If you're looking for all natural dog treats that are easy to make at home, these chicken jerky dog treats are what you need to make!

Two dogs sitting behind a wooden chest with a jar of chicken jerky in front of them.

ALL NATURAL HOMEMADE DOG TREATS

If you’re wild about your dogs and want to show them how much you love them, I promise your dogs will go wild for these homemade chicken jerky dog treats. While the process of dehydrating the chicken does take some time, this is a single ingredient recipe and is super easy to do, whether you’re using a traditional oven or an air fryer oven. There’s also the added benefit of knowing exactly what is in the treats you are giving to your furry companions, or more specifically knowing what is NOT in these dog treats – no preservatives, dyes or other unpronounceable ingredients. You can add these treats to other homemade dog treat recipes like my Sweet Potato and Apple Dog Treat Twists, the No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Puppy Treats and my Blueberry Pup Muffins to keep your pups happy all the time.

a frozen chicken breast being sliced into very thin slices on a yellow cutting mat with a chef's knife.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN JERKY

The first step to making these chicken jerky dog treats is to freeze a chicken breast (or two) for just a couple of hours. This makes the chicken firm enough to slice into very thin slices, which is key. Of course, this is your opportunity to choose the quality of the chicken you are feeding to your pooches – organic, free-range, etc… 

Thin strips of chicken in an air fryer mesh basket.

OVEN VS AIR FRYER 

You could make these treats in either your oven or your air fryer, but either way, make sure you lightly oil the mesh basket or rack that you are using. I give the rack a spritz with oil in the sink so that any extra oil is easy to clean up. Then, spread your chicken strips out on the rack or basket with no over-lapping. 

Cooked chicken jerky in an air fryer basket.

TIME AND TEMPERATURE FOR CHICKEN JERKY

Making these dog treats in your air fryer will save you a little time. The hot air blown around in the air fryer helps to dehydrate the chicken. Use a setting of 220˚F for 1½ hours. Then, flip them over and air-fry at 220˚F for another 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how thick you sliced the chicken. 

In the oven, use a temperature of 200˚F and let the chicken bake low and slow for 2 hours. Then, flip the pieces over and bake for another 45 minutes. When finished, the chicken strips should be completely void of moisture and crispy. 

Two dogs in front of a wood stove with a person giving a chicken jerky treat to them.

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN JERKY

When it comes storing these tasty treats, I suggest choosing a place away from Golden Retrievers! Keep them in an airtight container or storage bag – there’s no need to refrigerate them because the dehydration process has removed the moisture and preserved the chicken. There’s no real expiration date on these treats. Just know that they won’t last too long – at least they don’t in my house!

Chicken Jerky Dog Treats - Air Fryer Version

  • PREP TIME: 10 m
  • COOK TIME: 2 h 15 m
  • FREEZING TIME: 1 h
  • TOTAL TIME: 3 h 25 m
  • SERVINGS: 30 makes 30 treats

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
  • olive oil
 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Freeze the chicken breast for about 2 hours so it is easier to slice.

  2. When the chicken breast is slightly frozen, slice it lengthwise into paper thin slices. If they are not evenly sliced, pound out the chicken strips with the flat side of a meal mallet.

  3. Lightly spritz the air fryer basket with olive oil. Lay the chicken strips in the basket in a single layer.
  4. Air-fry at 220°F for 1½ hours.
  5. Flip the chicken strips over and air fry another 45 to 60 minutes, until the chicken has dried out completely and is crispy. Remove the basket from oven and let the chicken cool.
  6. Store the chicken jerky treats in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or refrigerate for up to 30 days (if they last that long!).
Enjoy, 
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