Smoked queso comes from Texas barbecue country, where pitmasters figured out that a pan of cheese dip on the smoker picks up the same smoke as the brisket. Any lidded grill and a chunk of wood will do it, and the only trick is stirring it now and then so it doesn't skin over.
At the lot: Build the pan at home and smoke it on any lidded grill with a chunk of wood, stirring now and then. Homegating: Smoke it in the backyard, or use the slow-cooker version and carry it hot.
Home gear: a 9 × 13 in. deep foil pan, a skillet and an instant-read thermometer
20 MIN
At home, up to a day ahead
75 MIN
Homegating or at the lot
12
Serves
Ingredients
Queso
- 1 lb fresh breakfast sausage (or ground beef)
- 2 lb Velveeta, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack
- 2 cans (10 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Smoke
- 2 fist-size chunks of hickory, pecan or apple wood (or 2 cups chips for a gas grill)
Serve
- 2 large bags tortilla chips
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Steps
At home
- Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high, breaking it up, until no pink is left and it reads 160°F, about 8 minutes. Drain it well. Add the onion and jalapeño for the last 3 minutes.
- Put the Velveeta, cream cheese, pepper jack, both cans of tomatoes and chiles, the milk, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder in the foil pan. Spoon the sausage mixture over the top. To smoke it later, cover it with foil and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Homegating, on the smoker
- Heat the smoker to 250°F with the wood on the fire. On a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side and set the wood on them. On a gas grill, light one side and put the chips in a foil packet poked with holes over the lit burner.
- Set the pan, uncovered, on the cool side and close the lid. Smoke for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes, until it's smooth and the center reads 165°F.
- Stir once more, scatter the cilantro on top and serve with the chips. Keep the pan on the cool side with the lid down, or move it to a slow cooker on warm, so it holds at 140°F or above.
At the lot instead
- Build the pan through step 2 the night before and carry it covered in the cooler. At the lot, set up the grill the same way as step 3 and smoke it as in step 4, until it reads 165°F.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Fuel: charcoal with a chunk of wood gives the most smoke flavor. A pellet smoker needs power, so check your lot's generator rule before you count on one.
- It thickens as it sits: stir in a splash of milk if it gets stiff on the grill.
Variation: slow-cooker queso, no smoker
No smoker or grill space? Make the same dip in a slow cooker and carry it hot.
- Add: 1 tsp smoked paprika for a little smoke flavor without wood. Skip the wood chunks. Home gear is a 6-quart slow cooker instead of the foil pan.
- Step 1 is the same: brown the sausage all the way through and drain it.
- Instead of steps 2 to 5: right after browning the sausage, put everything in the slow cooker with the smoked paprika. Don't load it the night before and start it cold from the fridge. Cook on low for about 2 hours (or high for about 1 hour), stirring every 30 minutes, until it's smooth and hot. Switch it to warm to hold, and scatter the cilantro on top to serve.
- At the lot: with power, plug it in on warm. Without power, clip the lid and wrap the cooker in towels inside a cooler.
Can you make smoked queso ahead?
Yes. Brown the sausage and build the pan up to 1 day ahead, keep it covered in the fridge, and smoke it straight from the cooler until it reaches 165°F.
How do you keep queso hot at a tailgate?
Leave the pan on the cool side of the grill with the lid down, and stir it every so often. At home, a slow cooker on warm holds it once it's hot. The holding rules are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
Can you make smoked queso on a gas grill?
Yes. Light one side, put a foil packet of wood chips over that burner, and set the pan on the unlit side with the lid closed at about 250°F.
How much smoked queso for 20 people?
Multiply everything by 1⅔ and use 2 pans: about 3⅓ lb of Velveeta, 1⅔ lb of sausage, 3⅓ cups of pepper jack and 3 to 4 bags of chips. Start the second pan when the first is half gone.
Gear for this cook
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