This isn't your regular queso! Smoked Queso Dip is cheesier, meatier and, slow-smoked for a delicious flavor. Serve it up at your next backyard party or tailgates it'll be gone within minutes!
Being from the Midwest, tailgating is it's equally as important as the game going on. Well at least for me..hah! So when I think game day, dips are at the top of my list!
Things like a Creamy Mexican Corn Dip, Knorr Veggie and Spinach Dip, and Raspberry Black Bean Dip are must makes!
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Why You'll Love It
Dips are some of the easiest recipes to prep and bring to parties or serve as a side dish for dinners. This one is a family favorite for many reasons! Here's why you'll love this easy smoked queso dip recipe too...
- The smokey flavor adds the 'wow' factor. Trust me, it's way better than your regular queso dip! It's worth the extra time on the smoker to elevate your everyday queso.
- It's completely customizable. You can add more spices to make it spicier or switch up the cheese for a different flavor. Get creative!
- It's so convenient to make. The recipe asks you to do only a few things; the smoker handles the rest!
- Perfect for tailgates! Once you make this, pour it into a crock pot and take it to game day tailgates. Serve it with some Tacos in a Bag and you've got a great game day menu.
🥂Make it A Rosy Moment
Is there anything better than getting friends together to watch your favorite college football team? How about cheering on those Chiefs in another super bowl?! Well here's how I'd serve up my Smoked Queso Dip Recipe to create the rosiest moments...
College Game Day - My best college memories were my parents driving up every Saturday with a tailgate full of food for me and my friends. Serve up smiles with this easy college tailgate menu:
- Walking Tacos in a Bag - my ultimate tailgate food! If you've never built your tacos in a Doritos bag on game day I promise you are missing out!
- Sweet Tea Lemonade Cocktail - refreshing and light for those hot game days.
- Fresh Corn-Chile Salsa - cool down with this Chipotle Copy Cat Corn-Chile Salsa recipe. It's so easy to make and I love the chilled dip served with the queso!
Family Nacho Night - A hearty addition to a family nacho night, smoked queso is something the whole family will agree on. If you're firing up your smoker, make these recipes to serve with it:
- 3 Ingredient Pulled Pork - does making pulled pork intimidate you? No more! Use this 3 ingredient recipe for a no-fail meal.
- BBQ Chicken Nachos - serve the queso over these nachos for some really happy campers!
- Watermelon Mojito Salad - cool it all down with this refreshing watermelon salad with mint and a touch of rum!
Drinks & Dips Party - Want to be the most popular hostess? Host a dip party! Everyone brings a different dip and this smoked queso is your secret weapon! Here are some signature drinks to pair with all those dips:
- Pink Moscow Mule - A grapefruit rosemary flavor combo added to a classic mule recipe!
- Salted Spicy Margarita - Salted and spicy? My two favorite things in a cocktail.
- Lemon Gingerbeer Cocktail - this one is bright and fresh, it's also great as a mocktail!
Important Ingredients
- Velveeta Cheese - Although Velveeta isn't made of real cheese, it melts like a dream. Plus, its smooth and velvety texture makes it perfect for this delicious dip. It's also perfection in my classic Velveeta Potato Soup!
- Block of White Cheddar Cheese - You can use orange cheddar, too; there's no difference in flavor. We are adding cheddar cheese for its nutty and sharp flavor. But make sure it comes in a block and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents and other additives that don't allow it to melt down as nicely.
- Ground Beef or Turkey - Ground beef is less flavorsome, so I stick to turkey. You can also use breakfast sausage, chorizo, or ground chicken.
- Rotel - You can use any type of Rotel you like, but I prefer the original for its flavor-packed tomatoes and green chilies.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup - The creamier, the better! And that's what this ingredient is for - enhancing creaminess.
- Spices - Salt, pepper, and cumin are the only three essential seasonings you need.
Swaps and Substitutions
Like I mentioned before, I love this smoked queso recipe because it's easy to customize! So here are some different ways to mix it up if you don't have everything listed for your cheese dip.
- Flavor your dip with other spices like chili powder, smoked paprika, and oregano are a great option! You could even use taco seasoning.
- No skillet? No problem! Smoke this in a disposable aluminum pan for easier cleanup!
- Add some green chiles for flavor if you aren't a fan of jalapeno peppers.
- Try other cheeses like Monterey jack cheese, yellow cheddar, or even cream cheese!
- How about a breakfast queso?! Try adding breakfast sausage to this cheese dip.
Topping Options
You can top your dip with anything you like, such as diced tomatoes, bacon bits, green onions, finely diced white onion, and cilantro. Sprinkle some extra cheese for a cheesy affair!
Here are some more add-in options that'll give your dip a different flavor profile:
- Pickled Red Onion - A sharp, slightly sweet, and tangy addition to the dip.
- Instant Black Beans - Gives the queso dip a Mexican twist.
- Pickled Peppers - For an extra kick of heat!
- Bell Pepper or Chili Peppers- It's a great way to add color and crunch to dips.
- Pico de Gallo - Fresh flavors would be great choices on this cheesy dip, try my Pineapple Pico de Gallo for something with tons of flavor!
Full Recipe Below
Find the full list of ingredients & measurements below in the recipe card!
