Creamy Seafood Enchiladas

Creamy Seafood Enchiladas are made with a rich filling of shrimp, crab, and Monterey Jack, all topped with a decadent Mornay verde cream sauce. These mild, creamy restaurant-inspired enchiladas are perfect for everything from an easy family dinner to a celebratory feast.

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• Why You Will Love this Recipe
• What Goes into this Recipe
• How to Make Creamy Crab & Shrimp Enchiladas
• FAQs & Expert Tips
• Related Recipes
• Creamy Seafood Enchiladas

Why You Will Love this Recipe

These shrimp and crab enchiladas are amazing! They are reminiscent of Tex-Mex restaurant seafood enchiladas (think Chevy's in the 1990's), but they are so much better!

The secret is in the decadently creamy sauce, which is basically a classic Mornay sauce with a generous addition of salsa verde.

The salsa verde is how you control the heat in this dish. Use a mild green salsa, and you'll have enchiladas mellow enough to delight your Norwegian grandma. If you prefer your enchiladas more fiery, simply use a hotter salsa and/or add a finely chopped jalapeño or three to the filling mix.

What Goes into this Recipe

★ Tortillas : You will need eight medium (6- to 8-inch) flour tortillas. You can use store-bought or homemade tortillas.

I almost always prefer corn tortillas for all things Tex-Mex, but in the case of these crab and shrimp enchiladas, flour tortillas are a better choice. The flavor blends well with the seafood, and they hold up much better under all that filling and cream sauce.

For best results, lightly fry flour tortillas before filling them.

Filling Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

★ Imitation crab: Imitation crab is made from real fish; just not real crab. It is usually made from Alaskan pollack, which is deboned and minced into a paste called surimi. The surimi is then mixed with other ingredients, including both natural and artificial flavors. (If you've ever eaten a California Roll, you've had surimi.)

Unless you have an unlimited supply of fresh crab, for the purposes of this recipe, imitation crab is the way to go. It is far less expensive than real crab, and lends a slightly sweet undertone to the filling.

★ Bay shrimp: Bay shrimp are small, mild tasting shrimp that are harvested from estuaries along the Western coast of North America. You can use any kind of cooked shrimp for this recipe; however, if you use larger shrimp, it is best to chop them up a bit before making the filling.

Substitutions for Shrimp and Crab: You can use a pound (total) of any combination of cooked fish, scallops, etc., that you have on hand.

★ Monterey Jack: Any mild, melty cheese will work. The best substitute is Mexican Oaxaca [pronounced wah-ha-kah], a mellow, buttery cheese that melts like a dream. Mozzarella will also work.

★ Mushrooms: You want to use a mildly-flavored mushroom for this recipe, so white button mushrooms work best. Cremini mushrooms, also known as “Baby Bellas,” make a good substitute for button mushrooms.

★ Green onions: Green onions are the preferred onion for this recipe. Good substitutes include chives and shallots.

★ Wine: Use any dry, sweet or semi-sweet white wine. Apple juice is a good, non-alcoholic substitute. You can also use chicken broth.

★ Butter: Use real butter. Margarine won't affect the success or failure of the dish; however, real butter is better.

★ Garlic: Use real, fresh garlic. A quarter-teaspoon of garlic powder or granulated garlic may be substituted.

Cream Sauce Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The cream sauce is basically a classic Mornay sauce, with the addition of salsa verde.

★ Half & half: We recommend using half & half; however, you can use a 50/50 combination of milk and cream, or even regular milk for the sauce. If you use something lighter than half & half, your sauce will be less rich and robust.

★ Salsa verde: Use your favorite salsa verde (i.e., green chili salsa), homemade or store-bought. The amount of heat in your salsa will determine how hot (or not) the cream sauce is.

★ Flour: You can use all-purpose flour; however, we strongly recommend using Wondra.

Wondra, or instant flour, dissolves more quickly than all-purpose flour, and mixes into both hot and cold liquids easily. This makes it particularly useful for making smooth, creamy, lump-free sauces.

★ Chicken broth: Use a good quality canned or boxed chicken broth. You can also use homemade chicken stock; however, if it is very hearty, you will want to water it down a little.

Don't have any chicken broth? Sub in an equal amount of water and one-half to one teaspoon of Better than Bouillon or half a bouillon cube. (In this case, dissolve the bouillon in hot water before adding to the sauce.)

How to Make Creamy Crab & Shrimp Enchiladas

Seafood Filling

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat.

Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until they become soft and release their juices; about 4-5 minutes.

Add shrimp, imitation crab, green onions, garlic, and wine (or chicken broth). Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove skillet from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the seafood mixture to a medium mixing bowl, leaving any remaining cooking liquid in the bottom of the skillet. (Don't worry if there isn't any liquid left; but if there is, it will add some great flavor to the sauce.)

To the seafood mix in the mixing bowl, stir in 1 cup of grated Monterey Jack.

Set the seafood mixture aside.

Mornay Verde Cream Sauce

In the same skillet, add 4 tablespoons butter to any remaining cooking liquid,^a and heat over medium-low until it melts and begins to simmer.^b

Reduce heat to low and sprinkle in ¼ cup flour, whisking constantly as you do.^c Whisk and cook the butter and flour together for 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in half & half and a half-cup of chicken broth all at once. Stir constantly until the sauce becomes just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.^d

Remove sauce from heat. Add the Monterey Jack, plus the salt and pepper. Whisk constantly until the cheese melts completely.

Once the cheese has completely melted, whisk in the salsa verde.

The sauce will be very thick at this point; about the consistency of very pourable nacho cheese. However, if it seems too thick, add a little more chicken broth or water to thin it out.

Roll & Bake

Preheat oven to 350°F | 177°C.

Grease (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a 11" x 7" glass baking or casserole dish.

To the seafood mixture, add 1 cup of the prepared sauce and mix to thoroughly incorporate.

Roll a scant ½ cup of the seafood mixture into each tortilla, and place each roll into the baking dish.

Pour the remaining cream sauce over the prepared enchiladas. Use the back of a spoon to "frost" the top, making sure to completely cover all the edges.

The Mornay sauce is supposed to be very thick; however, if the sauce has thickened too much while you prep the enchiladas (i.e., if it becomes gloppy or too thick to pour), add an additional ¼ - ½ cup of chicken broth (or water) to the mixture to thin it out before pouring.

Bake the prepared enchilada casserole uncovered in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Garnish as desired with any of the following: sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, bay shrimp, chopped crab, and/or crumbled cotija.

FAQs & Expert Tips

How to Make Seafood Chimichangas

If you would prefer to make chimichangas, it is super easy to do using this enchilada recipe. A chimichanga is basically a deep-fried burrito. You can deep fry if you want to, but oven / air-fryer prep is easier. 

Use medium-large tortillas, and roll the filling inside the tortillas burrito-style.

Oven Chimichangas

Preheat oven to 350°F | 177°C. Heat some canola or olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the filled tortillas in hot oil for 3-4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

Bake uncovered on a parchment-lined baking tray for 25 minutes. Serve topped with prepared Mornay verde cream sauce.

Air-Fryer Chimichangas

Brush each side of rolled tortilla with canola or olive oil. Place rolls in basket seam-side down. Do not crowd.

Air fry at 400°F | 205°C for 4 minutes. Flip over and air fry until lightly browned; about 3-4 minutes more. Served topped with prepared Mornay verde cream sauce.

What to Serve with Seafood Enchiladas

Light, fresh, and simple to make, Caribbean Mango Salad pairs perfectly with Seafood Enchiladas.

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