Description
A rich, comforting smoked queso dip with spicy chorizo, designed for slow, meditative cooking. This recipe uses a smoker to infuse the cheese with hickory or applewood smoke, creating a soulful, luxurious dip perfect for self-care.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (225g) Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated from a block
- 8 oz (225g) Monterey Jack Cheese, grated from a block
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Heavy Cream
- 4 oz (115g) Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8 oz (225g) Mexican-Style Chorizo (raw, fresh)
- 1 small Yellow Onion, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 cup Roasted Hatch Chiles, chopped
- Optional: 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 200°F (95°C) using hickory or applewood chips. Let it preheat for 15-20 minutes.
- In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook the chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and crisp (5-7 minutes).
- Push chorizo to one side and cook the diced onion in the chorizo fat until soft and translucent (3-4 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Remove the skillet from heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the softened cream cheese, heavy cream, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Stir the cooled chorizo and onion mixture into the cream cheese base.
- Fold in the grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese until evenly distributed.
- Transfer the mixture back into the cast iron skillet.
- Place the skillet in the preheated smoker. Smoke for 45-60 minutes, stirring briefly at the 30-minute mark to ensure even melting.
- The queso is done when it is bubbly, glossy, and smooth.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro and optional pickled jalapeños.
Notes
Grate your own cheese to avoid anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting. Keep the smoker temperature low (around 200°F) to prevent the cheese from separating. Cream cheese acts as a stabilizer to keep the queso creamy. This recipe is naturally gluten-free if using gluten-free chorizo. It does not freeze well due to dairy separation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the batch
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 32
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Protein: 18
Keywords: smoked queso, chorizo dip, self-care recipe, smoker recipes, comfort food, tex-mex, cheese dip, hickory smoked