Dip Recipe Variations
When I first served this dip to my family, they couldn't get enough! It was such a crowd pleaser that I decided to experiment with different variations. Here are some ideas I came up with for the ultimate party dip ideas:
- BBQ Smoked Queso Dip - Add your favorite BBQ sauce for a sweet and smoky flavor.
- Buffalo Smoke Queso Dip - Make your dip spicier by adding Buffalo sauce and extra jalapenos. (This would be great in sweet potatoes, like my Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes!)
- Vegetarian Smoked Queso Dip - Skip the meat and use mushrooms or black beans instead.
- Chili Con Queso Dip - Add your favorite chili to turn it into an umami-packed dip.
- Three Cheese Queso - More types of cheese, please! You can add pepper jack cheese, gouda cheese, and white American cheese.
- Cream Cheese Queso - Rotel tomatoes and cream cheese - now, that's a match made in heaven.
- Taco Meat Queso Dip - Nothing beats taco-flavored queso dip! Add in some cooked taco meat for a flavor bomb. If you prefer a chilled dip, try this Taco Cream Cheese Dip!
Step by Step Instructions
I love making this in my Yoder pellet smoker but you can use a grill with a smoke box, Big Green Egg, or even add a teaspoon of liquid smoke if you don't have a smoker!
The most important part is that we're cooking this over low heat. So, while the cook time is longer than a typical dip, I promise smoking it adds an extra layer of flavor you just can't get anywhere else!
- Step 1: Prepare your smoker and pre-heat to 225 degrees. While that is heating, over medium high heat brown the ground meat, season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Set aside.
- Step 2: Using a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, and seeded jalapeño a few times to roughly chop or hand chop.
- Step 3: Reduce the burner to medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, the chopped veggies, and rotel to the large skillet and cook 3-5 minutes and add back in the ground beef.
- Step 4: Stir in the diced velveeta cheese.
- Step 5: Add skillet to the smoker (on the 2nd rack over indirect heat) and smoke for 1.5 - 2 hours. Be sure to stir every 30 minutes or so.
- Step 6: Once the cheese is melted, stir in the cream of mushroom soup and shredded cheddar cheese. Cook for an additional 10 minutes then top the queso and serve!
How to Make Smoked Queso Dip on the Grill
If you're cooking over a gas grill, you'll need a smoker box to impart the smokey taste. These are easy to find and an inexpensive way to turn a grill into a smoker!
- Pre heat your grill for 10-15 minutes to 350 degrees.
- Fill the smoker box with pellets or wood chips and place it on a burner.
- Turn the burners down to low or medium heat and then watch it start smoking!
- Place your queso on the other side of the grill, but still fairly close to the smoker box. so it gets the most smoke flavor.
- Cook at 250 degrees for 1.5 to 2 hours and stir every 30 minutes or so!
Top Tip
Use a disposable foil pan if you don't have a cast iron skillet. Just make sure you stir every 15-20 minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom and the cheese melts evenly.
Tips & Tricks
After making this for tailgates dozens of times, I have all the tricks for the best smoked queso dip!
- Use a disposable foil pan if you don't have a cast iron skillet. Just make sure you stir every 15-20 minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom and the cheese melts evenly.
- Use wood chips in your smoker for the best smoke flavor. I prefer a fruit wood, cherry or apple wood chips; they give a smoky flavor without leaving an overpowering taste.
- Immediately transfer your dip to a slow cooker (or dutch oven over medium heat) to prevent it from thickening.
- The dip has a thick consistency. If you want a thinner dip, add some evaporated milk, sour cream, or extra cream of mushroom soup.
💡Recipe FAQ
Sure! I prefer it fresh, but when prepping for tailgate season or game days sometimes prepping ahead is best! Make this up to a day ahead of time and just reheat in a crockpot or on the stove!
It's best when its fresh, but you can store in an airtight container for a couple of days ad reheat in a crockpot or in a dutch oven on the stove!
Fruit woods! Cherry or apple wood work great, I stay away from things like Hickory because it typically gives more of a bitter flavor than I like. However, feel free to mix in some hickory wood or pellets with a fruit wood for a blend of flavors!
At 250 degrees, I smoke this queso for about 1.5 to 2 hours for the best consistency!
Related Tailgate Recipes
If you tried this Easy Smoked Queso Dip Recipe , or any other of the delicious recipes on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
EASY Smoked Queso Dip Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Cast iron skillet
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 smoker or grill + smoker box
Ingredients
- 32 oz velveeta cheese
- 8 z block white cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey browned and drained
- Two 14 oz cans of Rotel
- 1 jalapeno seeded
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 14 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- cilantro
- white onion
Instructions
- Prepare the smoker and set the temperature to reach 225 degrees F.
- Heat a large oven/grill save pan oil over medium-high heat. Add beef or turkey to the skillet and cook until browned. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Set aside.
- While the meat is cooking add the onion, garlic and a seeded jalapeno, to a food processor and pulse a few times to finely chop the vegetables. (Or hand chop)
- Turn the heat on the skillet down to medium and add the chopped veggies and cook for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add back in the meat, diced velveeta cheese, rotel and stir.
- Place the skillet in the smoker for an hour and a half to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Once all the cheese is melted, stir in the cream of mushroom soup and shredded white cheddar.
- Smoke an additional 10 minutes then remove from the smoker and top with chopped cilantro and onion and serve with tortilla chips!
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