This easy smoked queso is a delicious and creamy Mexican-style cheese dip that has been infused with smoky flavors. It is typically made with a blend of melted cheeses, spices, and sometimes even meats or vegetables.
The smoky flavor comes from either smoking the cheese or adding smoked ingredients to the dip. It is commonly served as an appetizer or snack with tortilla chips or sliced vegetables. The combination of the smoky flavor and creamy texture makes smoked queso a crowd-pleaser at any gathering.
If you like smoked queso and would like to learn how to smoke cheese check out my recipe please! Or check out how to make Smoked Almonds.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Add an extra layer of flavor to your queso dip this Summer by smoking it or grilling it. The disposable aluminum pan is great for cooking food on the grill.
This recipe can be easily halved or made into more servings if you wish. It will be a hit at your outdoor gatherings!
Use the leftover queso to make so many recipes throughout the week!
Ingredients Needed
20 oz Cheese - Preferred Melted Cheese like Velveeta, this can be the blocked Velveeta or Velveeta cheese slices
8 oz shredded cheese like Pepper Jack or Colby Jack
Ground Beef - Here are some other ideas you can use. Hot breakfast sausage, Mild or Hot Italian Sausage, Chorizo, Ground Turkey
Taco Seasoning - To flavor the beef. This is optional if you are using a flavored sausage. Try my recipe for Lower Sodium Taco Seasoning
Rotel Tomatoes - Chop up some Roma tomatoes and chilis instead of using canned to save on sodium.
Other add-ins - jalapenos, garlic
How to make Smoked Queso
Step 1: Cook the ground beef and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the beef is cooked through and no longer pink, drain any extra fat. Add taco flavoring to ground beef according to package directions. If using sausage the taco seasoning is not needed.
Step 2: Place the Velveeta, shredded cheese, cooked ground beef and onions, Rotel tomatoes, and jalapeño into a disposable aluminum pan.
Step 3: Place the smoked queso dip on a smoker and close the lid. Smoke at 200 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hr or all the cheese is melted and everything is combined.
Step 4: Grill for 30 to 40 minutes on medium high heat.
Check every 20 minutes and stir and meat together.
What can I serve this?
- Make your own Air Fryer Tortilla Chips to serve with the queso dip.
- Ground Beef Tacos and queso dip is a match made in heaven!
- Whip up some nachos or put some leftover queso on tacos or tostadas. Nachos are one of my favorite meals to make cause it's like eating a complete meal. Smoked Pulled Pork Nachos or Skinny Beef Nachos.
- If you make nachos you make the Guacamole to go on top of it.
- Dorito Taco Salad
- Heat up the leftovers and mix them in with your mac and cheese.
- Make a chipotle-inspired burrito bowl with rice, corn salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and beans.
- Pour the queso dip overcooked veggies. I know that doesn’t really make the vegetables any healthier. 🙂
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Always store leftovers in clean, food-grade containers. The type of container doesn’t really matter. Use zip lock, glass, plastic, whatever! Make sure to store any leftovers in an airtight container before putting it in the freezer or fridge.
This can be prepped the day ahead.
You can always cover the aluminum pan the queso dip is in really well with saran wrap and place it back in the fridge.
Tips for Smoking Food
The smoker is so great for cooking simple basic food like smoked cheese, smoked asparagus, bbq ribs, and smoked salmon. The smoke gives the food an extra layer of flavor that you wouldn’t get from a grill.
What Smoker do I have? I have had my Traeger smoker for a very long time and I would recommend that brand to anyone wanting to learn how to smoke food. Traegers are kind of pricey but there are some very reasonably priced smokers for under $100.
Some smokers require a preheat before setting the actual temperature to the desired one. Read the instruction manual your smoker came with to make sure.
Wood Chips: There are so many different kinds of wood chips to experiment with and you can find them at any hardware store. Places like Target and Wal-Mart also sell them. I’ve even seen wood chips at the grocery stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use mesquite, hickory, or oak for making smoked queso taste even better.
I think it's all in the types of cheese you decide to use. Velveeta cheese is a great melty cheese for queso dip and can get a bit pricey so if you can find the Velveeta cheese slices feel free to use those as well. Just cut them up into cubes before adding them to the pan.
Take as much as you want to eat and reheat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until it's melted again.
Other Recipes to Try
If you tried this Smoked Queso Dip Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Please also follow along on Tiktok my page is @jennarecipediaries.
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Smoked Queso
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 30 to 40 min
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Add an extra layer of flavor to your queso dip this Summer by smoking it or grilling it. The disposable aluminum pan is great for cooking food on the grill. This recipe can be easily halved or made into more servings if you wish. It will be a hit at your outdoor gatherings!
Ingredients
- 20 oz Velveeta Cheese, cubed
- 8 oz shredded cheese like Pepper Jack or Colby Jack
- 1 pound of Ground Beef *See Ingredients above for substitutes
- 1 1oz packet Taco Seasoning (Reduced Sodium)
- 10 oz can Rotel Tomatoes
- Other add-ins - jalapenos, garlic
- Serve with your favorite tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the beef is cooked through and no longer pink, drain any extra fat. Add taco flavoring to ground beef according to package directions. If using sausage the taco seasoning is not needed.
- Place the Velveeta, shredded cheese, cooked ground beef and onions, Rotel tomatoes, and jalapeño into a disposable aluminum pan.
- Smoke at 200 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hr or all the cheese is melted and everything is combined.
- Grill for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Check every 20 minutes and stir and meat together.
Notes
See the Ingredients list above for other alternatives if you don't like beef.
- Category: Easy
- Method: Smoker or Grill
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 23g
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 23g
Keywords: smoked queso
Mogivi says
I make this at least once a month, its so easy and so good! Thank you for sharing this.
★★★★★