ByDisclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, DogHib may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Fair warning: your kitchen is going to smell like fish. My husky, Juno, thinks that’s the best smell in the world. My neighbors may disagree.
Juno is a picky eater about almost everything, except salmon. She’d ignore a pricey bag of treats on the trail but would sit perfectly for a crumb of salmon. So I set out to make a salmon treat that was cheap, easy to carry, and didn’t need a fresh fillet. After a few tries, these thin crackers won.
Quick answer: To make 3 ingredient salmon dog treats, blend one 5-ounce can of boneless, skinless salmon (packed in water, no salt added) with 1 egg and 1 cup of oat flour. Roll it thin, bake at 325°F until crisp, and snap it into about 60 little crackers. Each one is about 10 calories.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Bake: 35 to 45 minutes, plus cooling in the oven
- Makes: about 60 small crackers
- Calories: about 10 each
- Texture: thin, snappy, and very crunchy
- Storage: 1 week in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer
- Best for: high-value rewards on walks and in training
What Do You Need?
- 1 can (5 ounces) boneless, skinless salmon, packed in water, no salt added, drained well
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup oat flour (or 1¼ cups rolled oats, blended fine)
Tools: a food processor or fork, two sheets of parchment, a rolling pin, and a knife or pizza cutter.
Is Salmon Safe for Dogs?
Cooked salmon, yes. Raw salmon, no.
The American Kennel Club quotes a vet who says cooked salmon is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Those support skin, coat, and joint health. But the same vet warns that raw salmon can carry a parasite that causes salmon poisoning disease. That illness can be fatal.
If your dog ever eats raw salmon, like a fish washed up on a beach or a scrap from the cutting board, the AKC says to call your vet right away. Don’t wait for symptoms.
Vet Tip: The AKC lists three rules for salmon: remove all bones, cook it plain without oils or seasoning, and choose canned salmon that’s low in sodium and packed in water. Fish bones are brittle and can cause choking or even poke through the gut. If your dog has a sensitive stomach or a health condition, check with your vet before adding fish.
How Do I Pick the Right Canned Salmon?
Canned salmon labels can be confusing. Here’s how I read them in the store.
| Label says | Good choice? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless, skinless | Yes | Easiest and safest. Still feel through it with your fingers. |
| Traditional or “bones and skin” | Skip for dogs | Bones are soft but still there. The AKC says remove all bones. |
| Packed in water | Yes | Drain it well before mixing. |
| Packed in oil | No | Extra fat and calories |
| No salt added or low sodium | Yes | The AKC recommends low sodium. |
| Smoked, flavored, or “with lemon and herbs” | No | Salt and seasonings |
How Do You Make 3 Ingredient Salmon Dog Treats?
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Drain the salmon. Press it in a strainer to get out as much water as you can. Wet salmon makes soft crackers.
- Check for bones. Crumble the salmon with your fingers and pull out anything hard.
- Blend. Pulse the salmon and egg in a food processor until smooth. Add the oat flour and pulse until a ball forms. No processor? Mash with a fork, then stir in the flour.
- Roll it thin. Put the dough between two sheets of parchment. Roll it about ⅛ inch thick, like a cracker.
- Score. Peel off the top paper. Use a pizza cutter to cut a grid of 1-inch squares. Don’t pull them apart.
- Bake on the bottom paper for 25 minutes.
- Flip and bake again. Carefully flip the whole sheet and bake 10 to 20 minutes more, until dry and crisp.
- Dry. Turn off the oven. Leave the crackers inside with the door cracked for 1 hour.
- Snap along the lines once cool.
Since canned salmon is already cooked, the oven is mostly drying it out. Still, because there’s raw egg in the dough, I bake it fully. For fresh fish, FoodSafety.gov lists 145°F as the safe minimum. These thin crackers get far hotter than that.
Pro Tip: Thinner is better. If the middle squares stay bendy, put them back in the warm oven for 10 more minutes. Bendy crackers go moldy faster.
Dog-Safe Ingredient Check
- Salmon: Canned, boneless, skinless, in water, no salt added. Never raw or smoked.
- Egg: Fully cooked in the oven, which the AKC recommends.
- Oat flour: Plain, with nothing added.
