Smoked Queso
Have I got a treat for you today…smoked queso! This creamy, cheesy, insanely yummy smoked queso is loaded with sausage, jalapenos, tomatoes, and more. Basically it is bursting with flavor but more than that, it is super easy to make. And that smoke adds just a little something extra to make this the best party dip, tailgating recipe, or even just a lazy Friday night in indulgence. Trust me, you will want this on repeat.
Serve with other dips like Spinach Dip and Texas Trash Dip for a great party spread.

This is one of those recipes that tastes like it took a lot of work to make, but in reality it is so easy. It is a dump, cook, mix recipe. And it is so hands off, which I love. Whenever I am prepping for a party or tailgating event, I am BUSY. The last thing I want to do is spend a bunch of time in the kitchen hovering over my recipes.
This queso dip is perfect because it uses the KING of melty cheeses–Velveeta, and the smoker/grill does all the work. You just have to dump everything into a foil pan, then stir…oh yeah, and eat it. The easiest part!

What You Need to Make Smoked Queso
Making smoked queso is eazy peazy, but it starts with great ingredients. Everything you need is going to be easy to find at a regular grocery store, but the better ingredients, the better the results.
Smoked Queso
- Velveeta cheese: I have tried it with the store brands, and I really do think it makes a difference, so go for the Velveeta if you can.
- Breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled: I used a spicy one, because I liked the extra kick, but any sausage you like on its own will be great in this dip.
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend: the blend makes for a great variety in flavor, and compliments the Velveeta well, so go for it, but if you don’t have any, use what you’ve got!
- Rotel or diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained: This is one that the brand name didn’t seem to impact the overall result much. I love Rotel, so went with that, but feel free to use any.
- Pickled jalapeño slices: Again, if you like how it tastes without being in a recipe, you will like it in the recipe. Do not get sweetened or candied ones, and choose a jar that seems to have uniform sized pieces for best results.
- Minced garlic: I like to say fresh is best, but from a jar works here too.
- Minced onion flakes: No preference on brand here.
- Milk or beer: This smoked queso is good with either or both.
Recommended Equipment
- Foil Pan
- Smoker- I used my Traeger.

How to Make SMOKED QUESO!
This creamy, cheesy, delicious smoked queso is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make. Once you make it once, you will start making it for all of your parties and tailgating activities. Guaranteed! Why? Because it is so simple.
Step One: Preheat Your Smoker or Grill
Smoked Queso is cooked on a grill or a smoker. So you want to set the temp to 400 degrees, and give it time to heat up.
Step Two: Brown Your Sausage
Everything about this recipe is simple, the only hands on time required is that of browning and crumbling your sausage. Feel free to use already browned sausage in this step if it makes your life easier.
Step Three: Combine Everything
Place ingredients in a 9×13-inch disposable aluminum pan. You can stir it all up at this point, or leave it all separate. it doesn’t make a huge difference. I like to give it a quick stir, and then move to the next step.
Step Four: Cook
Cook the queso for 25-35 minutes, or up to several hours, stirring periodically and adding milk or beer to the queso as it cooks to reach the desired consistency you want. When cheese is melted, and consistency is reached, it is done! I usually do 30 minutes or so, and don’t add any additional liquid. But if you cook longer, you may need more, as it can cook out.
Step Five: Serve
When it is done, remove from the grill, garnish as desired and serve with dippers. Then sit back with satisfaction and watch as everyone digs in!

Serve With
This recipe is so perfect for game day parties and I love pairing it with:
Tips and Tricks
Making this recipe is Eazy Peazy, but here are a few tips to make it turn out perfect every time…
- Tip One: Start with great ingredients. The better the ingredients, the better the dip.
- Tip Two: Stir throughout. This cheese dip turns out best if you stir it a couple of times while it cooks. This allows the cheese to melt evenly, and get nice and creamy.
- Tip Three: Check it. Every grill and smoker is different, and some have hot spots, it would not be fun to burn this delicious dip, so know your grill and check your dip a few times to make sure nothing is getting too hot, or move it as needed to cook evenly.
- Tip Four: Serve with lots of dipping options. Tortilla chips are my favorite with this one, but it is also good over baked potatoes like a cheese sauce, and I love potato wedges for dipping into it, like big fries. Celery is good too! Have fun with your dippers.
- Tip Five: Adjust heat preference to your liking. If you don’t want any kick, use regular diced tomatoes, and no jalapeños, or kick it up a notch with hotter options if that is what you like.

Make Ahead and Storage
How to make this recipe ahead of time:
Because this recipe is best served fresh and hot, I suggest cooking the sausage ahead and simply tossing everything in your foil pan, covering it with foil, and placing in the refrigerator until ready to cook and serve. Then cook the day of.
But if you want to cook it ahead too, you can. Simply reheat in the oven, or on the grill, adding extra milk or beer to reconstitute it and help it get back to the creamy, melty stage. Start with a few tablespoons at a time, and add as needed to get the results you want.
Other Great Recipes:
- Everything But the Bagel Dip
- Buffalo Wings
- Dill Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Pull Apart Bread
- Best Ever Layered Bean Dip
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Smoked Queso
Ingredients
- 1 lb Velveeta cheese cubed
- 1 lb pork sausage cooked and crumbled
- 4 ozs Shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 10 ozs Rotel or diced tomatoes and green chiles undrained
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño slices
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced onion flakes
- ¼ cup milk or beer
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 400 degrees F.
- Cook and crumble sausage, drain excess fat. Then place all ingredients in a 9×13-inch disposable aluminum pan.
- Place aluminum pan on the grill grates and close lid.
- Cook the queso for 25-35 minutes, or up to several hours, stirring periodically and adding milk or beer to the queso as it cooks to reach the desired consistency you want.
- When cheese is melted, and consistency is reached, remove from grill, garnish as desired and serve with dippers.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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