Smoked Queso
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 20, 2025 
The Best Smoked Queso Dip – Use your smoker to make the most outrageously cheesy, spicy, and delicious Mexican chorizo queso dip at home. This easy one-pan recipe is perfect for game days and parties!
Why We Love This Smoked Queso Recipe
Game days and casual get-togethers are synonymous with food parties… Everyone comes together and gathers around a buffet of tasty finger food munchies to cheer and chat. And nothing brings guests to the table quite like a warm bowl of gooey, rich queso dip.
If you’ve got a smoker, and a party on the horizon, this is the cheese dip for you! Our recipe features a delightful combo of Velveeta and pepper jack cheeses, Rotel, onions and jalapenos, and Mexican chorizo. Melted all together, these staple ingredients become a roller coaster of bold, spicy, savory, and unbelievably delicious smoky flavor.
Simply load everything in a baking dish, and let the smoker work its magic! Before you know it you have a hot pan of our Smoked Queso Recipe just begging to be scooped up with your favorite dippers.
Ingredients You Need
- Velveeta cheese – essential for that perfectly melty queso (You can choose the white Velveeta or white American Cheese if you prefer!)
- Pepper jack cheese – or use Colby Jack, Monterey Jack Cheese, or Cheddar Cheese, Gouda Cheese for a milder flavor
- Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles – your choice of mild or spicy green chilies
- Mexican chorizo sausage – uncooked, casings removed (or use ground beef, breakfast sausage, or another pork sausage)
- Onion – peeled and diced
- Jalapeños – sliced, with seeds removed for less spiciness
Plus, your favorite snacks for dipping!
How to Make Smoked Queso
- First, preheat the electric smoker (or pellet grill) to 250°F. Set out a 9 x 13-inch metal pan. Alternatively, you can use a disposable aluminum pan for easier cleanup. Note, if adding wood chips or wood pellets to your smoker, hickory, oak, and mesquite are good options for this recipe.
- Chop the Velveeta and pepper jack cheese into 1-inch chunks. Dice the onion and slice the jalapeños. Then, place all the ingredients in the pan (it doesn’t need to be pretty!)
- Set the pan in the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the queso, undisturbed, for 60 minutes. Stir to mix all the ingredients evenly.
- Smoke the queso for another 10 to 15 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency. This helps to really lock in that deep, smokey flavor.
- Serve the spicy cheese dip warm as an appetizer or side dish with your favorite dippers.
Get the Complete (Printable) Smoked Queso Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Plan for about 1-2 hours of smoking, depending on how intense you want the smoky flavor to be. The longer it stays in the smoker, the smokier the taste.
- Queso can thicken quickly, so serve it hot right off the smoker. If it cools, you can reheat it over indirect heat or even pop it back in the smoker briefly to loosen it up again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Classic snacks to serve with queso are tortilla chips, potato chips, crackers, or sliced fresh veggies like bell peppers and carrots.
Spoon warm queso on nachos and hot dogs for a delicious kick of deluxe flavor. Or go BIG and make chili cheese dogs or queso burgers!
Simply skip the chorizo to make vegetarian queso. You can add in plant-based sausage or black beans, but it is not necessary.
You can remove the seeds from the jalapeños to dial back the spice a bit, or omit them entirely to really reduce the heat. Use mild Mexican chorizo or sub with a spice-free fresh sausage. Also, sub pepper jack cheese with mild Colby jack cheese.
Homemade smoked cheese dip will keep well for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Let the leftovers cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Reheat the leftover queso dip in short bursts in the microwave or low and slow on the stovetop, stirring frequently.
Yes, you can. However, the current recipe is too large for just one skillet. You will either need to make it in more than one cast iron pan, or reduce the recipe by half.
You can use a traditional smoking cabinet, a pellet smoker or grill like a Traeger, or a classic charcoal grill, or gas grill for this recipe. If using a standard grill, place a small pan of wood chips, covered in water, next to the baking dish to create smoke. (As the water evaporates, the chips will start to smoke.)
Sure you can! Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Combine the ingredients as directed, adding 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke. This will add smoky essence without the need for a smoker.
Looking For More Delicious Dips? Be Sure To Also Try These Easy Recipes:
- 3-Ingredient Magic Taco Dip
- French Onion Dip
- Mexican Corn Dip
- Irresistible Dill Dip
- Clam Dip Recipe
- Supreme Pizza Dip
- Smoked Fish Dip
- Roasted Poblano Avocado Dip
- Retro Taco Pizza (Layered Taco Dip)
- 3 Ingredient Beer Cheese Dip
- Best Classic Queso
- Amazing Queso Blanco
Smoked Queso Dip Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 32 ounces Velveeta cheese
- 16 ounces pepper jack cheese
- 20 ounces Rotel tomatoes and chiles
- 6 ounces Mexican chorizo casings removed
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2-4 jalapenos sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F. Set out a 9 x 13 inch metal pan. (You can also use a disposable foil pan.)
- Chop the Velveeta and pepper jack cheese into 1-inch chunks. Dice the onion and slice the jalapeños.
- Place all the ingredients in the pan. (I lined them up pretty for the photo, but you can just dump them in!)
- Set the pan in the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the queso for 60 minutes. Stir to mix all the ingredients evenly, then smoke the queso another 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips or a veggie dippers.
What would you add to thin out queso if it is too thick?
Hi Beth!
You can add a splash of milk if needed to thin out the queso. :)
Truly the best queso dip recipe ever!! The flavor is outstanding and the whole fam loved it!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
This Queso is so smoky and delicious, I am going to make this for my friends the next time we get together!
Can you make this without a smoker? Oven or stove top?
Hi Leslie,
You can certainly follow the same instructions, including time and temperature, in the oven. Consider adding a touch of liquid smoke to replicate the smoky flavor.