Smoked Queso Recipe

Looking for a smoky good appetizer that will leave everyone wanting more? This Smoked Queso Recipe is the best - and simple to make. Smoked queso dip is perfect for game days, a holiday dish, or even a weekend snack right at home. 

The delicious smoky flavor of this dip is perfection. The fun part about making this simple cheese dip is that you can use ground meat, cooked breakfast sausage, chorizo sausage, or any type of pork sausage or combination that you'd like. It's a thinner type of dip that pairs perfectly well with tortilla chips, crackers, or carrots and celery. 

You'll often see dips like this at tailgates or as a fun appetizer to kick off any holiday meal. With minimal prep time needed, smoked queso dip is a simple way to feed your family and friends before moving on to the main meal. Or create a whole appetizer buffet by adding more dips like this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip.

While this smoked queso dip recipe is great for dipping, it's also a super good topping for tacos and nachos as well. When you have a flavor this good, why not use it as much as you can?

You can smoke this in your Big Green Egg, in your pellet smoker, or with wood pellets as well. As long as you make it, you're on the right track. You can even change up the flavor of the wood chips to be mesquite, hickory, or anything that you'd like. 

Speaking of good flavor, be sure to check out my Air Fryer Sausage Balls that would pair really well with a little bit of this queso dip, too! 

Ingredients 

Cooked beef - Cook and drain the grease from the beef before using. 

Velveeta cheese - Cube it up so that it melts quickly. 

Diced tomatoes and green chilies  - You can buy this in a can at the store (Rotel) or use fresh tomatoes and roasted chilies also. 

How to make this Smoked Queso Recipe 

No matter if you're using your electric smoker or a pellet grill, the smoke flavor from the smoker of your choice is going to come through perfectly with every single bite of smoked queso dip. 

Step One: Mix all the ingredients together in a disposable foil pan (8x8) or a glass pie plate. 

Step Two: Place on/in a preheated smoker that is at 250 degrees.

Expert Tip: We used a Traeger pellet grill but you can cook this on any smoker.

Step Three: Smoke the mixture for 1 hour, and be sure to stir the smoked queso dip every 20 minutes.

Step Four: Serve with chips or veggies. 

Variations 

Add peppers and onions - You can make this a hearty dip by adding in a few other key ingredients. Adding in more green chilies, jalapenos, or diced onions is a great idea. 

Add seasonings - Sprinkling in a little bit of garlic powder and a squirt of liquid smoke can really boost that smoky taste, too. 

Cheese - You can top this smoked queso recipe with more cheese if you like. Shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese are good options.

Common Questions 

Can I cook this in a cast iron skillet? 

Yes, if you want to cook them in a skillet in your smoker or pellet grill, you can. The thing to keep in mind is that cast iron will retain heat more, so you'll have to be extra careful and stir it quite often so that it doesn't burn to the bottom of the skillet. 

Using a skillet also means that you'll have to clean up more of it, which is why I tend to use a disposable aluminum pan sometimes when making this. I can cook and then clean up means I just literally have to toss the pan in the trash. Easy peasy. 

Can I thicken up the dip? 

You can. You can play around with this smoked queso recipe until you get the desired consistency that you're looking for. The most important thing is to drain the tomatoes and green chiles well.

Added extra shredded cheeses like pepper jack cheese, Monterey Jack, and cheddar cheese can add a little bit of thicker consistency as well. 

Some people also like to cube up some cream cheese and add it to make it a rich and creamy texture. 

Adding more ground beef will thicken the texture, as well as boost the amount of protein also. 

Can I make this queso dip in the oven? 

You can. If you need to save on total time cooking or don't have space in the charcoal grill or smoker, you can easily cook this in the oven in the same way that you would on the smoker. You just won't have the smoky flavor that comes from a smoker, but that is where adding liquid smoke comes in handy. 

How do I store leftover queso? 

Be sure to let the mixture cool down all the way, and then store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. When you're ready to eat it next, simply reheat it in the microwave until hot. Or use it up by making Queso Chicken.

What pairs well with queso? 

You can pour this queso dip over potatoes, pair with chips, or even use it as a topping for Blackstone Philly Cheesesteak or Traeger Burgers. 

If you're watching what you eat, be sure to track calories and carbohydrates with whatever you pair it with. The healthiest option would be veggies, but sometimes, we just want something a little bit more hearty than that!