Rich, cheesy, meaty, and oh-so-dippable. That’s the best way to describe this smoked leftover chopped brisket queso. Made with tender chopped brisket, two kinds of cheese, pico de gallo, and diced jalapenos, then smoked until melty, this queso offers a blast of flavor in every dip.
We’ve always viewed dips as the hallmark of any really good gathering, so we tend to make them quite a lot. We love serving our cheesy jalapeno corn dip at backyard parties or for the big game, and our crab artichoke dip is perfect for gatherings that are a bit more formal.
Now, we’ve added another delicious dip to our appetizer rotation. We took our inspiration from our crock pot queso with Italian sausage to create a rich, cheesy queso made with leftover brisket. Then, we smoked it instead of baking to add even more big, bold flavor.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Limited Ingredients: You only need six ingredients to make this recipe.
- So Easy: Just add everything to a pan and smoke. That’s all there is to it!
- A Great Way to Use Leftovers: This is a great way to use leftover brisket.
- An Excellent Meal Prep Option: This queso is freezer-friendly, so you can make extra and save it for later use.
- Delicious Flavor: The tender brisket, cheese, and smoking process create a dip with deep, complex flavor.
Ingredients
You’ll find a complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Smoking: If you don’t have a smoker, you can bake or slow-cook this dip.
- Wood: Any bold wood will work, adding deep, smoky flavor to the queso.
- Brisket: You can use ground beef or your favorite ground sausage in place of the brisket.
- Pico de Gallo: You can use salsa in place of pico de gallo if you prefer.
- Mild: Omit the jalapenos for a mild dip.
Instructions
Step 1: Add all the ingredients to an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or an 8×8 foil pan.
Step 2: Smoke, stirring halfway through, until the dip is hot, melty, and bubbly. Enjoy!
Tips
- Cut both cheeses into cubes of about the same size so they melt evenly.
- There’s no need to heat the brisket before adding it to the queso mixture.
- You should ONLY use a cast-iron skillet or a foil pan for smoking a recipe like this. Traditional pans won’t work well, and those with plastic or wood handles can melt or char.
- If using a traditional smoker, give your wood at least 30 minutes to soak before smoking the dip.
Frequently Asked Questions
This smoked leftover chopped brisket queso is a variation of traditional queso, featuring chopped brisket, Velveeta, Gouda, and pico de gallo. It’s then smoked instead of baked for a smoky flavor.
It takes between 25 and 30 minutes to smoke queso at 275 degrees, depending on the amount being made.
A heavy-smoked wood with pronounced flavor, like oak, mesquite, or hickory, works well. Because the queso won’t be in the smoker for a long period of time, a strong smoke is necessary to quickly impart flavor into the dip.
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Smoked Leftover Chopped Brisket Queso
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover chopped brisket
- 1½ cups Velveeta, cubed
- 1 ½ cups Gouda cheese, cubed
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup Pico de Gallo
- 2 jalapenos, stem and seeds remove, diced
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 275° and place all the ingredients into an 10-inch cast iron pan or 8×8 foil pan.
- Smoke for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is hot, melted and bubbly, stirring halfway through.
- Carefully remove from the smoker and serve hot with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Remember, brisket is good for up to 4 days, so adjust your queso storage time accordingly to the date you originally made the brisket.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- To reheat, defrost the queso if frozen. Then, heat the entire batch in a saucepan on medium-low or microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals.
- Cut both cheeses into cubes of about the same size so they melt evenly.
- There’s no need to heat the brisket before adding it to the queso mixture.
- You should ONLY use a cast-iron skillet or a foil pan for smoking a recipe like this. Traditional pans won’t work well, and those with plastic or wood handles can melt or char.
- If using a traditional smoker, give your wood at least 30 minutes to soak before smoking the dip.
