Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Easy Chicken Jerky -- No special equipment

With the recent recalls and warnings about Chinese chicken jerky, it makes sense to make your own chicken jerky treats at home. You can control all of the ingredients, and you can make as much or as little as you need.

If you haven't been following the news about Chinese dog treats, we do not recommend giving your dogs ANY treats or chewies imported from China. There are many cases of sick and dying dogs resulting from ingestion of Chinese treats, jerky, and chewies. READ LABELS. The only treats I personally consider safe are those made in the USA, and preferably made in your own kitchen.

Chicken Jerky

Ingredients:

  • Chicken breast fillets (watch the sales ads for bags of frozen chicken breasts)
  • Garlic powder (just a dusting)
Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 200F
  • Spritz a baking sheet with cooking spray, or use a sheet of parchment.
  • Rinse chicken breasts, trim off any fat, and pound flat with a meat mallet, to approximately 1/4-1/2" thick. Slice into strips if desired. Dust very lightly with garlic powder for flavor.
  • Place chicken strips on baking sheet, spread them apart so they are not touching.
  • Bake for 2 hours, checking temperature with a baking thermometer every 20 minutes to ensure even cooking.
  • Remove and cool on wire racks. Slice into serving sizes as desired. Cooking time may vary -- Treats should be completely dry, not soft at all.
  • Serve when completely cool. Will keep in fridge for 3 weeks, freeze in zip-lock bags for up to 8 months.

Warning! Dogs LOVE chicken jerky! Keep your fingers at a safe distance. =)

--Jo.