Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip (Smoker or Oven)

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This cowboy queso dip was one of our favorite appetizer dips that we’ve ever made! Packed full of ground beef, black beans, corn, cheeses, and the perfect blend of spices, this loaded smoked queso dip is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

In our household, game day is a big deal! It’s a time for family, football, and of course, fantastic appetizers. So when we stumbled upon this loaded cowboy queso dip, we knew that we had to test it out to see if the recipe would “score” with our tailgate friends – excuse the pun!

And the results were unanimous! This smoked loaded Velveeta queso dip is a winner!

In fact, my wife commented that with so much meat and veggies, this appetizer dip could be a full meal – and you bet that I’m going to remind her of that when I’m downing half the skillet of dip during the next SEC football game.

Here’s how to make cowboy queso dip on the grill or in the oven… and be sure to check out some of our other favorite smoker dip recipes – smoked spinach artichoke dip and smoked street corn dip.

What is Cowboy Queso?

Cowboy queso is not your ordinary melted cheese dip. It’s a smoky, savory, and oh-so-satisfying dip that combines the richness of cheese with the heartiness of ground beef and chorizo. The Velveeta based dip often includes a hearty does of *gasp* vegetables like corn, diced tomatoes, and onions, and it may or may not include beer.

The spicy, cheesy dip is the ultimate game day indulgence and takes the concept of traditional queso to a whole new level!

You can adjust the level of heat, switch up the types of cheese, or add your favorite ingredients to make it your own. Cooking the dip on a pellet grill or smoker adds a delicious smoky flavor.

Cowboy Queso Recipe Video

More of a visual learner? Watch me make this Smoked Cowboy Queso on the pellet grill on my YouTube channel:

Ingredients

• ground meats – Many cowboy queso recipes include ground beef, but to up the flavor I included a mixture of ground chorizo and ground chuck. You can also substitute ground sausage or ground chicken for a lighter version.
• cheeses – We used a mixture of Velveeta cheese, cream cheese, and freshly grated pepper jack cheese. Feel free to swap out the grated cheese for a different variety like sharp cheddar, but I recommend sticking with the Velveeta because of its superb melting.
• canned black beans
• canned corn
• Rotel – Or you may substitute canned diced tomatoes.
• milk – This helps to create the perfect consistency for your dip.
• spices – A simple blend of salt, pepper, and ground cumin is all you need for the perfect cheese dip!
• optional garnishes – We garnished our dip with a few sliced fresh jalapeños and some chopped cilantro.

How to Make Loaded Cowboy Queso Dip

Step 1: Brown the Meat.

To start, brown the chorizo and ground beef in a large cast iron skillet. Here are the exact steps that I used for the perfect crumbled meat:

1. Add the chorizo to a large cast iron skillet, and cook until browned and crumbly. *I chose to cook the chorizo first because I like a crispier texture and browning on my chorizo – often times, I find chorizo to be too mushy. If your chorizo has a lot of excess grease, drain it from the pan before adding the ground beef.
2. Add the ground beef to the pan, and cook until browned and crumbly, stirring occassionally.
3. Place a paper towel on top of the cooked meat to soak up some of the excess grease. *I chose not to drain the meat completely because I didn’t want to lose all of that flavor from the fat.
4. Add the diced red onions to the skillet with the meat and cook about 3-4 minutes until slightly tender.

Step 2: Add the cheeses and other ingredients.

Next, add all of the other cowboy queso ingredients, including the canned beans and vegetables, the cubed Velveeta cheese, and the other cheeses.

No need to mix it up. You’ll put it on the smoker first for the cheeses to melt.

Step 3: Cook the cowboy queso dip on the smoker until creamy.

Place the cast iron skillet directly on the grill grates of your smoker, and close the grill lid. Smoke the dip for about 45 minutes at 250°F.

After 45 minutes, stir the dip so that everything is incorporated. It’s okay if the cheese is not fully melted yet at this point. Close the grill lid and cook an additional 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Garnish the dip and serve warm.

When the cheese is fully melted, the dip is done. Carefully remove the skillet from the grill – be sure to use a hot pad or oven mitt as well as a trivet – the pan will be very hot!

Then, garnish the dip with your choice of toppings and serve with chips. We used a few slices of fresh jalapeno and a sprinkling of sliced green onions.

The dip should be the perfect consistency, and remember that it will probably thicken up a bit as it cools. If needed, you can add more milk for a thinner consistency, or add more shredded cheese for a thicker consistency.

Making Cowboy Queso in the Oven

I often say that a pellet grill is basically just “an oven with flavor”, so you can definitely make this cowboy queso dip in the oven instead of on the grill.

Just follow the exact steps listed in the recipe card to prepare the dip, but instead of putting it on the smoker to cook, place the cast iron skillet in a preheated oven. Bake at 325°F for about 45 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes of cook time.

Storage and Reheating

Allow the leftover queso dip to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

When it’s time to reheat, if the dip has thickened, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it up a bit. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently, or in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.

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