When you think of New Mexican food, you likely think of green chile. Hatch green chiles are extremely delicious, but spicy! And you should never give your dog spicy food. But many dog parents and dog chefs don’t know that the mild bell pepper is a great addition to your dog’s diet in moderation.
Cooked bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C. Red bell peppers in particular provide beta carotene and fiber, as well as other nutrients and antioxidants. So for our New Mexico inspired dog treat series on this Recipes On The Road segment, we chose to combine one of our most popular dog treat recipes, chicken jerky with a New Mexico flair!

New Mexico Inspired Dehydrated Chicken Jerky Dog Treats
Ingredients
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders. Soft frozen makes them easier to slice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from one lemon
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 chopped red bell pepper and 1 chopped green bell pepper
Directions
• Rinse the chicken breasts and remove any fat, which slows down the dehydrating process and will shorten the jerky’s shelf life. Fat may also go rancid quickly in dehydrator.
• Slice the chicken into strips about 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick; slicing with the grain. This will make the treats chewier!
Coat the strips with oil, lemon juice, honey and chopped peppers. Put in Ziploc bag and let marinate overnight.
• Place the strips on the dehydrator tray, spacing them evenly; make sure they do not touch. The drying process depends on adequate airflow between the strips.
• Put the tray in the dehydrator, turn it on and set the temperature for 140 degrees.
It will take between 3 and 12 hours for the strips to fully dry, depending on how you cut the chicken and the dehydrator settings. To determine the dryness level, remove one strip from the dehydrator, cut into it with a sharp knife and examine the inside. When the meat is completely dried, there will not be any moisture and it will be the same color throughout. If it needs more time, put it back in! Keep checking until chicken is dry but not brittle.
When your chicken jerky is done, store it in air-tight containers or zip-lock bags. Refrigerate the containers for an even longer shelf life. Safety first!
side note: If you do not have a dehydrator, follow the above directions, however, set oven at 200 degrees.