These air fryer chicken feet for dogs are a great crunchy treat. They are easy to make and a cheap treat too.
Cooking these dog treats in the air fryer reduces the fat content rather than deep frying them and keeps the nutritional content, but still keeps them crispy.
Our dogs love these and making them for me is indicative of how much I love them as I find the whole thing gross! Plus I use my beloved air fryer for these which is a semi sacrifice. I clean it twice afterwards!
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Are chicken feet safe for dogs?
Chicken feet have no meat on them and are comprised of skin, cartilage and tiny bones.
Raw chicken feet can also be given to dogs but ensure the toenails are removed. Cooking the chicken feet by either air fryer, baked or dehydrated is a safe option as the bones in the feet will crush rather than breaking into sharp hazards when eaten.
Benefits of chicken feet for dogs
As well as being a great crunchy treat, chicken feet are have nutritional benefits for your dog.
- The feet are 70% collagen which is great for joint health.
- They make a great teeth cleaner with the crunching action helping to remove plaque and tartar.
- They are high in protein.
- Full of vitamins and nutrients
How to prepare chicken feet
You may need to prepare the chicken feet before cooking if your butcher or store hasn't.
Trim the toe nails with kitchen scissor and clean the chicken feet. The toe nails can be a choking hazard as they are sharp, so they need to be removed.
Where to buy chicken feet for dogs
Chicken feet will be available in your butchers or if you are lucky in your supermarkets. We get ours fresh from the supermarket as chicken feet are a feature of Caribbean recipes.
Remember to go slowly when introducing new foods. And we recommend checking with your veterinarian first if your dog has any digestive issues or other health concerns.
How to cook chicken feet for dogs
We have cooked these chicken feet for dogs in the air fryer to make them extra crispy but you can bake these in the oven or even a dehydrator.
If you want to make these in a dehydrator they will take about 24 hours. Place the feet in a single layer in the dehydrator and dry at 170 - 200 degrees for 24 hours.
To oven bake, prepare the feet and place them on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Slightly spray them with a dog friendly cooking oil and bake at 200C/400F for 30-40 minutes until the feet are crispy.
How many chicken feet should I give my dog?
However much your dogs love this treat, they should not have more than between 1 to 3 chicken feet a day, depending upon the size of the dog.
Storage
Store the chicken feet in an air tight container and keep in the fridge or a cool cupboard. We keep ours in the fridge as we live in a hot country.
They should last for about 2 weeks. To be honest ours do not last longer than a week, but I've got 4 dogs with soulful eyes!
More homemade dog treats
Air Fryer Salmon Skin Dog Treats
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Air Fryer Chicken Feet for Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken feet
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or other dog friendly oil
Instructions
- Trim the chicken feet if the toe nails are still on them. Wash and clean the feet.
- Drain the chicken feet and pat dry.
- Preheat the air fryer according to the manufacturers instructions.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Place the chicken feet in a single layer and spray with oil.
- Cook at 200C/400F degrees for 20 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Allow to cool before giving out the crunchy treat.
Glenn says
My little Chizer seems to be allergic to dried meat dog treats. Her ears will break out in tiny pimple bums and itch. She will start scratching and pull the hair off from her ears to her skull. I found this very natural recipe and decided to try it. I followed the simple directions until I got to the air fryer time. 400 degrees for about 35-40 minutes for mine. I let one cool by the open window after they were done. My little friend kept a keen eye on the sir fryer the whole time, as if she knew they were for her. After it cooled I gave her it and she munched and crunched the chicken foot. Winner here, will buy again and make again for her. No allergic reaction was a plus! Thanks for the wonderful class on how to make these! And no, she is just one little dog, so I don't think I will get two weeks out of these. If I am lucky perhaps one week and they will disappear.
AngelaC says
Delighted your little girl enjoys them!
Jesse says
Can you explain why we have to boil them before placing in the air frier please?
AngelaC says
You don't have to. I used to do that to puff the feet up a bit more but recently have been making this by directly cooking them in the air fryer.