Seafood Enchiladas Recipe with Creamy Crab Filling

Switch up your regular enchiladas by changing the meat from chicken to crab for delicious, cheesy seafood enchiladas for an easy dinner.

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Growing up, seafood was usually not on the table for my family (yes, pun intended). My mom is very allergic to shellfish so we didn’t eat it at home. And we had to be careful when we were out since she couldn’t have it at the table.

This means I didn’t really start eating seafood until I was living on my own. And even then, it took me a while before I started finding a lot of seafood recipes that I liked.

I have learned that I like lobster, shrimp, and crab. I am not a fan of clams, oysters, and similar seafood. And I’ll eat mild fish.

So, when we thought about making enchiladas one day, we decided to change them up. Instead of our typical chicken enchiladas, we went with seafood enchiladas! Most of the recipe was made similarly, but we changed the meat from chicken to crabmeat. Well, imitation crab, but real crab is expensive!

These would be a perfect recipe for Cinco de Mayo in place of traditional enchiladas, tacos, or burritos. 

Simple Ingredients

Butter

You’ll melt butter to cook the seafood you choose for these creamy seafood enchiladas. I prefer to use unsalted butter or you can use olive oil. 

Imitation Crab

We used imitation crab because it is cheaper than lump crab or other types of crab. If you don’t want crab enchiladas, you could make these shrimp enchiladas by dicing shrimp and cooking them the same way as the crab. 

Onion

Onions are huge here in Texas. Half of a regular onion here is probably about a medium onion elsewhere. You want about 1-1.5 cups of diced onion. 

Salt & Black Pepper

A little bit of seasoning goes a long way in almost every recipe you’ll ever make. Salt and pepper help bring out the other flavors in the meal. 

Cilantro

The amount of cilantro you add depends on how much you like it. We tend to eat a lot of cilantro, so 1/8 cup of cilantro was perfect for us. 

Sour Cream

Sour cream is the base of the cream sauce for the enchiladas. You can also replace the sour cream with mayonnaise for a less tangy flavor. Or, if you want this more creamy and cheesy, replace it with 4 oz of cream cheese. 

Mexican Blend Cheese

Purchasing the pre-shredded Mexican cheese is the easiest way to make the creamy enchiladas. Otherwise, you can shred your own Monterey Jack cheese or for an extra kick shred Pepper Jack cheese. 

Enchilada Sauce

Typically, we like the tomato taste that comes with red enchilada sauce, but this seafood enchilada recipe would also be delicious with green enchilada sauce or white sauce. 

Burrito Shells

While we used flour tortillas, you can also use corn tortillas if you prefer. Burrito-size shells work well, though, because you have plenty of room to fill the shells without them overflowing. 

Add-In and Garnish Options

• Mix in some chili powder, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes to give your enchiladas a kick
• Replace the crab with fresh shrimp (cook until shrimp turn pink in the first step) for large shrimp enchiladas
• Garnish with sliced green onions, a sprig of fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or a dollop of sour cream
• Add some garlic powder, white pepper, or onion powder to the seasonings

Seafood Enchiladas Step by Step

Ingredients

• 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb imitation crab
• 1/2 onion (diced)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese (shredded)
• 4 tbsp enchilada sauce
• 4 large burrito shells

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. 

Heat a deep large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. I found my larger cast-iron skillet was perfect for this recipe. Add the imitation crab meat, onion, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the onions start to soften.

Add the cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and 2 tbsp of enchilada sauce to the crab and onions. Stir for 1-2 minutes to combine and remove from the heat.

Place 1/4 of the creamy sauce filling onto each burrito shell. Wrap and fold with the seam side down. Place the seafood enchiladas in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining 2 tbsp of enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. 

Seafood Enchilada Leftovers

Storage: Place leftover seafood enchiladas in a container and refrigerate.

Reheating: To reheat, place the enchiladas back in the oven for about 5-7 minutes to reheat. Or, they can be microwaved for 3-5 minutes.

Recipe

Seafood Enchiladas

Switch up your regular enchiladas by changing the meat from chicken to crab for delicious, cheesy seafood enchiladas for an easy dinner.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

crab

|

enchilada sauce

|

enchiladas

|

seafood

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Meat:

Seafood

Servings: 4 enchiladas

4.88 from 8 votes

Ingredients

• 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb imitation crab
• 1/2 onion (diced)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese (shredded)
• 4 tbsp enchilada sauce
• 4 large burrito shells

Recommended Equipment

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Box Grater

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat
• Add the crab meat, onion, salt, and pepper
• Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until the onions are clear
• Add the cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and 2 tbsp enchilada sauce
• Place 1/4 of the filling on each burrito shell then wrap and fold
• Add to a baking dish, fold side down
• Pour remaining 2 tbsp of enchilada sauce over the center of the wraps
• Bake for 25-30 minutes
• Serve with sour cream and green onions for garnish

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Nutrition Facts

Seafood Enchiladas

Amount Per Serving (1 enchilada)

Calories 464 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 12g60%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 1329mg55%

Potassium 188mg5%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 586IU12%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 375mg38%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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