If you follow me on social media, you know I treat our dogs like family. I shop and cook with high-quality ingredients for our home, and I feel the same about their food. In the past I fed our dogs a raw meat diet, which I still believe is ideal, but frequent travel made that approach difficult. It also didn’t suit Sally, our shih tzu, so we switched to a premium grain-free dehydrated raw kibble while occasionally supplementing with eggs, raw bones, liver, and fresh meat.
Treats are another story. There are excellent single-ingredient commercial options made from high-quality meat, but they can be expensive. I discovered that making treats at home is a healthier and more economical choice. Our local farmers market carries a ground raw mix for dogs—grass-fed beef with bones and organ meats (hearts, livers, kidneys)—which I use both to supplement their meals and to make homemade beef jerky treats.
If you can’t find a pre-mixed blend, plain ground beef works just fine. Combining muscle meat, organs, and bone gives a broader nutrient profile that dogs naturally respond to, much like humans benefit from eating the whole animal. Grass-fed is a nice option when available, but the most important thing is feeding nutrient-dense, minimally processed ingredients. Our dogs bring so much joy—giving them good food helps keep them healthy as they age.
Fair warning: these jerky treats produce irresistible “may I have more?” eyes (see the photo below). I don’t mind giving extra pieces because they’re nutrient-dense and support my dogs’ health and development. Good food matters for pets just as much as it does for people.
Homemade Beef Jerky for Dogs
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Ingredients
- 1 lb mixture of ground beef, organ meats, and bones (you can use just ground beef as well)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, around 130°F (54°C).
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Place the meat mixture on parchment paper and press or roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick.
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Score the surface with a blunt knife in a checkerboard pattern so you can break the jerky into bite-sized pieces later.
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Transfer the sheet to a baking tray and dehydrate in the oven for about 8 hours.
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Remove and tilt the baking sheet over the sink to drain any rendered fat.
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Break the jerky along the scored lines and arrange the pieces in a single layer on a cooling rack set over a fresh baking sheet.
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Return to the oven for another 4–5 hours to fully dehydrate. Additional drippings may collect on the tray.
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Store the jerky at room temperature for up to three weeks, or refrigerate for longer storage.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or tag @whatgreatgrandmaate!
