Smoked Queso Dip

June 09, 2026 · josh darby

Home/ Recipes/ Smoked Queso Dip

The smoky, melty centerpiece your next party didn't know it needed.

There are two kinds of party hosts in this world: the ones who serve a sad bowl of pretzels and store-bought ranch, and the ones who pull a bubbling cast iron skillet of smoked queso off the grill and instantly become the most important person at the gathering.

Be the second kind.

Smoked queso is the most underrated party food in barbecue. It takes 90 minutes, makes a massive batch, costs almost nothing, and disappears faster than anything else on the table. People will hover over it. They will scoop with reckless abandon. They will get cheese on their shirts. They will call it the best queso they've ever had.

The trick is the smoke. A regular queso dip is fine — but throw it on the smoker for an hour and it becomes something completely different. Smoky, deep, rich, with that signature mahogany ring around the edges.

Executive Order is the rub that ties it all together. The kosher salt, garlic, and pepper layer over the cheese and chorizo, giving the whole dip a finished, savory backbone. This isn't a one-rub-fits-all situation — Executive Order specifically was built to season anything, and "anything" includes a vat of melting cheese.

Cook Time: 15 minutes active · 90 minutes total

Serves: 8-12 as an appetizer (or 3 sad people who can't stop)

Difficulty: Beginner

What You'll Need

Ingredients:

2 lbs Velveeta (cubed) — yes, Velveeta, don't argue
8 oz block cream cheese (cubed)
8 oz sharp cheddar (shredded)
1 lb ground beef OR breakfast sausage OR chorizo (chorizo is the move)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, diced (seeds in if you like heat)
1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons Executive Order rub
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Tortilla chips for serving

Gear:

Smoker — pellet, kamado, kettle, or even gas grill with smoke tube
Wood — apple, cherry, or hickory (don't use oak — too strong for cheese)
Large cast iron skillet OR foil pan (12-inch)
Wooden spoon

Step-by-Step

1. Set up the smoker for 225°F. Get your smoker holding at 225°F. Load apple, cherry, or hickory wood. You want gentle smoke, not aggressive smoke — this is cheese, not brisket.

2. Brown the meat on the stove first. In a separate skillet, cook the chorizo (or beef/sausage) until browned. Drain off most of the fat — leave about a tablespoon. Add the diced onion and jalapeño, cook until softened. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds. Hit it with 1 tablespoon of Executive Order. Stir.

3. Build the dip in the cast iron. In a large cast iron skillet (12-inch or larger), add:

Cubed Velveeta
Cubed cream cheese
Shredded cheddar
The cooked meat mixture
Drained Rotel
1 cup whole milk
The remaining 1 tablespoon of Executive Order

Don't stir yet. Just layer it in.

4. Set the skillet on the smoker. Place the entire cast iron skillet directly on the smoker grate. Close the lid.

5. Smoke for 30 minutes undisturbed. This is the magic window. The cheese is absorbing smoke before it fully melts, which is when it picks up the most flavor.

6. Stir and continue smoking. After 30 minutes, give it a good stir to start incorporating the melting cheese with everything else. Close the lid and smoke another 30 minutes.

7. Final stir and check consistency. At the 60-minute mark, stir again. The cheese should be fully melted and bubbling around the edges. If it's too thick, add another splash of milk. If it's too thin, leave the lid off for the last 15 minutes to reduce.

8. Total cook time: 90 minutes. Pull when the dip is bubbling, glossy, and you can't stop staring at it.

9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and an extra sprinkle of Executive Order.

10. Serve immediately with tortilla chips. Warn people the skillet is hot. They won't listen. They'll burn their fingers anyway. Worth it.

Pro Tips

Don't substitute the Velveeta. Real cheese alone won't melt smoothly — it'll get stringy and grainy. Velveeta has emulsifiers that keep the texture creamy. This isn't the moment to be a cheese snob.
Chorizo > breakfast sausage > ground beef. Each is good, but chorizo's spice and color make the dip pop.
Add black beans or corn for a Tex-Mex twist. A drained can of either is fantastic.
Make it ahead. You can smoke this 2 hours before a party and keep it warm on the smoker at 200°F with the lid closed. Stir every 30 minutes. It'll hold beautifully.
Leftover queso is gold. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of milk. Use it as nacho topping, baked potato sauce, breakfast burrito filler, or just eat it cold with chips like a maniac at midnight.

The Pairing

A cold cerveza with lime — Modelo, Pacifico, Corona. A margarita on the rocks. A spicy bloody mary if it's brunch. Queso is hot, salty, and rich — drink something cold and crisp.

The Move for Parties

Smoked queso is the most reliable party food in barbecue. Some tips for the host:

Serve straight from the cast iron skillet on the table (use a trivet) — looks impressive
Set out warm tortilla chips, NOT room-temp ones
Keep extra Executive Order at the table for people who want more seasoning
Have a backup batch ready — this disappears faster than you think

Make It Yours

Executive Order isn't just for queso. It's the rub that goes on everything: