For a fun party snack, whip up this fool-proof Smoked Brisket and Beer Queso on the grill. It is a dump and go recipe that will be the hit of your next BBQ.
🍽️ Why This Works
Fun | I am a huge fan of using leftovers to make a delicious treat. This recipe was a great one to empty the fridge and make some amazing dip.
Easy | There is a little bit of chopping, but this is seriously just a simple dump-and-go recipe. The low temp smoke slowly melts the cheese and a light stirring incorporates the beer.
You Won’t Have Leftovers | This recipe received the family seal-of-approval as my wife and son stood at the counter with chips to eat the queso before I even had a chance to put it in serving dishes.
🧀 Ingredients
Cheese: Softer cheese melt easier and I used some classic Velveeta and a creamy Jack. To make it melt easier, chop it into small, one inch cubes.
Brisket: I had some leftover brisket and needed to use it. This was the perfect choice.
Seasoning: This is where the fun begins! Rotel, Sazón, and a black lager added the flavors. Definitely add a dark beer. The combination of that and the light smoke added a wonderful complexity that brought out the deep, earthy flavors.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Chop up the cheeses into one inch cubes. This just helps it melt more evenly. Add the cheese and chopped brisket to a disposable aluminum pan.
Step Two: Add the Rotel, Cilantro and Sazón to the pan. Pour in rest of the ingredients.
Step Three: Set up your grill or smoker for indirect heat. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners and just heat with the ones on the end. For the Big Green Egg, add the ceramic plate setter. Dial in the temperature to about 275 degrees. This will be a low-and-slow cook.
Step Four: Add your favorite wood chips to the grill. I used a light applewood as I am a huge fan of “a little goes a long way.” A more intense flavoring, like mesquite, would have overpowered the flavors in this recipe.
If you aren’t sure what wood works best with different recipes, grab this free printable on wood pairing. It is a great cheat sheet to use to help you make the most out of your next smoking.
Step Five: Stir the mix every fifteen minutes. You’ll see the cheese slowly start to melt. Don’t worry if the beer doesn’t incorporate into the cheese right away. Once the cheese is fully up to temperature, it will mix in nicely.
Step Six: Continue smoking until the cheese is fully melted and the beer is mixed in fully. It should take about one hour. The time isn’t as important.
Step Seven: Remove from the grill (fight off your family for trying to eat this before you add the toppings! 😀) and top with chopped onions, tomatoes and jalapeños.
❗ Expert Tips
The biggest mistake I see people make when smoking is to try to get a big, billowy smoke in the grill. Time and again, this results in the recipe tasting like an ash tray. Blech! Instead, aim for a very light trickle of smoke. It will provide just a hint of the smoky flavor.
Stir, stir and stir. Don’t skip stirring every fifteen minutes. Even though the grill is set up with a heat deflector, the bottom of the pan may still burn if you are not careful.
Be creative. The best part about this recipe is that it is customizable. Use what you have in the fridge and mix up the seasonings.
Recipe FAQ
You bet! Chop it into one inch cubes and place it in a disposable aluminum pan over indirect heat and stir periodically. The cheese will melt in 45 minutes to one hour depending on the temperature of your smoker.
Add some beer, salsa, chicken stock or other liquid and mix. When the queso is warmed up, the liquids will incorporate better.
While this is best served warm and fresh off the smoker, if you let it cool, it will harden back up. Add some canned evaporated milk to the queso and it will stay creamy as it cools.
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Smoked Queso with Brisket and Beer
Equipment
- Smoker
- Aluminum Pan (9×13)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Velveeta Cheese
- 8 oz Jack Cheese
- 1 cup Brisket cooked, chopped or shredded
- 2 cans Rotel
- ½ cup Beer black lager or another dark beer
- 1 cup Cilantro chopped
- 1 tsp Sazon Con Culantro Y Achiote
Topping
- ½ cup Tomatoes chopped
- ½ Jalapeño chopped
- 3 tbsp Onion chopped
- 1 tsp Cilantro chopped
Instructions
Queso
- Chop up the cheeses into one inch cubes. This just helps it melt more evenly. Add the cheese and chopped brisket to a disposable aluminum pan.
- Add the Rotel, Cilantro and Sazón to the pan. Pour in rest of the ingredients.
- Set up your grill or smoker for indirect heat. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners and just heat with the ones on the end. For the Big Green Egg, add the ceramic plate setter. Dial in the temperature to about 275 degrees. This will be a low-and-slow cook.
- Add your favorite wood chips to the grill. I used a light applewood as I am a huge fan of "a little goes a long way." A more intense flavoring, like mesquite, would have overpowered the flavors in this recipe.
- Stir the mix every fifteen minutes. You'll see the cheese slowly start to melt. Don't worry if the beer doesn't incorporate into the cheese right away. Once the cheese is fully up to temperature, it will mix in nicely.
- Continue smoking until the cheese is fully melted and the beer is mixed in fully. It should take about one hour. The time isn't as important.
- Remove from the grill (fight off your family for trying to eat this before you add the toppings! 😀) and top with chopped onions, tomatoes and jalapeños.
Topping
- Chop up the onions, tomatoes and jalapenos to place on top of the hot cheese dip. This section is very flexible so make the amount you would like while sticking to this combination.
Notes
Nutrition
