Make your furry friend’s day extra special with some homemade Beef Jerky For Dogs! Ditch the expensive store-bought stuff loaded with fillers and additives and let them snack on something healthy, nutrient-dense, and wholesome.
Like my Homemade Dog Food, your fur babies will love you for this special treat.
Homemade Beef Jerky for Dogs
By now, you must know how much I love making homemade dog treats for my pups. From carrot dog treats to peanut butter dog ice cream, dog birthday cookies, frozen dog treats, and almost everything in between, I share them all on my blog. But homemade jerky strips are definitely my favorite.
This dog jerky recipe is ridiculously easy to make—just a pound of meat mixed with water! No preservatives, no spices, just pure nutrition for your pets! Prepare it in 10 minutes, place it in the oven, and let it bake low and slow. There’s nothing better than a big batch of jerky dog treats for puppy training, that can be broken into pieces to suit dogs of all sizes.
Why Make Homemade Dog Jerky
Making beef jerky at home is both healthy and affordable. The store-bought kind is often filled with harmful preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, and other additives. But when you make your own beef jerky treats, you can control the ingredients and skip the added salt and sugar.
Do your dogs have food allergies? This dog jerky recipe is an excellent grain-free option, free from soy, gluten, wheat, corn, and other common fillers. It’s a protein-packed treat loaded with essential minerals like zinc, potassium, and magnesium, making it a nutritious and safe snack for your dog.
Ingredients for Homemade Beef Jerky for Dogs
- Very lean ground beef: I like to use very lean ground beef for this recipe because it’s lower in fat and easier for dogs to digest. It delivers high-quality protein and essential nutrients like zinc, iron, and B vitamins, without the extra calories from fat.
- Water
Note: It is important to check with your vet before giving your dog any new foods or treats.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Beef Jerky for Dogs
- Prepare The Pan: Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place a wire cooling rack on top. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix The Meat: Place the ground beef in the center of two wax paper pieces and then mix in the water. Shape the meat into a rectangle and cover with wax paper.
- Flatten And Slice Strips: Roll the ground beef very thin with a rolling pin. Use the pizza cutter to slice strips 2 inches wide x 5 inches long. Do not separate the treats.
- Flip: Place the wire rack upside down on top of the ground beef. Then, holding the edges of the wax paper, pick up ground beef and rack, and flip it over so that the beef is on top.
- Bake: Score a shallow diamond pattern on top of the ground beef. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours until dark brown dry and rigid when cooled.
- Break Into Bites: Break into bite size pieces according to your dog’s size and dietary needs. Cool before serving or storing.
Is Beef Jerky Safe for Dogs
Beef jerky can be a safe and healthy treat for dogs when prepared properly, but there are important factors to consider. Both commercial and homemade options come with their own set of advantages and potential risks, so it’s essential to understand the differences.
Many commercial beef jerky brands are not formulated with dogs in mind. These often contain ingredients that can be harmful to dogs. Added sodium, seasonings (like onion and garlic), spices, preservatives, and sweeteners are often toxic to dogs. While some commercial jerky treats are marketed as dog-friendly, always read the ingredient label carefully.
Homemade jerky is the safer and healthier option because you control exactly what goes into it. When you customize the jerky to your dog’s dietary constraints and cook it without chemicals, you know you are providing your pup with a delicious treat that’s safe to consume.
Note: It is important to check with your vet before giving your dog any new foods or treats.
Just like humans, every dog is different, so this is not meant to be a one-pup-fits-all easy dog treat recipe. Check with your vet before adding any new food to your dog’s diet.
Safety Tips & Variations
- Support Sustainable Snacks: Feel free to use grass-fed beef to provide your pup with a wholesome, nutrient-dense treat while supporting ethical farming practices. Grass-fed beef is typically leaner and lower in overall fat content compared to its grain-fed counterpart. It also contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, has higher levels of vitamins, and may have anti-inflammatory and health-promoting properties. Plus, its raised without hormones or antibiotics, making it a cleaner option for cooking.
- Choose Chicken: You can easily swap the lean ground beef with leand ground chicken to make chicken jerky.
- Skip The Seasonings: Use only meat and water—no salt, spices, or marinades.
- Cook Thoroughly: Dehydrate the meat at a safe temperature to kill any bacteria.
More Dog FRiendly Recipes
- Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats
- Easy Dog Cake Recipe
- Dog Birthday Cookies
- Minty Fresh Dog Pupsicles
If you tried this Beef Jerkey for Dogs Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Beef Jerky for Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 pound very lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a cooling rack over the parchment paper. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Lay out 2 pieces of wax paper that overlap about 2 inches on your work surface and place the ground beef in the center of the wax paper. (I suggest wearing a pair of disposable nitrile gloves when handling raw meat)
- Mix the water into the ground beef to ensure even moisture distribution before shaping.1 pound very lean ground beef, 3 tablespoons water
- Shape the ground beef into a rectangle and place 2 more long pieces of wax paper that overlap on top of the ground beef.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the ground beef very thin. (Thin enough to cover the entire cooling rack)
- Use the pizza cutter to slice strips 2 inches wide x 5 inches long. Do not separate the treats.
- Place the sprayed cooling rack upside down on top of the ground beef.
- Use the edges of the wax paper to pick up ground beef and the cooling rack and flip over so that the ground beef is on top of the rack.
- Score a shallow diamond pattern on top of the ground beef.
- Bake for 4 hours. The treats should have a dark brown color and will feel dry and rigid when cooled.
- Allow the beef jerky to completely cool before storing. Break, or cut with kitchen scissors, the jerky into bite size pieces according to your dog's size and dietary needs.
Jenn’s Notes
- Since homemade dog jerky treats don’t use any added preservatives or salt, they’re more vulnerable to spoilage than human jerky snacks. If you plan to use the jerky within a week, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- For longer storage, freeze the jerky in an airtight bag or container. It can last up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Feel free to use grass-fed beef to provide your pup with a wholesome, nutrient-dense treat while supporting ethical farming practices. Grass-fed beef is typically leaner and lower in overall fat content compared to its grain-fed counterpart. It also contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, has higher levels of vitamins, and may have anti-inflammatory and health-promoting properties. Plus, its raised without hormones or antibiotics, making it a cleaner option for cooking.
- You can easily swap the lean ground beef with lean ground chicken to make chicken jerky.
- Use only meat and water—no salt, spices, or marinades.
- Dehydrate the meat at a safe temperature to kill any bacteria.
5
I know my dog’s would like these , plus it easy to make..
Hello Jenn, Thank you so very much for all your recipes of doggie treats! They are so easy and fun to make. When I see how happy my fur baby loves them, I can’t help but feel proud for what I am doing for him!
ground turkey I shall try