TheUltimate Easy Smoked Queso Dip brings all the things you love about a great appetizer into a zesty, delicious, smoky, and cheesy dip. So, if the words spicy, queso, Tex-Mex, bacon, corn chips, sausage, and melted cheese send you into sensory overload, this best-ever smoked queso dip recipe is calling your name.
10ouncesdiced tomatoes and green chilieswith juice, I use Rotel, "original"
4ounceschopped green chilieswith juice, I use "mild"
1jalapenoseeds removed and finely chopped.
Instructions
Prepare your grill for smoking following the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat it to 250 degrees. If you are using a Big Green Egg, add a layer of charcoal, then add a handful of wood chips or a chunk or two of wood. Add another layer of charcoal and light the fire. Preheat the Egg to 250 degrees F. Add the plate-setter legs up, then the cooking grid.
While your grill is heating up, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chopped bacon. Spread it out evenly and let it brown and render some of its fat. This should take about seven minutes. The bacon will not be fully cooked at this point.
Add the sausage and partially break it up. Let it cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Use a spatula and flip it over and continue breaking it up into small pieces. Let it cook an additional five minutes undisturbed and repeat. Continue cooking until it is browned and thoroughly cooked.
Remove the skillet from the heat and pour out the sausage and bacon onto a paper towel to drain as much grease as possible. Use additional paper towels to blot the top of any excess grease.
Add the sausage and bacon back to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Add the Velveeta and pepper jack cheese, the diced tomatoes and green chilies along with the juice, and the canned chilies with juice and stir to combine. Continue stirring until the cheese melts.
Place the skillet on the grill and close the smoker. Plan to smoke it for about one hour and stir it halfway through.
Remove the skillet from the grill, garnish with the chopped jalapeno, and serve it immediately while still hot with sturdy corn chips or tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
This recipe, as written, is spicy and has a kick. If you would like to reduce the heat, substitute regular breakfast sausage for hot. You can also substitute Monterey Jack or gouda cheese for the Pepper Jack cheese. In addition, be sure to use "mild or regular" diced tomatoes and green chilies instead of "original" or "hot."To make this recipe vegetarian, simply leave out the bacon and sausage.If your dip is too thick, add a bit of evaporated milk, regular milk, or cream.If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, you can always use a sturdy disposable aluminum pan to smoke your dip. I use a Big Green Egg for smoking, but any Kamado Joe type smoker or any gas, charcoal, or pellet grill with a lid, such as Traeger, works great too. Just follow your manufacturer's instructions for smoking and maintain the temperature at 250 degrees F., and you are in business.Add a block of cream cheese to the mix if you want a little variety. Sauteed bell peppers and onions would also be a nice addition.If you don't have a grill or smoker, you can make smoked queso dip in a saucepan on the stove, in the oven, or in a crockpot or slow cooker. The addition of bacon in this recipe gives it a bit of a smoky taste, but if you want more, add a one-eighth teaspoon of liquid smoke. Be sure not to go overboard with the liquid smoke; a little goes a long way.Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for four to five days. I don't recommend freezing them because it will change the texture.To reheat leftovers, place them in a small saucepan over low heat. Be sure to stir the mixture constantly while it is reheating to keep the cheese from burning or scorching. You can also reheat this dip in a crockpot or slow cooker.If there is any downfall to this delicious dip, it congeals and forms a solid mass when it cools. This means it has to be kept warm for easy dipping. Because it starts and smokes in a cast-iron skillet, one easy fix is to serve it on a hot plate or portable electric burner. Alternatively, you can keep it warm by transferring it to a chafing dish, an electric fondue pot, a small crockpot, or a slow cooker. If it looks too thick, add a bit of milk to thin it out.