Smoked Queso Recipe

This Smoked Queso Recipe is flavorful, delicious, and simple to make. Cheesy, spicy smoked cheese dip with plenty of meat 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. You'll often see dips like this at tailgates, game day parties, 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.

Be sure to check out my Air Fryer Sausage Balls and Bacon Wrapped Cod for more great choices! Create a whole appetizer buffet for your next party by adding more delicious dip recipes like this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Ingredients 

Cooked beef - Cook and drain the grease from the ground 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 tomatoes) or use fresh tomatoes and roasted chilies also.  Make sure to drain it well with a mesh strainer.

Complete measurement and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

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 on your pellet smoker, 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 is a great way to boost that smoky taste, too. 
• Cheese - You can top this smoked queso dip with more cheese if you like. Shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese are good options. Use a block of Velveeta queso blanco for a white queso dip.
• Meat - You can use ground meat, leftover taco meat, cooked breakfast sausage, chorizo sausage, chopped summer sausage, or any type of pork sausage or combination that you'd like.

Common Questions

What type of smoker do I need?

You can smoke this in any type of smoker. You can change up the flavor of the wood chips to be mesquite, hickory, or anything that you'd like. 

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.

Adding 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 smoked cheese dip in the oven in the same way that you would on the smoker. You just won't have the smokey flavor that comes from a smoker, but that is where adding liquid smoke or smoked paprika for smoked flavor comes in handy. 

You can also make it in a slow cooker if you'd like. Just add all the ingredients to the crock pot and heat on low for 1 hour or high for 2-3 hours or until hot. Stir and serve.

How do I store leftover queso? 

Be sure to let the mixture cool down all the way, and then store leftover queso dip 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 tortilla chips for a perfect cheese dip, or enjoy with fresh veggies as a perfect appetizer. 

While this smoked queso dip recipe is great for dipping, it's also a good topping for tacos and nachos, Blackstone Philly Cheesesteak, or Traeger Burgers.

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Recipe

Originally Published on December 12, 2022. Revised and Republished September 18, 2024.