How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
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Learn how to cook a whole chicken for dog food. Meal prep homemade dog food with a whole chicken so your dog can have fresh food all week long!
If you love cooking for your dog as much as I do, be sure to check out some of John John’s favorite recipes like Chicken Dinner Recipe for Dogs, Slow Cooker Beef Dog Food, or Dog Friendly Sweet Potato Fries.
Table of Contents
If you follow along, then you know John John (my Pug) does not eat any dog food. We make all his own homemade dog food because I truly believe that fresh food is best for dogs. So, if you are new to homemade dog food then welcome!
While homemade dog food may seem intimidating, it really is quite simple to make homemade dog food for your fur baby. One of my top ticks for doing this with ease is making a whole chicken. Today we’re sharing how to cook a whole chicken for dog food so you can meal prep with ease as well as give your dog the best food!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Meal Prep: Learn how to cook a whole chicken for dog food so you can easily meal prep. If you cook homemade dog food (or want to) then utilizing a whole chicken is going to be so helpful!
Save Money: When you buy a whole chicken, you pay half or even less than half the cost per pound that you pay to buy breasts, thighs or other individual parts. This is because it’s less work to package a whole chicken than it is separate the different cuts.
Food or Treats: We use this whole chicken for both homemade dog food and as homemade dog treats. Plain organic chicken is what we give John John for treats all the time and usually he gets ground turkey for food. But, sometimes we also give him this chicken or beef as part of his meals as well so this is versatile!
Benefits of a Whole Chicken for Dogs
- Makes a Lot: If you have a larger dog, this is the way to go for homemade dog food as you’ll get more food for your dollar.
- Save Money: When you buy a whole chicken for for dog food, you’ll save money versus buying just breasts or thighs.
- Food or Treats: Use as food or as treats.
- Meal Prep: You can easily meal prep when you know how to cook a whole chicken for dog food! This gives John John food and treats for a whole week because he’s pretty small.
- Easy: Cooking a whole chicken for dog food is super easy!
- Variety: When you cook a whole chicken for dog food your dog will get a variety of white and ark meat.
- Organ Meat: Buying a whole chicken will also give your dog the benefits of organ meat as you can cook up the giblets too! This is a huge bonus as organ meat is a superfood for your dog.
Health Benefits of Organ Meat for Your Dog
Organ meats such as liver, kidney and heart are a superfood for your dog. They are high in protein and are a lean meat. They have essential vitamins such as vitamin A, B, D, and E, which are will aid in bone health, vision, and boost your dog's immune system. They have amino acids, iron, zinc, and selenium. These essential vitamins and minerals can help with hormone regulation, wound healing, immune function and more.
Ingredients & Tools
- Whole Chicken: You’ll need a whole organic chicken. You can get any size that you like, depending on your dog’s needs. We usually get somewhere between a 3 and 5 pound chicken for John John.
- Slow Cooker: You’ll need a slow cooker.
- Small Skillet: You'll need a small skillet to cook the giblets in.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken and place in a bowl. Don’t throw these out as these are a superfood for your dog! We’re going to cook them up!
Step 2
Place the chicken in a slow cooker and sprinkle with a little salt (optional). Cover and cook for 4 hours on low until the internal temperature is 165°F.
Step 3
While the chicken is cooking, cook up the giblets. In a small skillet add the coconut oil and put over medium heat. Add the giblets and cover with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes until they are firm and lightly browned. Alternatively, you can boil these as well if you prefer.
Step 4
Cut up the giblets into small pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Step 5
Once the chicken is cooked, allow it to cool until it’s cool enough to touch. Remove the skin (and toss) and then pull off the meat off the chicken. Chop into small pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use chicken for meal prep, treats, or as a food topper.
Ways to Serve
- Homemade Dog Food: Use this chicken for homemade dog food and add in healthy veggies and carbs. Some ideas include sweet potato, carrots, and bell peppers (John John’s favorite). You can also do rice or quinoa for carbs and other dog safe veggies include beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and zucchini.
- Homemade Dog Treats: Chop into small pieces and use as one ingredient homemade dog treats! Most store bought dog treats are processed and full of crap. We avoid all store bought treats and this is the only treat John John gets besides fresh fruit and veggies.
- Food Topper: Even if you aren’t making all of your dog’s food you can use this whole chicken as a food topper. This will add more protein to processed dog food as most processed dog food is lacking in the amount of protein that dog’s actually need because it has so much more carbs than dogs need (to make it cheaper). So, adding chicken on top is a great way to boost your dog’s nutrition so they are getting an accurate amount of protein.
- Meal Prep: If you meal prep and portion out your dog’s food and freeze it, you can use this whole chicken as your protein.
- Organ Meat: Organ meat should not make up more than 10% of your dog’s daily diet. So, use as a food topper or in addition to your dog’s meals, a little bit each day.
How to Store
You can use this chicken for homemade dog food or homemade dog treats. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this in an airtight container for treats. Or you can meal prep and portion out individual servings of food (adding in carbs and veggies) and freeze in airtight containers so you can pull out single meals for you pup.
Tips
- If you cook all of your dog’s homemade food, you may want to add a little salt to the chicken when cooking. We do this for John John as he eats all homemade food so we do add in a little salt. Contrary to what people think, dog’s actually need salt. They just cannot have an excess amount, but they do need a small amount.
- Remove the skin when the chicken is hot as it’s easier to do so. You can toss skin or serve to your dog, but it can upset some dog’s stomach if they eat too much because of the fat. A little bit is a nice treat though!
- Don’t throw away the giblets inside the chicken. These are literal superfoods for your dog and they are a huge bonus of buying a whole chicken!
- Organ meat should not make up more than 10% of your dog’s daily diet. So distribute the cooked giblets a little bit each day.
- You can cook the giblets in a skillet with coconut oil or boil them, either way works.
You can share this whole chicken with your dog if you want! You might want to add salt and pepper to your portion. This chopped chicken is great for salads, quesadillas, or chicken salad.
FAQ’s
Dog’s can eat chicken skin, but it is high in fat. So, a small amount is a nice little treat. But we remove the skin before chopping up this chicken for John John. If he gets a small piece in there, that’s okay.
Pepper no, dogs don’t need pepper. You can add a small amount of salt as dogs do need salt, in a small amount. Too much salt can cause salt toxicity for dogs. But, if you cook all your own homemade dog food you do need to add some salt to your dog’s diet as they do need it!
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can roast this in your oven as well. Place the chicken in a baking dish or Dutch oven and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes for every pound of chicken. Always be sure the chicken is done, by testing with a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature at the largest part of the bird (the breast) is at 165°F.
Yes and no. The giblets that come inside of the chicken are literal superfoods for your dog! So, while you do not need to cook them, you’d be doing your dog a big disservice just by throwing them away. These have essential nutrients for your dog and they will love them. While they may smell off putting to you, trust me, your dog will go nuts for these!
Craving More?
How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pound whole chicken
- salt (optional)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken and place in a bowl. Don’t throw these out as these are a superfood for your dog! We’re going to cook them up!
- Place the chicken in a slow cooker and sprinkle with a little salt (optional). Cover and cook for 4 hours on low until the internal temperature is 165°F.
- While the chicken is cooking, cook up the giblets. In a small skillet add the coconut oil and put over medium heat. Add the giblets and cover with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes until they are firm and lightly browned. Alternatively, you can boil these as well if you prefer.
- Cut up the giblets into small pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Once the chicken is cooked, allow it to cool until it’s cool enough to touch.
- Remove the skin (and toss) and then pull off the meat off the chicken. Chop into small pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Use chicken for meal prep, treats, or as a food topper.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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