Level up your next outdoor adventure with our simple and irresistible Campfire Queso. Perfect for a lake trip or backyard BBQ, this smoky cheese dip is easy to prepare without a grill. Just pack the ingredients, and you'll have a crowd-pleaser ready in no time. Featuring a blend of brisket, ground beef, and spicy chorizo with creamy Velveeta, this dip offers a rich, flavorful experience. Whether dipping tortilla chips, veggies, or bread, this Campfire Queso will be a hit, bringing gourmet flavors to the great outdoors. See why it's one of our all-time favorite recipes today!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- The fire itself does the work of a stove. Balancing a dutch oven on logs positioned to allow airflow to the charcoal beneath means you get real heat control from a campfire setup, not just guesswork.
- Rendered fat gets reused, not wasted. Straining and saving 2-3 tablespoons of fat from browning the chorizo and beef, then cooking the onions and jalapeños in it, builds another layer of flavor into the base instead of starting the vegetables in plain oil.
- Sodium citrate keeps the queso smooth over an open fire. Dissolving it into the warmed half and half before the cheese goes in helps the dip stay creamy and emulsified even with the less-precise heat control of cooking over coals.
- Cheese goes in in stages. Melting the Velveeta first, then the pepper jack, rather than dumping both in at once, gives you better control over the texture as the dip comes together.
Campfire Queso
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.7 stars by 7 users
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
515
This summer, let our Campfire Queso be your seasoned sidekick! Skip the fuss and make an amazing cheese dip with our easy recipe - all you need is a brisket and beef blend, chorizo, Velveeta, and a few ingredients from your pantry. It's a smokey, flavorful feast, perfect for any lake-side BBQ!
Ingredients
- 3 jalapeños
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 tbsp Sodium Citrate (optional)
- 2 cups yellow onion, diced
- 8 oz Creekstone Farms Brisket Blend Ground Beef
- 8 oz Mexican Chorizo
- 1 lb Velveeta Queso Blanco, cubed
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
-
1 cup Holme’s Made Marty’s Roasted Green Chile Salsa
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
- Fresh cilantro, minced, for garnish
- Queso Fresco, crumbled, for garnish
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Directions
- Light a chimney of lump. Dump in fire pit.
- Place the half and half in a finex 1 quart pot. Place the pot in the coals. Heat the milk until steaming, then whisk in the sodium citrate. Whisk to dissolve.
- Place two large splits of wood on either side of the charcoal, close enough that a dutch oven will balance on top, but far enough away to allow for airflow to the charcoal. Rake the charcoal as needed to accommodate.
- Place a Finex dutch oven on the logs directly over the charcoal.
- Place the chorizo and ground beef in the dutch oven. Cook until browned, cooked through and fat is rendered. When the meat is fully cooked, strain and reserve the fat.
Add 2-3 tbsp of the fat back to the dutch oven. Add the diced jalapenos and onions and Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Pour the half and half into the dutch oven and stir. Add the velveeta and cook until melted, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper jack and cook until melted, stirring occasionally. Add the salsa, diced jalapeños and cooked chorizo and beef. Place a lid on the dutch oven and cook until warmed through, 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with tortilla chips, topped with cilantro and crumbled queso fresco.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why cook the ground beef and chorizo before adding anything else?
Browning the meat first and rendering its fat means that fat can be reused to cook the onions and jalapeños, building extra flavor into the base of the dip rather than wasting it.
What does the sodium citrate actually do here?
It helps the cheese stay smoothly emulsified in the half and half as it melts, which is especially useful over the less-consistent heat of a campfire where the dip could otherwise break or turn grainy.
Why melt the Velveeta before adding the pepper jack?
Adding the cheeses one at a time rather than together gives you more control over the final texture, letting each one melt in fully before the next goes in.
Can I make this without an actual campfire?
Yes — a stovetop dutch oven or heavy pot will work the same way; you'll just have more consistent, easier-to-control heat than managing a bed of coals.
How should I know when the beef and chorizo are done?
Cook until browned with the fat fully rendered out — for ground beef and pork, an internal temperature of 160°F is the safe target if you want to verify with a thermometer.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 — everything here translates directly to a stovetop and a heavy pot or dutch oven; the campfire setup is about atmosphere, not a cooking requirement.
Recipe Highlights
Reusing rendered fat: Cooking the onions and jalapeños in fat saved from browning the meat builds a deeper flavor base than starting them in plain oil.
Sodium citrate for a stable emulsion: Dissolving it into the warmed half and half before adding cheese helps the dip stay smooth rather than breaking, especially over inconsistent campfire heat.
Staged cheese melting: Melting the Velveeta first and the pepper jack second gives more control over the final texture than combining both cheeses at once.
Log placement for airflow: Positioning the wood splits to support the dutch oven while still letting air reach the charcoal is what keeps the fire hot enough to actually cook with, not just glow.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 515
- Fat
- 35 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 20 grams
- Cholesterol
- 120 milligrams
- Sodium
- 2009 milligrams
- Carbs
- 16 grams
- Fiber
- 1 grams
- Sugar
- 7 grams
- Protein
- 32 grams
