Homemade Beef Liver Dog Treats: A Tail-Wagging Success!

I am sharing this homemade beef liver dog treat recipe because it is very affordable and incredibly delicious for our dogs. When my dog Happy was a puppy, we attended dog training school together and would bring small, homemade treats. The treats needed to be tasty, almost stinky; they had to be the best because if the other participants brought better-smelling homemade dog treats, Happy would listen to them instead of me! I quickly understood that organ meat like beef liver treats were my allies.

Many people use small pieces of hot dogs or cheese for training, but after a while, I found that option somewhat too greasy. So, I went to the pet store and bought a bucket of dehydrated beef liver pieces. I mixed those with other treats, and the smell was incredibly strong—it worked! Happy loved the beef liver and became an avid learner.

Eventually, I made the treats myself because the store-bought ones were expensive. Homemade beef liver treats are affordable and offer several benefits for our mutual furry friend.

Homemade beef liver treats are beneficial for your dog’s health

Beef liver is a great source of iron and an excellent source of protein. However, homemade liver treats should not be fed in large quantities daily. Depending on the size of your dog, I would not give more than 2 ounces per day for a dog the size of a labrador.

Beef Liver Benefits

Beef liver is a great way to give your companion is micronutrients like these B vitamins:

• Folate (vitamin B9) for lower blood pressure 
• Thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and niacin (vitamin B3) for energy and cell function.
• Vitamin B12 is for brain health, energy, and healthy nerves and blood.

Organ meats should not exceed ten percent of our furry friend’s diet. 

Pet Store beef liver price VS homemade beef liver price

The pet store container of dehydrated beef liver training treats costs 36.00$ for 16 oz

VS

The grocery store beef liver in the frozen aisle costs me 5.49$ for 16 oz

If you don’t own a dehydrator, here is a liver dog treat recipe for you

Most people do not own a dehydrator, and there is really no need to invest in one if you own an oven. Dehydrated treats are very simple to make.  Cut small pieces.  All pieces should be about ¼ inch thick, but can be as long and wide as you choose.  Place the strips or pieces on a wire rack on a cookie sheet. Slide the tray into the oven and set it at 170° F. Allow the trays to stay in the oven overnight for about 8 to 12  hours. In the morning, remove from the oven and blot any excess moisture with a paper towel. Allow to cool.  Dehydrated treats should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within a week. They can also be frozen and thawed as needed. ¹

Homemade beef Liver dog treats, the quick recipe

Inspired by the harvestskillet blog post

Ingredients

Half a pound of beef liver that you can find at your local grocery store

Directions

Don’t defrost the beef liver first. It is easier to cut the raw liver when it is frozen. I like to slice it into smaller pieces; it is quick for my dogs and convenient for training. Take a sharp knife. Cut your pieces in uniform thickness so they all dehydrate at approximately the same rate. I add a layer of parchment paper to my dehydrator trays to catch any dripping.

If you have an electric dehydrator, set the temperature to 160°F.

If you don’t own a dehydrator, that’s okay. Use the lowest temperature your oven can reach, and keep an eye on the dehydrated liver treats on a parchment-lined baking sheet. They may need to be flipped often, and the cooking time will be shorter.

Dehydrate until there is no moisture left in the chips, and they snap when bent. Using my dehydrator, this took about seven hours. As long as they are dehydrated, you can store the homemade treats for up to two weeks at room temperature in an air-tight container.²

The dehydrator or oven does all the hard work making these DIY dog treats.

Making these beef liver chips is relatively straightforward. You will want to defrost your beef liver first. I like to do this in the fridge for 24-48 hours, depending on the size of the package.

Once the liver is fully defrosted, slice it into thin strips or chunks. Sometimes it can be hard to work with, but the goal here is thin pieces of somewhat uniform thickness, so that they all dehydrate at approximately the same rate.

If you have an electric dehydrator, this is the preferred method, as the temperature settings are often lower than conventional ovens, which means the liver will dehydrate more evenly and is less likely to burn. I use the meat/jerky setting on my dehydrator, which is 165°F.  

If you don’t own a dehydrator, that is ok, you will want to use the lowest temperature your oven goes to, and keep a closer eye on them. They may need to be flipped more often, and the cook time will be shorter.

Dehydrate until there is no moisture left in the chips, and they snap when you bend them. Using my dehydrator, this took about 6 hours. As long as they are fully dry, you can store them for up to two weeks at room temperature in an air-tight container.³

If you’re feeling adventurous, why not switch things up and try chicken liver instead? Just follow the same instructions, but remember to decrease the dehydration time a little bit. Happy cooking!

Your canine companion will thank you!

Are you interested in other homemade dog treats?

Here are some posts I made with fun and inexpensive homemade treats:

Raw chicken HEARTS

Healthy and Happy Pup: When Your Puppy Can Eat Carrots?

Can you safely feed your dog raw chicken feet?

1. Morgan, Judy; Grant, Hue. Yin & Yang Nutrition for Dogs: Maximizing Health with Whole Foods, Not Drugs (p. 212). Thirty Six Paws Press. Kindle Edition.  ↩︎
2. . https://www.theharvestskillet.com/dehydrated-beef-liver-chips/ ↩︎
3.  https://www.theharvestskillet.com/dehydrated-beef-liver-chips/ ↩︎