Homemade chicken jerky for dogs is about as simple as dog treats get. Just chicken breasts, sliced into strips and dried low and slow until they’re firm and chewy. One ingredient, no preservatives or fillers, and a whole lot cheaper than the bags at the pet store. I’ll walk you through both the dehydrator method and the oven method below.
If you’ve been here before, you know I love making homemade dog food and treats for our pup, Magnus. These chicken jerky treats are one of his absolute favorites, and I love knowing exactly what’s in them. When I started making homemade dog treats years ago, having control over the ingredients was one of the biggest reasons why. We make all kinds of dehydrated treats, from dehydrated sweet potato dog treats to beef jerky and even dehydrated hamburger patties.
And apparently they’re not just for dogs! Our cat, Athena, loves them too. I simply break a strip into much smaller pieces for her.
Why Make Homemade Chicken Jerky for Dogs?
There are a few reasons these are always in our homemade dog treat rotation:
- Just one ingredient. Chicken breast. That’s it. No preservatives, added salt, seasonings, or fillers.
- Easy to make. Most of the time it is hands-off while the chicken dries.
- Budget-friendly. A few chicken breasts can make a large batch compared with the small bags of chicken jerky sold at the pet store.
- Easy to portion. Cut the strips larger for big dogs or break them into smaller pieces for smaller dogs and training treats.
- You control the ingredients. This is always one of my favorite reasons for making Magnus’s treats at home.
What Kind of Chicken Works Best?
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are my choice for homemade chicken jerky. They’re lean and easy to slice into uniform strips, which helps the chicken dry more evenly.
Trim away any visible fat before dehydrating. Fat doesn’t dehydrate the same way the lean meat does and can shorten the storage life of homemade jerky.
Tip: Place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 1–2 hours before slicing. Partially frozen chicken is much easier to cut into thin, even strips.
What You’ll Need
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 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 Jerky for Dogs
Dehydrator Method
This recipe is as simple as it gets.
- Trim any visible fat from the chicken breasts.
- Slice the chicken into approximately ¼-inch strips. Try to keep them as uniform as possible so they dry at about the same rate.
- Arrange the chicken strips in a single layer on your dehydrator trays, making sure the pieces don’t overlap.
- Dehydrate at 165°F–167°F, or the highest setting on your dehydrator, for approximately 10–12 hours.
- Check the chicken toward the end of the drying time. The strips should be completely dry and firm rather than soft or moist in the center.
- Allow the chicken jerky to cool completely before serving to your pup or storing.
Drying time can vary somewhat depending on the thickness of your strips and your dehydrator, so use the texture of the chicken as your final guide rather than relying only on the clock.
Oven-Baked Chicken Jerky for Dogs
No dehydrator? You can make these chicken jerky treats in the oven too.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Slice the chicken into approximately ¼-inch strips.
- Arrange the strips in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet without overlapping.
- Bake for 2–3 hours, flipping the strips halfway through.
- The chicken should be dry and firm and snap when broken.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
Storage
Because homemade chicken jerky doesn’t contain preservatives, proper storage is important.
Store completely cooled chicken jerky in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For longer storage, keep it refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it for up to 6 months.
I like freezing larger batches and taking out what I need. Always check homemade treats before serving and discard them if you notice mold, excess moisture, or an unusual odor.
How Much Chicken Jerky Can I Give My Dog?
Treats should only be a small part of your dog’s overall daily diet. The right amount will depend on your dog’s size, age, activity level, regular diet, and individual nutritional needs.
For Magnus, I can give a larger strip or break the jerky into smaller pieces depending on how I’m using it. For a smaller dog, I would cut or break the strips into appropriately sized pieces.
If you’re unsure how many treats are appropriate for your dog, especially if your dog has allergies, health concerns, or specific nutritional needs, check with your veterinarian.
Plain dehydrated chicken can be a simple high-protein dog treat. These strips contain just one ingredient, boneless skinless chicken breast, with no added salt, seasonings, preservatives, or fillers. They’re also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.
As with any treat, whether chicken is appropriate for your dog depends on their individual diet and health needs. Check with your veterinarian if your dog has food allergies or requires a special diet.
Chicken breast is one of my favorites. It’s lean, easy to find, and dries into firm strips without a lot of fat left behind. Removing as much visible fat as possible is important because fat can shorten the shelf life of homemade dehydrated treats.
Other lean meats can also be dehydrated for dogs. I make beef jerky and dehydrated beef patties for Magnus as well.
One of the benefits of homemade chicken jerky is knowing exactly what’s in your dog’s treats. This recipe contains only chicken breast, without added salt, seasonings, fillers, or preservatives.
A batch using 2–3 chicken breasts makes approximately 25 strips, although the exact amount will depend on how large you cut them.
These homemade chicken jerky strips remain one of Magnus’s favorites. They’re simple, economical, and I know exactly what I’m giving him, which is always important to me when it comes to homemade dog treats.
This post may contain affiliate links by which I may receive a small commission. All product links are items I personally use in my kitchen.
If you make this recipe I would love it if you left a review below and tag me on Instagram!
Homemade Chicken Jerky for Dogs (Dehydrated Chicken Strips)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 2-3 chicken breasts about 2-2½ pounds
Instructions
Dehydrator Method
- Trim off any visible fat from the chicken breasts.
- Slice the chicken into approximately ¼-inch-thick strips. Try to keep them as uniform as possible so they dry at about the same rate.
- Dehydrate at 165°F–167°F, or the highest setting on your dehydrator, for approximately 10–12 hours.
- Check the chicken toward the end of the drying time. The strips should be completely dry and firm rather than soft or moist in the center.
- Allow the chicken jerky to cool completely before storing.
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.
Notes
- 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.
Perfect
Thank you!