The Best Smoked Skillet Chili con Queso

Last Updated on March 1, 2024 by Carne Diem

Protein:

Appetizers and Sharables

Method: Smoker

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This smoked chili con queso recipe is one of our favorite smoked game day recipes.  This delicious skillet queso is loaded with hearty beef chili, cream cheese, Velveeta white queso, southwest style seasonings, and a hint of lime. This delicious dip is a great recipe for those looking for an easy appetizer recipe to make on their grill or smoker. It is the ultimate party dip to make for your next party or BBQ. 

My wife and I first fell in love with skillet queso while living in England in college.  Tex-Mex or Mexican restaurants were lacking in Britain, both in number and quality but there was a Chili's in town when we wanted a little bit of Americanized food.  The Chili's skillet queso was the perfect appetizer for us to share on our way to the movies or pub.  While this is not a direct Chili's skillet queso copycat recipe, this tasty dip is strongly influenced by their chili cheese dip appetizer.

Making the smoked skillet queso

To make the homemade chili con queso dip you just need a handful of common ingredients.  This smoky party dip is perfect for game days or parties. It keeps well held at warming temperatures and can even be made ahead of time and reheated in time for the big game.

Ingredients for smoked chili con queso

Cheese:  The key to the ultimate queso dip is the cheese.  In our smoked chili con queso recipe we use a blend of cream cheese and a small block of Velveeta cheese.  We prefer to use the queso blanco version for our skillet queso, but you can use your favorite.

Chili:  We recommend using no bean chili in the skillet chili con queso.  We have tried a number of different brands of canned chili including Hormel, Yellowstone, Stagg, and Wolf.  While our favorite version is made with homemade chili our favorite canned chili varieties have been Wolf and Yellowstone.  

Spices and seasonings: The smoked queso dip is seasoned with cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and smoked paprika. 

Milk or cream:  We recommend thinning the skillet queso with a small amount of milk or heavy cream.  This also helps prevent the queso from becoming too thick during the smoking process.  

Prep and combine the ingredients

The queso requires minimal prep. To allow the Velveeta and cream cheese to melt more evenly and quickly, cube the cheese.

Next, add the cubed cheese, chili, seasonings, and other queso ingredients to a cast-iron skillet.  

For more great dip recipes, check out some of our other favorite dips and appetizers to make on a grill or smoker:

• Smoked Taco Dip with Cream Cheese
• Wood Fire Pizza Dip
• Smoked Bacon Pimento Cheese
• Smoked Jalapeno-Cilantro Hummus
• Cast Iron Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Smoked German Beer Cheese Sauce
• Smoked Dry Rubbed Chicken Wings
• Grilled Bacon Wrapped Dates: Devils On Horseback
• Best Hickory Smoked Whole Bologna Chub

Smoking the skillet chili con queso

To add that delicious smoky flavor to the cheese dip you will want to smoke the queso for about 1-2 hours.  Any smoker type will work for the dip recipe. We have made great chili con queso on our pellet smoker and our Big Green Egg.

If you are smoking the chili cheese dip on a pellet smoker like a Traeger grill, you will want to set the smoker at a lower temperature and smoke for a longer time, if you want a more profound smoke flavor.  Alternatively, wood smokers will typically require less time to smoke.

Prepare your grill or smoker for indirect heat and heat to 225-250 degrees. Cook times for the smoked cast iron skillet queso can vary depending on your smoker type and how much smoke flavor you want the queso dip recipe to have.  Place the skillet on the smoker and heat for about a half hour, then stir the queso well.

If we are cooking on a wood smoker or charcoal grill with wood chunks added, we will typically just smoke the chili cheese dip until it is melted and smooth, and just starting to bubble around the edges. On average this takes about 60-90 minutes of smoking. This typically provides enough smoke flavor to the queso.  When making the smoked chili con queso on a pellet grill, we will typically smoke the dip for an additional hour, stirring about every 20 minutes.

What is the best wood for making smoked queso?

You can use a variety of different flavored wood chips, chunks or wood pellets for making smoked cheese dip.  Our favorite woods for smoking queso are pecan or maple as they are mild enough as to not overpower the smoked dip, but still provide plenty of flavor.  Use fruit woods like apple, cherry, or peach if you want a milder smoke flavor. For a more profound smoke flavor hickory can be used and has long been a common wood for smoking cheese.

What to serve with Smoked Chili con Queso

This is the perfect dip for serving with crispy tortilla chips or, if desired, you can serve with vegetables like carrots or celery.  We typically top the smoked queso with diced tomatoes before serving but you can do any number of different variations of toppings for the smoked cheese dip.  Top with spicy jalapeños or green chiles for a little extra kick. Top with pico de gallo for a milder smoked party dip.

Store leftover skillet queso in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  The Reheat leftover dip in a small crock pot or slow cooker or in a skillet of pot on the stovetop.  Leftovers are best eaten within 3-5 days.  

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