Homemade dog treats like these dehydrated chicken strips are one of the easiest ways to show your pup a little love—without spending a ton or compromising on quality. For other dehydrated dog treats, check out our beef jerky, sweet potato treats and our beef patty treats.

Leave a comment below if you give these a try!

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