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What’s actually in Smallbatch Chicken Sliders?
We pulled the current ingredient panel for Smallbatch Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Sliders for Dogs from smallbatchpets.com (verified 2026-05-17). The complete list, in order: skinless chicken necks, chicken backs, chicken, chicken livers, chicken gizzards, organic carrots, chicken hearts, organic sweet potatoes, organic squash, organic broccoli, organic kale, organic collards, organic parsley, organic blueberry, mixed tocopherols, organic kelp, pollock oil, organic garlic, organic apple cider vinegar, vitamin E, organic wheatgrass, organic rosemary, organic basil, zinc glycinate, copper glycinate, manganese glycinate. Twenty-six ingredients total. The supplement tail is uniquely short for an AAFCO complete-and-balanced raw recipe — chelated minerals (zinc, copper, manganese glycinate) plus targeted vitamin E supplementation, with everything else derived from whole-food sources.
The composition ratio is published transparently: 88% chicken, 10% produce, 2% supplements. The chicken contribution is unusually distributed — rather than leading with muscle meat alone, Smallbatch uses skinless chicken necks at #1 and chicken backs at #2. Necks and backs are the bone-in carcass portions that deliver whole-prey calcium / phosphorus ratios directly, without needing supplemental ground bone or dicalcium phosphate. This is closer to a true ancestral / prey-model formula than the typical “ground muscle + ground bone” assembled formulation used by most freeze-dried raw brands.
Smallbatch is based in San Francisco and operates a Pacific Northwest small-batch production model. The brand sources raw inputs from regional family farms with single-source supplier relationships, USDA-inspected meat sourcing, and full farm-to-bag traceability. Organic produce is sourced from regional growers. The Chicken Sliders for Dogs are AAFCO-substantiated as complete and balanced. Smallbatch is privately held and independent of the major pet-food conglomerates. Shop on Amazon →
The good stuff (six chicken-derived ingredients in top 7, organic produce, HPP-validated)
The structural standout is the six chicken-derived ingredients in the top seven positions: skinless chicken necks (#1), chicken backs (#2), chicken (#3), chicken livers (#4), chicken gizzards (#5), and chicken hearts (#7). This is closer to a prey-model formulation than the standard freeze-dried raw assembly. Necks and backs deliver whole-prey calcium / phosphorus ratios via the bone content of the carcass portions — structurally more biologically appropriate than supplemental dicalcium phosphate. Chicken livers supply preformed vitamin A (retinol), B12, folate, heme iron, copper, and choline at densities synthetic premix cannot match. Chicken hearts supply natural taurine plus methionine and cysteine (taurine precursors), CoQ10, and B-vitamins. Chicken gizzards supply natural taurine, connective tissue, and additional B-vitamins.
The produce section is unusually organic-certified across most positions. Organic carrots (#6), organic sweet potatoes (#8), organic squash (#9), organic broccoli (#10), organic kale (#11), organic collards (#12), organic parsley (#13), organic blueberry (#14), organic kelp (#16), organic wheatgrass (#21), organic rosemary (#22), organic basil (#23) — twelve organic-certified produce ingredients in a single recipe. This is rare in the raw pet food category and signals genuine sourcing transparency: organic certification at the produce ingredient level requires the supplier farm to be USDA-certified-organic, third-party-audited, and free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
The supplement tail is structurally minimal. Mixed tocopherols (#15) as the natural vitamin-E-based preservative. Organic kelp (#16) for trace iodine and whole-food mineral profile. Pollock oil (#17) for direct marine omega-3 (EPA + DHA) — pollock is a smaller, lower-trophic-level fish with lower mercury and PCB bioaccumulation than salmon. Organic apple cider vinegar (#19) for natural acidification (mildly antimicrobial, supports gut pH). Vitamin E (#20) as supplemental tocopherol. Zinc glycinate, copper glycinate, manganese glycinate (#24-26) as the highest-bioavailability chelated trace mineral forms (glycinate chelation is preferred over the cheaper sulfate or oxide forms because the amino-acid chelate is more efficiently absorbed and gentler on gut bacterial populations).
