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If you need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this Cast Iron Queso Dip on the Big Green Egg gets the job done every time. This is the kind of recipe people hover around at parties. One bite turns into ten. Before you know it, the skillet is scraped clean.
Cooking queso on the Big Green Egg adds subtle live-fire flavor that you just do not get from the stovetop. Add seasoned beef, Rotel, onions, garlic, and plenty of melty cheese, and you have the ultimate game day dip.
Whether you are feeding a football crowd, backyard party guests, or just a few hungry friends, this queso disappears fast. Grab the chips and fire up the Egg.
Table of Contents
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Gathering the Ingredients
One of the best things about this queso is how simple the ingredient list is. At the heart of this recipe is ground beef. If you want to elevate things, American Wagyu is fantastic here. Regular 80/20 ground beef works just fine too.
You will also need diced yellow onion, fresh garlic, Rotel, Monterey Jack cheese, Velveeta, olive oil, cilantro, and your favorite fajita-style seasoning. Yes, Velveeta belongs here. This is queso, not fine dining. It gives you that perfectly smooth, scoopable texture people expect.
Have everything chopped, shredded, cubed, and ready before you fire up the Big Green Egg. Once the skillet gets hot, this recipe moves quickly.
Big Green Egg Setup and Preheating
Set up your Big Green Egg for indirect cooking and preheat the dome temperature to 350°F. Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet on the cooking grate while the Egg preheats. This gives the skillet time to get hot and ready for the cook.
Because this recipe happens in stages, preheating the skillet is important. You want enough heat to brown the beef properly and build flavor from the start. A cast iron skillet is perfect here because it holds heat well and transitions smoothly from browning to melting cheese without missing a beat.
Browning the Beef and Building Flavor
Once the Big Green Egg and skillet are fully preheated, add the olive oil followed by the ground beef. Break the beef apart with a spatula as it cooks so it browns evenly. Cook until fully done and nicely caramelized. Remove the cooked beef to a clean bowl and set it aside.
Next, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the hot skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions soften and the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the fajita seasoning and both cans of Rotel. Stir well to combine and let everything cook for another minute so the flavors come together.
Melting the Cheese
Once the Rotel mixture is hot and bubbling, start adding the cubed Velveeta a few pieces at a time. Stir as the cheese melts into the tomato mixture. Keep adding more until all of the Velveeta is fully melted and smooth. Next, add the shredded Monterey Jack one small handful at a time, stirring between each addition so it melts evenly.
The Finish and Serving Suggestions
Once the queso is smooth and creamy, fold the cooked beef back into the skillet. Let everything warm through for another minute or two. Remove the skillet from the Big Green Egg and finish with a generous sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve immediately with sturdy tortilla chips for dipping. This queso is thick, rich, and built for serious scooping.
Want to take it further? Add sliced jalapeños, diced avocado, pickled onions, or a dollop of sour cream. This is the kind of Big Green Egg appetizer that disappears fast on game day, at backyard parties, or anytime hungry people are nearby.
Cast Iron Queso Dip on the Big Green Egg
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
For the Queso Dip:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound American Wagyu ground beef or 80/20 ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fajita-style seasoning
- 16 ounces Velveeta, cubed
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cans Rotel, 10 ounces each
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
For Serving:
- Tortilla chips
- Sliced jalapeños, optional
- Diced avocado, optional
- Pickled onions, optional
- Sour cream, optional
Instructions
- Set up your Big Green Egg for indirect cooking. Preheat the dome temperature to 350°F.
- Place a 12-inch cast iron skillet on the cooking grate while the Egg preheats.
- Add the olive oil to the hot skillet.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet. Break the beef apart with a spatula as it cooks.
- Cook until the beef is fully browned and cooked through. Remove the cooked beef to a clean bowl and set aside.
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions soften.
- Add the fajita-style seasoning and both cans of Rotel. Stir well to combine. Let the mixture cook for another minute.
- Add the cubed Velveeta a few pieces at a time. Stir as the cheese melts into the tomato mixture. Continue adding Velveeta until fully melted and smooth.
- Add the shredded Monterey Jack cheese one small handful at a time. Stir between each addition so the cheese melts evenly.
- Once the queso is smooth and creamy, fold the cooked beef back into the skillet. Let everything warm through for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the Big Green Egg. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
