Smoked Queso Dip

Queso is an essential ingredient in every dish. It is essentially its own food category. We’re taking it to the next level now that we’ve added some smoke.

Queso works well with virtually anything and for every occasion. Who doesn’t enjoy hot, bubbling cheese with chilis, tomatoes, and spices on top of a tortilla chip or a chili dog?

This dish is so delicious that it’s worth scorching your tongue! Don’t do that, but I believe you get the idea! Let’s do it.

What is queso?

Queso is a popular Mexican-inspired appetizer in Tex-Mex cuisine. In Spanish, the term queso means “cheese.” The recipe often contains sausage, chorizo, or ground beef, tomatoes, and chili, in addition to melted cheese.

Queso has been altered and remixed in so many ways (Kimchi Queso anyone? ), it’s one of those foods that can be made in an infinite number of ways.

What you will need to make smoked queso

This dish requires just a few ingredients. First and foremost, queso is a sloppy mess. A foil pan will prevent a cheesy mess from forming on your plates. When you’re through, just toss away the foil pan.

I used hickory pellets in my Pit Boss 1600 Pro Pellet smoker. I kept the smoker at 250 degrees for the whole time to add some smoky flavor and gently melt everything together.

Queso may be made on any grill or smoker with a cover, as well as in the oven. I strongly suggest using a smoker since the extra smoky taste will elevate this dip to new heights.

You’ll also need a cheese grater since I suggest shredding the cheese yourself rather than purchasing it already shredded. I’ll explain why in more detail later.

Finally, brown the pork sausage ahead of time in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Some queso recipes call for ground beef, but I like the taste that sausage provides. You may also add some chorizo to give it a wonderful kick of heat and a distinct taste.

How to make smoked queso

1. Brown your sausage

The first thing you should do is cook the pork sausage. Cook everything in a skillet over medium-high heat until everything is browned.

Drain the oil since you don’t want it in the queso mixture.

2. Grate your cheese

Second, finely shred the pepper jack and cheddar cheeses. I definitely suggest purchasing block cheese and spending the additional time grating it yourself.

When you purchase packaged shredded cheese, it has a wax coating on it to keep it from sticking to the bag. While it may seem handy, pre-shredded cheese will not melt as well as shredded cheese from a block. If you prefer a different kind of cheese, feel free to substitute it.

Take your cheese blocks and grate them using a cheese grater. If you don’t have one, cut them into little cubes using a knife or food processor for speedier melting. In addition, cut the Velveeta cheese into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes.

3. Assemble queso in foil pan

The remaining queso is simply put into your foil pan. Shredded cheese, ground sausage, Rotel tomatoes, hatch green chiles, and cream of bacon soup are all added.

You may also add cream of mushroom. Either soup adds a velvety smoothness and consistency to the queso without sacrificing taste. It is really worth adding.

set everything in a foil pan, cover with bbq rub, and set on your smoker at 250 degrees.

4. Place queso on smoker until all ingredients are melted

Mix everything together while the cheese melts. You’re ready to go after around 30 minutes, when the cheese has melted and everything is lovely and hot!

Serve with chips or pretzels, or pour over hotdogs. Dip your left hand into it and eat the queso straight off your fingertips! I’ve never heard of someone refusing queso, and it’ll be gone in no time.

Try these smoked appetizers next

• Smoked Candied Bacon
• Grilled Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Smoked Pig Shots: The Ultimate Tailgate Snack
• Bacon Wrapped Jalapeo Poppers
• The Ultimate Jalapeo Popper Dip