- Don’t add: Garlic, onion, lemon pepper, or butter. The ASPCA warns that onion and garlic can damage red blood cells in pets.
Can I Use Tuna Instead of Salmon?
I don’t. The AKC’s guide to fish for dogs says longer-lived fish like tuna and swordfish can contain mercury. It says shorter-lived fish, like salmon, are the better choice.
If you have plain cooked white fish such as cod or flounder, that works. Use about ½ cup, flaked, with every bone removed.
What Other Swaps Work?
- Fresh salmon: Bake a plain, boneless fillet until it flakes and hits 145°F. Use ½ cup, flaked.
- No egg: Use 3 tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin. The crackers will be a bit more fragile.
- Sweet potato twist: Swap ¼ cup of the flour for mashed cooked sweet potato. Or try my salmon sweet potato dog treats.
- Chicken instead: If your dog doesn’t do fish, my 3 ingredient chicken dog treats use the same idea with cooked chicken.
- Want soft balls instead of crackers? Roll the dough into balls like my 3 ingredient turkey dog treats and bake 15 minutes.
How Many Calories Are in Each Cracker?
I used USDA FoodData Central to estimate. One drained 5-ounce can of salmon is about 160 calories. The egg is about 72, and 1 cup of oat flour is about 390. That’s around 620 calories for the batch, or about 10 per cracker if you get 60.
VCA Animal Hospitals says treats should make up no more than 10% of a dog’s daily calories. For a 20-pound dog, that’s often only 3 to 5 crackers on top of regular meals. Juno is 50 pounds and very active, so she gets a few more on big hiking days.
When Do I Use These?
These are my “jackpot” treat. I save them for big moments, like a perfect recall on the trail. The smell keeps Juno focused when there are squirrels everywhere. If you want to know what makes a treat “high value,” I wrote about good high-value dog treats and the steps to teach a dog to come when called.
What Mistakes Should I Avoid?
- Not draining well. This is the number one problem. Wet salmon means soft, bendy crackers that spoil fast.
- Rolling too thick. Thick crackers stay soft inside. Aim for the thickness of two coins stacked.
- Grabbing the cheapest can without reading it. Many cans have salt or bones. Read the label every time, even with a brand you know.
- Forgetting the vent fan. Turn it on. Trust me.
Once I fixed these, my 3 ingredient salmon dog treats came out crisp every time.
Why Crackers Work So Well on the Trail
We hike most weekends, and treats take a beating in a backpack. Soft treats get squished and sweaty. Biscuits crumble into dust. These thin crackers hold up. I keep them in a small hard container, and they come home in one piece.
They’re also easy to portion on the go. One cracker can be broken into 2 or 3 smaller rewards with my thumb, so I can stretch a handful over a long walk. And because they’re so strong-smelling, they work even when Juno is distracted by wildlife. A treat she can smell from a few feet away is a treat she’ll come back for.
How Do I Store Them?
Let the crackers cool all the way first. Then:
- Fridge: Up to 1 week in a sealed container.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months. They thaw in about 10 minutes.
- Treat pouch: I only take out what I need for one walk.
If they ever smell sour or look fuzzy, toss them.
Love a short ingredient list? See all my 3-ingredient treat collection.
FAQ
Can puppies eat salmon treats?
Most puppies can have a tiny piece once they’re on solid food. The AKC says salmon’s healthy fats can support puppy development. Still, ask your vet first.
Do these help my dog’s coat?
Salmon does have omega-3s, which the AKC links to skin and coat health. But a few treats won’t do much. If you want real coat support, ask your vet about a daily omega supplement for dogs.
Why are my crackers soft?
The salmon was too wet, or the dough was too thick. Squeeze out more water next time and roll thinner.
Can I use the liquid from the can?
Not in the crackers. It makes them soggy. A spoonful poured over kibble is a fine topper, if the salmon has no added salt.
My dog ate raw salmon. What now?
Call your vet right away. The AKC says salmon poisoning disease can be fatal, and early care matters.
How often can my dog have these?
A few a day is fine for most healthy dogs, as part of the 10% treat rule. If you track weight and activity, a dog health tracker makes it easy to adjust.
For more fish ideas, see my healthy salmon dog treats. If your dog loves variety at mealtime too, Juno does well on this variety meal plan.
