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Home » Recipes » Dip Recipe

Smoked Queso Dip

Published: Jul 20, 2024 · Modified: Jan 15, 2025 by Chef Ryan Littley

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Packed with flavor, our smoked queso dip is a cheesy appetizer with a smokey flavor and spicy kick your whole family will love.

It’s the perfect appetizer for your next family get and the ultimate party dip for game day tailgating.

Smoked Queso Dip with tortilla chips in a white bowl.


 

Made with a blend of cheeses and Mexican chorizo, this indulgent dip is creamy, cheesy, spicy, and oh-so delicious! The delicious smoky flavor permeates through the queso ingredients during the cooking process, creating a smoked cheese dip like no other.

Smoked Queso Dip with tortilla chips in a white bowl.

This flavorful smoked queso dip, made with simple ingredients from your local grocery store, is guaranteed to rival those of your favorite Mexican restaurant. It’s one of my favorite dip recipes, and I know it will be one of yours, too.

If you love delicious hot dips, make sure to try our slow-cooker buffalo chicken dip and Maryland hot crab dip recipes.

Table of Contents:
  • Ingredients to make Smoked Queso Dip
  • What other ingredients can I use to make Smoked Queso?
  • How to make Smoked Queso Dip
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Smoked Queso Dip

Ingredients to make Smoked Queso Dip

Ingredients to make the recipe.

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our easy smoked queso dip recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

What other ingredients can I use to make Smoked Queso?

We absolutely love using Mexican chorizo in this dish, but you can also use sweet or hot Italian sausage or ground beef.

Canned Rotel tomatoes are my go-to for the queso dip, but you can substitute chopped fresh tomatoes and chopped green chilies.

You can substitute pepper jack, cheddar, Colby, or Monterey jack for the shredded gouda cheese.

If you’re not a fan of Velveeta,  substitute 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and ½ of heavy cream in its place. 

You can substitute fresh jalapenos, poblano peppers, green chilies, or hatch chili peppers for the pickled jalapenos.

For a spicier flavor, chili powder, taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin can be added,

How to make Smoked Queso Dip

  • Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F.
  • Add your favorite wood chips to your smoke tube. For this recipe, we used hickory wood chips.
Collage showing how to begin the recipe.
  • Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the ground chorizo to the hot pan.
  • Brown the chorizo, breaking apart any large clumps (about 5-7 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo from the saute pan, placing them in a disposable aluminum pan or cast-iron skillet pan, leaving the drippings in the pan.
  • Add the diced onions to the pan with the chorizo drippings.
  • Saute the onions for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the chopped garlic, sweet paprika, and red pepper flakes to the pan, stirring to combine.
  • Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
    Remove the onions from the pan using a slotted spoon, placing them in the foil pan.

*Keep the ingredients separate to allow the smoke flavor to penetrate them individually.

Collage showing how to finish the recipe.
  • Add the chorizo, Velveeta cubes, shredded Gouda, queso fresca, Rotel tomatoes, and pickled jalapeño peppers to the pan.
  • Add the pan to the smoker and allow it to smoke for 1 hour.
  • Remove the pan from the smoker.
  • Stir to combine all of the ingredients thoroughly. Then, place the pan back in the smoker and cook for an additional 45 minutes.
    *For a hearty smoke flavor, add more wood chips to the smoker tube.
  • Remove the pan from the smoker.
  • Stir the smoked chorizo dip while hot to mix the smoky layer from the top of the pan throughout the queso dip.
Smoked Queso Dip with tortilla chips in a white bowl.

I like to think of smoked queso dip as a cheese sauce on steroids. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I like to serve it over nachos with sour cream and homemade guacamole.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Recipe FAQ’s

What can I serve smoked queso dip with?

It makes an excellent dip for tortilla chips, potato chips, and soft pretzels. You can also serve it as a topping for scrambled eggs, chili, nachos, fajitas, and tacos. It also makes a delicious topping for grilled chicken and skirt steak. And it makes an amazing macaroni and cheese.

Can I make queso dip in the oven?

Absolutely. It won’t have the smoky flavor that smoking the dip will give it, but it will still be a delicious dip whether you use your oven, slow cooker, or Dutch oven to make it.
*You can add a little liquid smoke to relipicate the smoke flavor.

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    Maryland Hot Crab Dip {Very Best}
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Smoked Queso Dip with tortilla chips in a white bowl.

Smoked Queso Dip

Chef Ryan Littley
Packed with flavor, our smoked queso dip is a cheesy appetizer with a smokey flavor and spicy kick your whole family will love.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, dip
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 223 kcal

Equipment

  • Smoker
  • wood chips

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb chorizo
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 2 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 8 oz gouda cheese shredded or extra sharp cheddar
  • 8 oz queso fresco
  • 16 oz velveeta cheese cubed
  • 1 cup diced pickled jalapeños 6 oz can – drained
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes 14 oz can – drained

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees
  • Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the loose chorizo meat to the hot pan.
  • Brown the chorizo, breaking apart any large clumps (about 5-7 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the chorizo from the saute pan, placing them in a disposable aluminum pan or cast-iron skillet, leaving the drippings in the pan.
    *Keep ingthe ingredients separate in the pan allows the smoke flavor to penetrate them individually.
  • Add the diced onions to the pan with the chorizo drippings.
  • Saute the onions for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the chopped garlic, sweet paprika, and red pepper flakes to the pan, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
  • Remove the onions from the pan using a slotted spoon, placing them in a foil pan (or cast iron frying pan).
    *Keep the ingredients separate to allow them to allow the smoke flavor to penetrate them individually.
  • Add the chorizo, Velveeta cubes, shredded Gouda, queso fresca, tomatoes and pickled jalapenos to the pan.
  • Add your favorite wood chips to your smoke tube. For this recipe ,we used hickory wood chips
  • Add the pan to the smoker and allow it to smoke for 1 hour.
  • Remove the pan from the smoker and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
    *Make sure to close your smoker while stirring so it maintains its heat level.
  • Place the pan back in the smoker and cook for an additional 45 minutes.
    *For a hearty smoke flavor, add more wood chips to the smoker tube.
  • Remove the pan from the smoker and stir while hot to get the smoky layer from the top of the pan mixed in with the queso dip.

Notes

Can I make this in my oven?
Absolutely. It won’t have the smoky flavor that smoking the dip will give it, but it will still be a delicious dip whether you use your oven, slow cooker, or Dutch oven to make it.
*You can add a little liquid smoke to relipicate the smoke flavor.
What other ingredients can I use to make Smoked Queso?
We absolutely love using Mexican chorizo in this dish, but you can also use sweet or hot Italian sausage or ground beef.
Canned Rotel tomatoes are my go-to for the queso dip, but you can substitute chopped fresh tomatoes and chopped green chilies.
You can substitute pepper jack, cheddar, Colby, or Monterey jack for the shredded gouda cheese.
If you’re not a fan of Velveeta,  substitute 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and ½ of heavy cream in its place. 
You can substitute fresh jalapenos, poblano peppers, green chilies, or hatch chili peppers for the pickled jalapenos.
For a spicier flavor, chili powder, taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin can be added,

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 16gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 1094mgPotassium: 272mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1027IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 472mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 1 vote

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Barb says

    August 03, 2024 at 12:09 pm

    This sounds fantastic! Please keep the smoker recipes coming!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      August 03, 2024 at 12:26 pm

      It was almost too good! Thanks, we’ll keep the smoker recipes coming!

      Reply
  2. Lisa says

    July 20, 2024 at 8:33 am

    5 stars
    OMG that looks amazing!!

    Reply


My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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