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Home / Appetizers

Smoked Queso Dip - 10 minutes

By 2 Comments

You'll get lost in the flavor of this creamy 10 minute Smoked Queso Dip. You'll be able to tune out your kids for at least 10 minutes, guaranteed. This cheesy, flavorful queso goes great with just tortilla chips, or go crazy and use it for nachos with some beef, avocado, beans and more cheese! It also tastes great with pretzels, bread or just your fingers.

Jump to Recipe

Smoked Queso is a quick way to spice things up for a date night in

My Fridays are jammed packed. By the time I get home at 4:30 I have a bunch of stuff to do and I am STARVING. And when I am starving I tend to get a little cranky. OK, super cranky. Like I’m normally Dr. Jekyll but deprive me of food and out comes Mr. Hyde.

Now I don’t want to ruin my appetite because Friday night also happens to be date night. Our ideal date night is getting appetizers, drinks and dessert. However in this scenario I am also on a beach with no kids and I can go to bed however late I want because I can sleep in the next day.

Alas, this is not reality. So instead, this is what we do. I get home, get the homework started, and make some queso, and of course my cocktail, before I tackle any tasks.

This Smoked Queso is easy enough for a weeknight appetizer

This has a two-fold effect. I now feel a sense of calm. I can take my time helping with homework, picking up toys and getting dinner started because Mr. Hyde is kept at bay. As well as not ruining my appetite for date night dinner that we eat after the kids go to bed.

Use any kind of milk or flour to accommodate any diet

Feel free to substitute here if need be. I usually use almond milk just to cut down on the dairy. But, I have also used every type of flour known to man in this and all worked the same. I haven’t tried using non-dairy cheese but I see no reason why that couldn’t work as well, if foregoing dairy altogether.

We like our queso spicy, so smoky jalapeños are a must, but if you're making this for light-weights they can be omitted.

Simple Ingredients for Smoked Queso Dip

  • Unsalted butter
  • All-purpose flour — or a gluten free substitute, like King Arthur Measure for Measure
  • Whole Milk — or milk substitute if you want to cut back on the amount of dairy/lactose
  • Cheddar cheese — or use a Mexican cheese blend
  • Jalapeños — seeded and diced — feel free to use fresh or pickled, like in our Monterey Jack Queso
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Cumin
  • Chili powder

How to make queso dip in less than 10 minutes

  • In a medium saucepan, melt butter in saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour for 1 minute until a paste forms.
  • Slowly add milk, continually whisking until mixture thickens. About 2 minutes.
  • Turn heat down to low. Whisk in cheese. 
  • Once cheese is melted, add spices and chopped jalapeños. 
  • Remove from heat and enjoy with chips, bread or your fingers. 

Recipes to use with queso

Simple Nachos — our favorite Sunday night dinner and best way to use leftovers
Carnitas Burrito — use this Smoked Queso instead of cheese...amazing!
Double Decker Tacos — Makes a perfect taco topping!

Smoked Queso Dip

Make this smoky cheese dip to snack on while getting kids ready for bed.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 279kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten free substitute
  • 1 cup whole milk or milk substitute
  • 1 ½ cups cheese cheddar, or anything you have on hand
  • 2 jalapeños seeded and diced, more or less to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, melt butter in saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour for 1 minute until a paste forms.
  • Slowly add milk, continually whisking until mixture thickens. About 2 minutes.
  • Turn heat down to low. Whisk in cheese. 
  • Once cheese is melted, add spices and chopped jalapeños. 
  • Remove from heat and enjoy with chips, bread or your fingers. 

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 925IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 382mg | Iron: 1mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rachel Puffer

    March 02, 2018 at 8:18 am

    I made this for our small group and it was totally devoured! So good! Next time I will definitely shred the cheese myself instead of using pre-shredded. The consistency will be better. And I may throw in another jalepeno or chili powder for some extra kick. This was super easy and I'll definitely make it again!

    Reply
    • Amy

      March 02, 2018 at 4:33 pm

      So glad you like it! They put something on pre-shredded cheese that makes it really dry. I agree, it's not great for making this recipe.

      Reply

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Rachel and Amy

 

Here at The Oven Light, we are always looking for ways to cut cooking time in half (or more!). We use shortcuts that don’t sacrifice flavor, we’re just getting smarter with our time. You won’t find “dump” meals here, but rather an approach to cooking that is mindful and intentional with time AND taste. 

— Amy and Rachel

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