How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
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 you're a crazy dog mom like me, be sure to check out some of John John’s favorite recipes like Chicken Dinner Recipe for Dogs, Chicken and Pumpkin Dinner for Dogs, Slow Cooker Beef Dog Food, or Salmon Dinner Recipe for Dogs. And, be sure to check out Best Food Names for Dogs if you're planning a puppy soon!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
- Ready In: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Makes: 1 whole chicken
- Main Ingredients: chicken
- Dietary Info: gluten free, eggless, no seed oils
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: single ingredient treats or protein for homemade dog food
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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! Also, check out How to Cook Sweet Potatoes for Dogs, How to Cook Rice For Dogs and How to Cook Ground Turkey For Dogs.
- 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.
- Real Food: If you're looking for more healthy ways to feed your dog, this is a great recipe to start with as it's easy and you can give your dog real human food.
- 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 as part of his meals, like Beef Liver Dinner Recipe for Dogs as well. So this is versatile!
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Benefits of a Whole Chicken for Dogs
- Health Benefits of Organ Meat for Your Dog
- Ingredients & Tools
- Tips for Homemade Chicken Dog Food
- How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
- Ways to Serve
- How to Store
- Recipe FAQ’s
- More Homemade Dog Food Recipes
- How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
- The Bake Shop
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. If you're looking for more healthy dog treat ideas, try our Veggie Treats for Dogs or Beef Dog 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 dark meat along with organ meats too.
- Organ Meat: Buying a whole chicken will also give you organ meat as you can cook up the giblets too! This is a huge bonus as organ meat is a superfood for your dog. You can check out How to Cook Turkey Giblets for Dogs if you are cooking a turkey and save those organ meats 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 manganese. These essential vitamins and minerals can help with 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, but a Dutch oven also works as well if you prefer.
- Small Skillet: You'll need a small skillet to cook the giblets in.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Tips for Homemade Chicken Dog Food
- 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 for their bodies to function, just like us.
- 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, boil them, or even add into the slow cooker next to the chicken. Any of these methods work, but John John loves them in the skillet with coconut oil.
- 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.
How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
- 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 or add into the slow cooker next to the chicken. 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.
Ways to Serve
- Homemade Dog Food: Use this chicken for homemade dog food and add in healthy veggies and carbs. Some ideas include our Dog Friendly Sweet Potato Fries, 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. You can even use this in our Dog Food Recipe for Upset Stomach if your dog is having tummy troubles.
- 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 make our own instead. Try our Mini Peanut Butter Oat Dog Treats for another treat idea!
- 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 give your dog more lean 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.
- If you want to learn how to make chicken, like this, into a complete meal for your dog, check out our course How to Cook Homemade Dog Food (Vet-Approved, Balanced and Simple).
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.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, chicken is a lean protein, which is ideal for most dogs. Plus, when you cook your own chicken, you are getting a single ingredient chicken that's much better than packaged chicken treats that may have added fillers or unnecessary ingredients.
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.
No, don't feed your dog raw chicken.
Pepper no, dogs don’t need pepper. If your dog is eating solely homemade food, you should add a small amount of salt as dogs do need a little salt. 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 need it for their bodies to function, just like we do! We just add a few salt shakes to John John's meat when cooking it for homemade meals. So, if this is your meat for a meal, you should add a little salt.
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, after the chicken is cooked you'll need to remove all the bones. Not only can these be a choking hazard but cooked bones can splinter and cause issues if eaten. Don't let your dog eat or chew on cooked bones.
No, they can't. Cooked bones can splinter which can cause issues if eaten.
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!
No, you can't feed your dog just chicken. You'll need to balance it with vegetables, fruits, and carbs.
Make this a balanced meal by adding in vegetables (great dog safe options include carrots, broccoli, bell peppers), a dog safe carb, such as sweet potato or butternut squash, fruits (blueberries or apples are great options), and organ meat such as the giblets you have here or even beef liver. Your dog should also have bone powder so they are getting the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Learn more about all of this and the right ratios for everything in my course, How to Cook Homemade Dog Food (Vet-Approved, Balanced and Simple).
This can vary depending on the size of your dog, how active they are and if this chicken is meals or treats. Check out How Much Homemade Food Should I Feed My Dog? for a dog food calculator by weight.
Yes, as long as it's part of a balanced diet. But, you should rotate proteins or include different proteins in your dog's diet for variety. So, chicken can be part of their daily menu, but you'll want to be sure to add in beef, turkey, lamb, salmon, or even others if possible.
Yes, puppies can eat cooked chicken!
More Homemade Dog Food Recipes
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How to Cook a Whole Chicken for Dog Food
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Small Skillet
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 or even add into the slow cooker next to the chicken.
- 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
- You can also cook the giblets in the slow cooker. I do this when I'm feeling lazy. Just remove from the cavity and place next to the chicken.
- Add a little salt if you are feeding your dog solely homemade food.
Nutrition
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We make this every week for John John as it gives him one ingredient treats, organ meats, and we can also use it for dinners if needed.