Slice
You will want to start by taking two medium sized chicken breasts and slicing them into strips no wider than one quarter of an inch. In some stores, you can find pre sliced chicken to use for stir fry. These are normally thin slices and would work just as well while also removing the ick factor of slicing raw chicken breast.
Everything you need to get started.
Season
After the chicken strips are sliced, spray each one with a bit of dog friendly cooking spray. We normally use Pompeian Olive Oil or Pompeian Avocado Oil cooking spray. At this point, you can add a very light sprinkle of dog friendly seasoning like rosemary or sage but it is not necessary. Do stay away from pepper, onion and garlic as they are concentrated in powder form. They have the potential to cause some gastrointestinal upset and/or affect the absorption of medications if the meat is over seasoned.
We’ve had great luck with our NESCO food dehydrator.
Dehydrate
When the chicken is ready, place the strips on the dehydrator rack and patiently wait 5-6 hours. The treats should not have any moisture left when done. If they do, continue to dehydrate until the meat is dehydrated throughout. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can also use you oven on the lowest setting. I start checking strips in the oven at about 90 minutes and then every 30 minutes until all moisture is removed. Oven treats typically take 2-3 hours depending on the temperature.
Because there are no preservatives in the chicken jerky treats, you will want to keep them in your fridge to ensure safe eating. Have any dog friendly modifications to share? Let us know below or on Lzzy Lou’s Facebook. Happy snacking!