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Homemade Chicken Treats
May 19, 2010
Our thanks to our client John Gendron for sending this on. And thanks also to Maxine, John's official Taste Tester!
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 n 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
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