Recipe: Homemade Hamburger and Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

January 19, 2023

Do you know what is in the treats you give your dog? Making your own treats is one way to ensure your pet is getting "good for them" treats that will make your pup happy and healthy and ease your mind that you are giving them something nutritional. You control what is in the snack by adding or editing ingredients to fit your dogs dietary and health needs. No unnecessary fillers or additives that may not agree with your dogs digestive system.

We have come up with an easy to make and tasty option to keep both you and your fur friend happy!

My dogs love jerky treats, but they can be terribly expensive to buy. The other problem is that processed food companies often add ingredients that may not be the best for your dog’s health, just like in human snack foods. These additives may not be overtly harmful, but many of them have been linked to inflammation and poor digestion, among other negative impacts.

The best way to know what you are feeding your four-legged friends is to make your own treats. My dogs’ favorite is my Homemade Hamburger and Chicken Jerky. I like to make two batches — one with vitamins and one without — because I tend to give my pups a lot of treats in a day.

One of my dogs started showing signs of arthritis around six years of age, so we need to give him glucosamine daily. He can have major flare ups without it, meaning he wouldn’t be able to run and jump. I have used many different hip supplements brands over the years, but I wanted to make sure we were not just treating the symptoms: We wanted to prevent the issue from occurring at all.

I worked with veterinarians to develop a blend of ingredients that is made from all-natural, organic ingredients and produced right here in Vancouver, WA. I know my pup is getting the very best, because Healers Hip & Joint Health blend offers more than 16 plant-based ingredients that decrease joint inflammation and rebuild cartilage. It has so many great ingredients that we couldn’t fit them all in a normal chew size, so we sell it in powder form.

What is great about having a hip and joint health supplement as a powder is that you can sprinkle it on your dog’s food or blend it into a recipe like this one. This way, when you give your dog his treat, he is getting the benefit of vitamins and minerals in addition to a tasty snack. I don’t know about you, but my dog normally seems to know when I add vitamins. Even though something has great flavor and he will eat it, he just looks at me saying, “You can’t fool me! I know you added something good for me in there!” It reminds me of getting my kids to eat their vegetables, so blending it into my homemade jerky means he eats it right up and I know he is getting the greatest benefit.

In addition to our Hip & Joint powder, we have partnered with a great farm in Costa Rica that sells us the most amazing turmeric. Healers Turmeric Golden Paste is the best on the market, as it is twice as potent as other turmeric blends and boasts 4.8 percent curcumin levels. Adding it to this recipe means your dog gets all the benefits turmeric offers, and you won’t have any trouble getting him to eat it. The combination will provide your pet with the perfect blend of all-natural vitamins for greater mobility, reduced inflammation, and cancer prevention, among many other perks.

So, here is my awesome Homemade Beef and Chicken Jerky recipe your dog will love, and it has the added benefits of helping to keep your pet happy, healthy and active.

Terri’s Homemade Beef & Chicken Jerky Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (use low-fat hamburger with <10% fat)
1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 cup (24 tsps.) of Healers Hip and Joint powder
1/2 cup Healers Turmeric Golden Paste powder
1 tsp meat tenderizer

Optional flavoring and ingredients:

I sometimes add Liquid Smoke or a mesquite spice for a little bit more flavor.
Shredded carrots also are a great addition.

Directions:

1) If you are using a food dehydrator, skip to step 2. If you plan to bake your treats in the oven, preheat it to 180 degrees F.

2) Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

3) You can roll the mixture out between sheets of wax paper until approximately 1/2-inch thick, then cut it into strips about 1-inch wide, but I like to use a hamburger jerky gun. It works perfectly for making just the right-sized strips.

4) Place your strips on food dehydrator racks or space them evenly on greased cookie sheets.

5) Set your dehydrator to “max temp” or place your cookie sheets into the oven for 4-5 hours. The strips should be nice and dry when they are done, but also a little chewy.

Each strip will have approximately ½ teaspoon of vitamins, so you would want to give your dog 1 to 4 treats per day depending on his or her size — just the right amount for the greatest benefit.

Enjoy!