~ These simple Homemade Dog Treats are the doggy version of that classic comfort food, chicken and biscuits! They’re also the perfect way to use up leftover chicken that might otherwise go to waste. With just 4 ingredients, they’re ultra quick and easy, and they store beautifully in the freezer for weeks! ~

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Freezable  •  Make Ahead  •

Our Finny is a seriously pampered pooch with a pretty (ahem …) doggone good life. He’s got a doggy door so he can head out to sun himself on the deck whenever he pleases. He sleeps cuddled next to me, under the covers, every night. And you know he’s my favorite running buddy.

It’s good to be him.

Homemade dog treats, though? Really?

As though I have a whole bunch of extra time on my hands for that little indulgence, right?!?

But actually, I do! These dog treats take just moments to mix together, and with only four ingredients (because we’re not counting that freebie water!), they’re a total breeze!

They’re like home-style chicken and biscuits, in a pup-friendly, treat form!

What makes these dog treats totally THK-terrific, though, is the make-ahead, ready-and-waiting-when-you-are tip on how these treats help you use up chicken that would otherwise go to waste:

Stockpile (and Freeze) Your Bits of Leftover Chicken

As I mentioned in our post for Frozen Dog Treats, here at THK, we have a lot of recipes that start with a rotisserie chicken (such a simple shortcut!). But, when I’m working with a rotisserie chicken, I really hate not using up every morsel of the bird – including the little bits of meat stuck to the bones, and the cartilage and connective tissue that most people don’t eat. It often adds up to more than a cup of chicken I wouldn’t otherwise use! These homemade dog treats are the perfect way to put those extra little bits to great use! I’m so happy to feel like not one bit of the animal went to waste – that I used all I could.

So, instead of preparing chicken just to make this dog treat recipe (now, that really would be a pampered pooch!), I stockpile leftover bits of chicken any time we have some from our own (human) meals. I measure it out and keep it in labeled zipper bags in the freezer.

When I have enough chicken, I can whip up a batch of these homemade dog treats. And Finn is a happy, happy boy!

Chicken You Don’t Want to Use

When you’re chopping or shredding leftover chicken, be careful that you don’t include any bones. And go easy on including too much fat, particularly the fatty skin. I actually don’t recommend including the skin at all, if the chicken has been roasted with a lot of spices or salt that’s still clinging to it.

Similarly, if you’re using leftover chicken meat from a recipe (rather than using up a rotisserie chicken), and the meat is heavily sauced or deeply flavored from cooking spices or marinades, you should probably skip that, as well. To avoid upsetting your pup’s tummy, it’s best to keep things simple.

But What About Cute Shapes?

I see so many darling recipes for homemade dog treats that have been lovingly shaped into things like hearts or doggy bones. But it all just seems like a lot of fuss simply to make people happy. I’m pretty much 100% certain that Finn loves these treats just as much in a plain-old round shape, as he would if I’d spent loads of extra time making them into bones or hearts.

They’re basically just simple drop biscuits you plop onto a baking sheet – as easy as easy gets!

And all that time I saved?

Hey – it’s a few more minutes he and I can spend out running, or just cuddling on the couch. He’d vote for that any day!

Trust me – skipping the cookie cutters keeps these homemade dog biscuits lightning-fast and easy-peasy! And your dog won’t even notice (or care). Dogs don’t judge! They just gobble these down … and ask for more!

Which is exactly why I’m off to make another batch right now …