Experience the smoky flavor of delicious Easy Smoked Queso recipe by Chef Tom. Enjoy the fiery taste of flame-roasted hatch green chiles and chorizo in this mouthwatering dish - perfect for special occasions or everyday snacking.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Igniting the tube smoker's pellets and blowing out the flame lets them smolder and burn back slowly, producing steady smoke without needing to relight or tend the fire
- Cooking the chorizo and onion until all the liquid is gone before adding anything else concentrates their flavor, rather than adding cheese to a still-wet pan
- Cubing both cheeses instead of shredding them gives the queso larger pieces to melt down gradually, rather than a fine shred that could clump or seize
- Stirring every 20 minutes during the smoke redistributes the melting cheese and prevents it from scorching on the bottom of the skillet
Easy Smoked Queso
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.1 stars by 7 users
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
15
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 3 minutes
Calories
357
Chef Tom walks us through how to make an Easy Smoked Queso, packed full of flavor with flame roasted hatch green chiles and chorizo!
Ingredients
- 1 lb chorizo
- 1 cup yellow onion, small dice
- 1 lb white American cheese, cubed 1”
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese, cubed 3/4”
- 2 cups half-and-half
-
1 cup 505 Hatch Valley Flame Roasted Green Chiles
-
2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
- Pickled jalapeño, for garnish
-
Flavolcano Smoky Red Pepper Sauce, for garnish
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Minced cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 225ºF, set up for smoking. Fill an A-MAZE-N Tube Smokers with your choice of pellets. Place the smoke tube on the main cooking grate inside the grill. Light the pellets with a torch. Allow to burn for about 30 seconds. Blow out the flame and allow the pellets to burn back slowly, producing smoke.
- Preheat a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet over high heat on an induction burner. Add the chorizo and diced onion and cook until the liquid is gone, the chorizo begins to brown and the onions are translucent.
- Add to the skillet the American cheese, pepper jack cheese, half & half, 505 Hatch Valley Flame Roasted Green Chiles and Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning. Stir gently to disperse the ingredients.
Transfer the skillet to the second shelf of the grill. Smoke the queso, stirring every 20 minutes, until all the cheese is melted and the internal temperature passes 165ºF, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Serve the Smoked Queso topped with sour cream, pickled jalapeños, minced cilantro and Flavolcano Smoky Red Pepper Sauce.
The A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker is a great tool for adding extra smoke to a dish. Just fill with your favorite pellets, light it up and let it slowly burn back while your food is cooking.
Sautéed onions & browned chorizo in the skillet, then it’s “everyone in the pool!”
Smoke away, stirring occasionally, until everything is melted!
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why ignite the tube smoker's pellets and then blow out the flame instead of letting them burn freely?
Lighting the open end and extinguishing the flame lets the pellets smolder and burn back slowly on their own, producing steady smoke for the full hour-plus cook without needing to relight or tend the fire.
Why cook the chorizo and onion until all the liquid is gone before adding the cheese?
Letting the liquid cook off first concentrates the chorizo and onion's flavor. Adding cheese to a still-wet pan would dilute that base instead of building on it.
Why cube the American and pepper jack cheese instead of shredding it?
Larger cubes give the queso more surface area to melt down gradually and evenly over the smoke, rather than a fine shred that could clump together or seize up too quickly.
Why stir the queso every 20 minutes during the smoke instead of leaving it undisturbed?
Regular stirring redistributes the cheese as it melts and prevents it from scorching against the bottom of the skillet over the long cook time.
What internal temperature should the chorizo and queso mixture actually reach?
This recipe smokes it until the internal temperature passes 165°F, above the USDA minimum of 160°F for ground pork.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — a stovetop or oven can melt the queso in the same skillet, but the low, extended smoke that gives this dish its flavor is difficult to replicate without an actual smoker.
Recipe Highlights
Slow-burning tube smoker: Runs unattended for the full cook once lit.
Reduced chorizo base: Concentrates flavor before cheese is added.
Cubed cheese: Melts gradually rather than clumping.
Regular stirring: Prevents scorching over the long smoke.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4.91 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 357
- Carbs
- 7 grams
- Protein
- 17 grams
- Fat
- 30 grams
- Sodium
- 1175 milligrams
