Cooking for Kitty: Chewy Chicken Nibbles – Homemade Treats Your Cat Will Love

I’ve never had a cat that didn’t love treats—or, at least, some of them. Their favorite brands always seem to be the most expensive, though, and they have a long list of ingredients that include a few things I’m not so sure are good for them.

A few years ago I came upon an interesting recipe for homemade cat treats and decided to try making them. To my surprise (I was dubious at first), my cats really enjoyed them. Furthermore, they were inexpensive to make, contained no questionable ingredients, and it was a lot of fun doing it, too! But the best part for me was how gratifying it felt to watch my cats happily snacking on treats I made for them with my own two hands.

I’ve been experimenting with homemade treats and other cat food recipes ever since. Some early attempts, admittedly, were less successful than others, including a batch of woefully inedible tuna treats that might be more appropriately called tuna rocks. My cat tried to eat one, but she couldn’t chew the darned thing despite a very valiant, prolonged attempt. In the end, she spit it out and then looked up at me with what I can only describe as pity. (I’m not sure but I think she might have even glanced meaningfully at the trash can!) I was determined, however. By trial and error and lots of tinkering, I’ve developed some recipes over the years that my cats truly love.

Today I’m sharing one of my best treat recipes, Chewy Chicken Nibbles, and there will be more to come in future posts.

I hope you’ll give them a try—they are easy to make and kitty-approved. Love makes everything taste better!

---

Chewy Chicken Nibbles

Ingredients:

1/2 cup boneless, skinless chicken, fully cooked and finely minced

3/4 cup of cooked, plain white rice

1/4 cup sodium-free or low sodium chicken broth

1 cup brown rice flour

1 large egg

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. fresh, flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. dried catnip (optional, but it makes these even better!)

Tips for Success:

• Chicken thigh meat is my usual go-to, but I’ve also used breast as well as other cuts, including the organs (heart, gizzard, kidneys, and liver). I often use my own dinner leftovers for this recipe, or cook an extra piece just for kitty. (Just make sure it's plain. Some ingredients, like onion and garlic, are toxic to cats.)

• You can also try this recipe with a different kind of meat instead of chicken if you like, including fish. I often make this using ground turkey or salmon.

• Make sure you cook the rice until soft, as you do not want it to be al dente for this. Instant rice would be okay, too.

• Rice flour is important for the texture. If you don't have brown, white rice flour is okay as a substitute, but don’t use other types of flour. It just doesn’t come out as well.

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

3. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times until well blended and the mixture comes together as a thick, spreadable dough.

4. Press the dough onto your parchment-lined cookie sheet into the shape of a rectangle. It should be about 1/3” thick.

5. Bake for 13 minutes. Then, slide the parchment off your cookie sheet and onto a wire rack. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, leave your oven on but turn the temperature down to 300 degrees.

6. Once cool enough to handle easily, move your partially-baked dough to a cutting board and slice into little, bite-sized squares. (I like to make them about the same size as Temptations, if you are familiar with those.)

7. Line your cookie sheet with a fresh piece of parchment if needed and spread your cut pieces out on it. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

8. Store in a sealed container, jar, or baggie in your refrigerator for up to a week.

Yield: About 4 dozen, depending on how big you cut them. I like to portion mine into a few small, zippered bags. Then I pop one bag in the fridge and the rest go into the freezer for future use.