The not-so-good stuff (garlic inclusion, regional distribution, price point)
Three points of honest discussion. First: organic garlic at #18. Garlic is on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control list of foods that cause Heinz-body hemolytic anemia in dogs at chronic high doses (typically 15-30 g garlic per kg body weight, or about a clove or two per day for a small dog). The Smallbatch garlic content is structurally trivial — at position #18 of 26, the per-slider garlic load is in the milligrams. Mainstream veterinary-toxicology consensus is that this level of garlic is safe in commercial raw foods. Some pet owners and some integrative veterinarians prefer to avoid garlic at any dose; if you’re in that camp, look at Primal Pronto or Stella & Chewy’s as garlic-free alternatives.
Second: limited national distribution. Smallbatch operates at small-batch production scale, which is by design but means availability is concentrated in Pacific Northwest and California independent pet boutiques plus a smaller online retail footprint. For owners in the Midwest, South, or East Coast who can’t reliably source through local independent retailers, the brand is harder to feed consistently than national-scale freeze-dried raw competitors (Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, Northwest Naturals). Owners with shipping logistics for multi-bag orders can route around this constraint; daily-shopper households may not.
Third: price point. Small-batch production with organic produce sourcing and single-source farm relationships translates to a per-feeding cost roughly 25-50% above large-scale freeze-dried raw brands. For multi-dog households or large-breed dogs (60+ lb), the per-feeding economics are challenging unless Smallbatch is used as a topper / partial-feeding rather than full-feeding. For small to medium dogs (under 50 lb) the price point is more manageable.
Who Smallbatch is for (organic produce priority, Pacific NW sourcing transparency)
Smallbatch Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Sliders for Dogs is structurally targeted at owners who specifically prioritize organic-certified produce sourcing, single-source farm relationships and full traceability, prey-model formulation (carcass portions delivering whole-prey calcium / phosphorus rather than supplemental dicalcium phosphate), and small-batch production at boutique scale rather than national commodity scale.
For owners feeding small to medium dogs (under 50 lb) where the per-feeding economics work, and who have access to Pacific Northwest / California independent pet boutiques or who can route shipping logistics for multi-bag orders, Smallbatch is one of the structurally tightest raw recipes available. The combination of six chicken-derived top-7 ingredients, twelve organic-certified produce ingredients, and a 26-ingredient panel with HPP-validated pathogen control closes most of the gaps you might see in larger-scale competitor brands.
Smallbatch is not the structurally right pick for large-breed-only households on tight per-feeding budgets, owners outside Smallbatch’s regional distribution who can’t route shipping logistics, owners avoiding garlic at any dose, or owners who specifically want non-poultry raw protein during active H5N1 outbreak windows (Smallbatch’s lamb, beef, duck, and turkey variants are available for protein rotation; check the brand’s product line).
How it compares
At A/90, Smallbatch sits alongside the freeze-dried raw A-tier: Primal Pronto (A/90), Stella & Chewy’s Patties (A/90), Northwest Naturals (A/90), Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw (A/90), Steve’s Real Food (A/90), and Instinct (A/90). The differentiators against those peers: twelve organic-certified produce ingredients (highest organic load in the freeze-dried raw category), six chicken-derived top-7 positions including bone-in carcass portions (necks + backs) for true prey-model calcium delivery, and single-source-farm sourcing transparency from a Pacific NW small-batch production model.
Against air-dried peer Sundays Air-Dried Beef (A/90), the format and protein source differ — Sundays uses USDA-inspected beef in an air-dried (slow-warm-air dehydration) format; Smallbatch uses chicken in a freeze-dried (sublimation under vacuum) format. Air-dried takes longer to produce and yields a denser, less-fragile end product; freeze-dried rehydrates faster. Both are A-tier whole-food approaches.
For head-to-head comparisons, see Open Farm vs Smallbatch, Smallbatch vs Sundays, Smallbatch vs Steve’s Real Food, and OC Raw vs Smallbatch.
The bottom line
Smallbatch Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Sliders for Dogs earns an A grade (90/100) from KibbleIQ. Skinless chicken necks at #1, chicken backs at #2, chicken at #3, livers at #4, gizzards at #5, hearts at #7 — six chicken-derived top-7 positions including bone-in carcass for whole-prey calcium / phosphorus. Twelve organic-certified produce ingredients (highest organic load in the freeze-dried raw A-tier). HPP-validated pathogen control. Single-source-farm Pacific NW sourcing transparency. The trade-offs are real: limited national distribution, premium pricing, and organic garlic inclusion at trace levels. For owners specifically prioritizing organic produce and prey-model formulation, this is one of the structurally tightest options on the US market. Shop on Amazon →