Switch up your regular enchiladas by changing the meat from chicken to crab for delicious, cheesy seafood enchiladas for an easy dinner.
Jump to RecipeGrowing 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 like.
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! A lot of the recipe was similar, but we changed out the meat from chicken to crabmeat. Well, imitation crab, but real crab is expensive!

Seafood Enchiladas Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/2 lb imitation crab
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cilantro
- 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. Get all of your ingredients ready.

Heat a deep 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. Saute for about 3-5 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 to combine and remove from the heat.

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

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and green onions for garnish.

Leftovers
Place leftover seafood enchiladas in a container and refrigerate. 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
Originally Published On: September 18, 2020
Last Updated On: July 27, 2023

Seafood Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/2 lb imitation crab
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cilantro
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese (shredded)
- 4 tbsp enchilada sauce
- 4 large burrito shells
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat
- Add the crab meat, onion, salt, and pepper
- Saute for about 3-5 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
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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I’ve tried chicken enchiladas and such, but never seafood. You just gave me an idea for tonight’s dinner.
I’m glad it gave you a great idea! Hoepfully it worked out well for you 🙂
I’ve never saw an enchilada made like this! It is really interesting recipe! I’m allergic to seafood, but I’ll pass it along to my mom because she would love this!
Allergies can be so tricky. I hope your mom is able to enjoy the recipe and thanks for sharing with her!
I love enchiladas but have never made them at home. I can’t do seafood abut am anxious to try this with a few revisions. Yum!
If you can’t do seafood, I also have my recipe for chicken enchiladas on here, too. Search for that and you could try those out 🙂
Seafood enchilada is a great idea. Interesting recipe to try.
I’ve never had seafood enchiladas, but I’m intriduged!
That looks really delicious and looks so easy to make. I am sure everyone would love that.
I never cooked enchiladas, this looks soooo good!!! Your recipe is very easy to follow, thank you.
Never tried it, but it sounds like a great idea
Can you use real crab meat or shrimp for this? I am a Marylander and I have to have the real deal.
I have never eaten these before. I like enchiladas and the sauces they come with.
I’m not a seafood fan, but I know that my husband would LOVE these!
This looked so good and doable. I’d like to give it a try!
I never had seafood enchiladas! OMG this looks soooo good!!! I love how easy to follow your recipe is, can’t wait to make it. Thank you.
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I love seafood, and I’m always on board for enjoying it in new ways. The flavors in this dish are absolutely fantastic!
I actually have never had enchiladas! I would love to try the seafood variation, it sounds delightful! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
What a lovely recipe idea and great to enjoy in the summer along with a side salad and a glass of vino x
I am a big fan of seafood. I love the idea of seafood enchiladas. I will certainly give this a recipe a try with my kids.
Love this seafood variation. Looks like such a comforting dish and easy too! Now I’m craving enchiladas for dinner 😀
I am always short of ideas when it comes to seafood. That’s a brilliant recipe I would like to try in my next party with buddies.
You had me at seafood enchiladas! I like the addition of imitation crab. I’m sure it adds extra flavour and texture to the dish. Looks really delicious.
What a great idea! I love seafood myself so can’t wait to make this recipe as I often make enchiladas with chicken or beef
We don’t eat sea food but this recipe looks really so good. People who love eating seafood will love this recipe
I do love Enchiladas, but I am a vegetarian. I have tried different kinds of Veg Enchiladas, sometimes stuffed with beans and vegetables, and I absolutely love it!
Oh wow I’ve never actually seen seafood enchiladas before (I usually make veggie or chicken ones) but this does sound really interesting and bet it’s super tasty
Laura x