This Smoked Queso recipe is perfect for cookouts, camping, tailgates, and summer parties! This smoky, cheesy dip is made on the grill for an easy low carb appetizer.
Smoked Queso
This easy Smoked Queso is the perfect hands-off recipe to enjoy at an outdoor gathering! This queso recipe is made by dumping just 6 ingredients into a foil pan and allowing it to all melt together in a grill or smoker. Just dump, let it melt, stir, and serve for a deliciously cheesy dip everyone will love!
Our favorite one pan meal for dinner is this Pollo con Queso — It’s hard to beat tender chicken covered in a creamy cheese sauce! I love that sauce so much, I turned it into an amazing low-carb appetizer, too! It uses all of the same ingredients, but I added a can of Rotel to beef it up a bit and make it more like my favorite restaurant queso.
This is a fantastic meal prep recipe, too — Make a big batch on the weekend, then enjoy it all week long! Have it as a side with veggies for lunch, top your tacos with it another night, and make Shrimp con Queso later that week!
Ingredients for Homemade Queso
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need. Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for exact measurements!
- Heavy cream
- Cream cheese: I used full fat, but you can use low-fat if you prefer.
- Pepper jack cheese and white American cheese
- Canned Green chiles and canned Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles) : I used mild, but you can use spicier if you prefer a hotter dip.
How to Make Smoked Queso
This could not be simpler. Add all of your ingredients to a foil pan, stick it on the grill, and stir occasionally for a super creamy, delicious dip!
What kind of grill do I need?
Whether you have charcoal, electric, or gas, any grill will work for this dish! As long as you can fit a foil pan inside it, you’ll be good to go. You could even cook this over a campfire if you have a grill grate to sit it on!
Can I make this without a grill?
Sure, this recipe is simple in a slow cooker, in the oven, or on the stove! To get a smoky flavor without the smoke, you can add about 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the recipe. This isn’t necessary for an amazing queso dip, but it does take it up a notch for an impressive appetizer!
If using a slow cooker, just dump your ingredients in and allow them to cook on low for an hour or two. Stir often to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom. This is PERFECT for a potluck or buffet-style party!
To make this in the oven, just preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, dump your ingredients into an oven-safe dish, and allow it to cook 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking and the top from browning too much. If you’re making it on the stove, dump everything into a pot and allow it to simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring often.
How to store & reheat Queso Dip
This dip is a great meal prep recipe because it stores easily and reheats perfectly! Allow the queso to cool completely before storing in the fridge in an airtight container. It should keep up to 5 days in the fridge, great for adding to lunches or serving as mid-day snacks.
You can reheat individual portions by microwaving in 30-second increments until warmed throughout. If you’re reheating large portions, warm on the stove in a covered skillet on low or in the oven at 300 degrees F (stirring occasionally). If you’d like to carry this to a potluck, transfer to a slow cooker and allow it to heat up on low.
I would not recommend freezing this as the cream cheese and melted cheeses may separate during the freezing/reheating process.
Tips for Homemade Queso:
- Give it a good stir every now and then — This prevents sticking on the bottom and helps make sure every bite is creamy and full of flavor.
- Adjust for your own preferences — If you want this to be spicier, swap out the canned green chiles for chopped jalapenos. You could also switch cheeses, but keep in mind that this would affect the texture.
- Beef it up — If you’d like to make this a main course, just add a pound of your favorite meat! Grilled chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork would all make an amazing loaded queso dinner!
What to serve with Smoked Queso
Obviously tortilla chips are a classic addition to a good queso dip, but keto doesn’t mean you have to skip this! Make your own low-carb tortilla chips by cutting up a keto-friendly tortilla and toasting it in the oven or air fryer. You can customize the amount of salt added on these, making them an even healthier alternative to classic chips.
Alternative dippers for your queso include vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, even zucchini slices! Veggie fries made from carrots, zucchini, green beans, or rutabaga are perfect with this dip as well.
This list of 40+ Low Carb Mexican Food Recipes has a ton of delicious main entrees that would work with this queso as well, like these Instant Pot Tacos and Steak Fajitas! Top it all off with these Keto Margaritas for an easy, low carb meal.
Grilling Recipes:
- Grilled Portobella Mushrooms
- How to Make Grilled Blackened Chicken
- Grilled Zucchini Mozzarella Wraps
- Grilled Chicken Legs
- BBQ Pulled Pork
Smoked Queso (How to Make Queso Dip!)
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 1 4-oz can mild green chiles drained
- 1 10-oz can tomatoes with green chilies drained
- 1/3 cup heavy cream + more for thinning if needed.
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded white American Cheese
Instructions
- Place all of the queso ingredients in an 8×8 disposable pan.
- Heat a grill or smoker to medium heat (300 degrees F) and when heated place the queso pan on the grill. Check the dip after 10 minutes and stir. The dip will likely be mostly melted, but not smooth. Check in 5 minute increments and stir until the dip is smooth. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If your queso is too thick add heavy cream to thin and stir well.
- If you cannot find white American cheese check the deli section, they almost always have it. An alternative is Monterey Jack, however it doesn’t melt quite as smoothly.
- This recipe makes 10 1/4-cup servings, and each serving has 1.8 net carbs.
[…] healthy!) sides are these Seasoned Black Beans. Classic Cornbread Salad is also a fun summer dish! Smoked Queso and Avocado Bacon Dip are both easy and super delicious- everyone is going to be piling them on […]