Shrimp Enchiladas are an easy, cheesy dinner with fresh chopped shrimp and green enchilada sauce. These homemade enchiladas are the perfect balance of bold, creamy, spicy, and savory!
Creamy, Cheesy, Savory Shrimp Enchiladas!
What could be more satisfying than a hearty casserole filled with succulent shrimp, onions, garlic, and peppers, all combined with the rich, creamy cheese sauce? These easy shrimp enchiladas are all of that and more!
If you’re in the mood for a Southwest-style dinner that brings all kinds of cozy vibes along with it, this is your dish! It’s a scrumptious seafood recipe the whole family will enjoy. Sound good? Great! Let’s get cooking.
Why You’ll Adore These Homemade Shrimp Enchiladas
There’s a lot to love here. These are just a few things you’ll enjoy about this dish:
- Easy Shrimp Dish: If you’re unsure about how to cook seafood, this recipe is a great place to start! You’ll get a succulent shrimp filling that is seasoned to perfection.
- Crowd-Pleaser: The creamy sauce and tender tortillas make this a dish that even picky eaters will enjoy.
- Customizable: You can adjust the ingredients in this dish easily, to make it work for your family.
Is It Better to Use Corn or Flour Tortillas for Enchiladas?
- It’s up to you whether or not you use flour or corn tortillas – some people swear by the bite of corn tortillas, while others prefer the softness of flour tortillas. Corn tortillas will give the dish a more traditional, authentic taste because the corn is more flavorful than the wheat used to make flour tortillas. If you use flour tortillas, I recommend briefly cooking them in a hot oiled skillet first.
Ingredients For Shrimp Enchiladas
While this ingredients list might look a bit long, stay with me! I promise, it’s very easy to make, and most of these ingredients are pantry staples that you probably have in your kitchen already.
For the Shrimp Filling
- Olive Oil: Or avocado oil, or whatever oil you like to cook with.
- Onion: Dice up a small onion – any color is fine.
- Garlic: Minced, fresh garlic.
- Peppers: I like to use a red bell pepper and a jalapeno.
- Tomato Sauce: Or strained tomatoes.
- Shrimp: Peeled, deveined, and chopped.
- Seasonings: Cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Corn or Flour Tortillas
For the Cream Sauce
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter. Salted is also fine, but you may need to reduce or omit the salt from the seasonings.
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Broth: Vegetable broth, or you could use chicken broth.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream makes the richest sauce.
- Enchilada Sauce: For this recipe, we’ll be using green enchilada sauce.
- Chilies: Canned green chilies, diced.
- Cheese: I like Monterey Jack cheese, but you can use whatever melty cheese you like. Keep in mind that using very sharp cheese, like a well-aged cheddar, might overwhelm the taste of the shrimp.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Shrimp Enchiladas
- Make the Shrimp Filling. Set a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, and peppers in a bit of olive oil. Add the tomato sauce, and then after a few minutes more, add the chopped shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink. Sprinkle with seasonings, stir, and take the skillet off the heat.
- Make the Cheese Sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook this for a minute, and then whisk in your broth. Simmer this sauce until it thickens. Then take it off the heat, and stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients. Taste and season as needed.
- Assemble the Enchiladas. Grease the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish with olive oil. Take one flour tortilla at a time, spoon some filling into the middle, roll it up tightly, and place it, seam-side-down in the dish. Keep going until you run out of filling. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake. Bake the enchiladas for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melted.
- Cool and Serve. Let the enchiladas cool for a few minutes before garnishing as desired, and serving warm. Enjoy!
Helpful Recipe Tips
Making shrimp enchiladas is so easy, especially when you have a few helpful tips and tricks up your sleeve. Here are my top tips for making really good shrimp enchiladas:
- Add Heat: If you prefer a spicier kick, you can keep the seeds in the jalapeño pepper or add some crushed red pepper flakes to the filling.
- Tortilla Options: You can also make this recipe with whole wheat tortillas or grain free tortillas.
- Mix-Ins: Feel free to customize the filling with even more healthy ingredients, like black beans, corn kernels, or sauteed zucchini.
What to Serve with Shrimp Enchiladas
Shrimp enchiladas are a versatile dish that pair well with various sides and accompaniments. Here are some delicious options to serve alongside your enchiladas:
- Mexican Rice: Mexican rice is a flavorful, wholesome side dish that’s amazing with saucy enchiladas! This Instant Pot Mexican Rice is one of the best.
- Anything Avocado: Creamy, refreshing avocado is perfect with shrimp enchiladas. You could go with guacamole, or make this killer Avocado Salsa.
- Mexican Street Corn: Fresh corn dressed with a mixture of mayonnaise, cheese, chili powder, and lime juice – count me in! This Mexican Street Corn Salad takes your favorite corn on the cob recipe and turns it into an easy-to-eat salad.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- If you have leftover shrimp enchiladas, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat, you can either microwave the leftovers briefly or bake at 350°F until heated through.
- You can also freeze leftover shrimp enchiladas, but the texture of the sauce and tortillas can change after freezing and thawing. To freeze, cool the dish fully and then wrap it well in a double layer of plastic wrap and foil. Mark it with the date, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
Shrimp Enchiladas
Our Shrimp Enchiladas are smothered in a sour cream and green chili sauce and packed with tasty shrimp. They're easy enough to whip up on a busy weeknight!
Servings: 4
Calories: 660kcal
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined; chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Cream Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup green enchilada sauce
- 4 ounces canned diced chilies
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Assembling and Topping
- 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- roughly chopped cilantro for garnish
- Pico de gallo
- Avocado
- Red onion, chopped
- Lime wedges, for serving
- crumbled or grated cotija cheese, or freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, red bell pepper and jalapeño pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped shrimp to the mixture and cook for about 3 minutes, or until they turn pink and are cooked through. Season with ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the all- purpose flour to create a roux. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sour cream, green enchilada sauce, diced chilies, garlic powder, and half of the Monterey Jack cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish with olive oil.
- Take a flour tortilla and spoon some of the shrimp filling onto the center. Roll it up tightly and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Pour cream sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let the enchiladas cool for a few minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, chopped red onion, lime wedges, and cheese.
- Serve the shrimp enchiladas with pico de gallo.
Notes
- Add Heat: If you prefer a spicier kick, keep the seeds in the jalapeño pepper or add some crushed red pepper flakes to the filling.
- Tortilla Options: You can also make this recipe with whole wheat or grain-free tortillas.
- Cheese: I use Monterey Jack cheese, but you can use whatever melty cheese you prefer. However, using very sharp cheese, like a well-aged cheddar, might overwhelm the taste of the shrimp.
- Mix-Ins: Feel free to customize the filling with even more healthy ingredients, like black beans, corn kernels, or sauteed zucchini.
- Storing and Reheating: Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, microwave the leftovers briefly or bake at 350°F until heated through.
- Freezing: Cool the dish fully, wrap it well in a double layer of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1395mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2204IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 558mg | Iron: 4mg
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