Shrimp Enchiladas are a delicious seafood dish that is easy to prepare and ready in under 45 minutes. Cheesy, creamy seafood enchiladas are packed with large shrimp, jalapenos, onions, tomatoes and all baked in spicy, creamy sauce.
If you like creamy enchiladas, try our Steak Enchiladas and Vegetarian Enchiladas.
Table of Contents
Shrimp enchiladas make a lovely dinner any day of the week! They are probably the fastest enchiladas that I make and can definitely be a nice week night dinner. Especially, if you’re looking to make a special dinner for someone.
These enchiladas were definitely fantastic: they’re cheesy, creamy, and spicy. (They can be as spicy as you wish!) THe combination of flavors and textures are so good, it’s hard to stop eating them.
All that gooey, melted cheese inside with shrimp, onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos, wrapped in a cream sauce soaked tortilla…ah, perfection! The best part is that you can adjust the heat to your liking. You can add more cayenne pepper (just be careful with how much you add) and add an extra jalapeno if you’d like a spicier dish.
Ingredient Notes
Shrimp – I like to use larger shrimp but size doesn’t matter as much as the quality. If you have access to fresh caught wild shrimp, that would be the best choice. If using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them completely first and drain off all the liquid. Make sure to peel and devein the shrimp as well.
Jalapenos – you can regular the spice level of your enchiladas with the chili peppers. Jalapenos are the milder variety so if you want to add more spice, you can add a serrano, red chili pepper, or a habanero pepper as well. You can also use older jalapenos, which are spicier, and keep the seeds in. Chili peppers store most of their spice in the seeds, so leaving them in will increase the spice level.
Onion – use yellow onion, white onion, or red onion. The flavor difference won’t be too noticeable, although red onion does tend to me a touch sweeter.
Monterrey Jack cheese – this cheese is beautiful to use in enchiladas because it has a mild flavor and melts nice and smooth. If you wish, you can use pepper jack cheese instead to add more chili pepper flavor.
Heavy Whipping Cream – heavy whipping cream will give you the richest, creamiest sauce but you can substitute half and half in a pinch. Just don’t go any less creamy than that.
Sour Cream – use full fat sour cream for the best results! I do not recommend substituting Greek yogurt because there is a good chance of curdling or separating when used in cooking.
Cooking Instructions
Make the sauce: Preheat oil in a large cooking pan over medium heat and add sliced onions and jalapenos (1). Let it sauté until they start to soften. Add in diced tomatoes and minced garlic, mix and sauté until veggies are cooked through (2).
While veggies are cooking, whisk heavy cream, sour cream, spices and salt in a mixing bowl or a large measuring glass and pour it into the pan with veggies (3). Stir slowly and carefully until completely incorporated (4) and lower the heat to medium-low.
Cook the shrimp: Add shrimp and cook, still over medium to medium-low heat, until shrimp just turned opaque on the bottom, flip and cook until shrimp turns opaque. Take off heat.
Build enchiladas: Spread some cheese in the center of each tortilla, in a line. Using slotted spoon, scoop out about a quarter of shrimp/veggie mixture, draining most of the sauce, into the tortilla. Spread the shrimp in the line over the cheese.
Roll the tortilla and place it in the baking dish, seam down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, shrimp and veggies.
Baking enchiladas: Pour sauce over enchiladas and spread remaining cheese on top. Bake shrimp enchiladas for about 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Personally, I prefer to use flour tortillas in most of my enchilada recipes. But there is no need to debate, it all comes down to personal preference.
Flour tortillas are softer and sturdier, white corn tortillas do have a tendency to break and crumble. There is also a noticeable flavor and texture difference between the two types of tortillas, that is mostly where personal preference comes in. You can absolutely use corn tortillas if that is what you love or use flour.
If you choose to use corn tortillas in shrimp enchiladas, use larger size homemade or store-bought tortillas. DO use smaller shrimp because corn tortillas are prone to breaking and crumbling.
To soften corn tortillas, lightly brush or spray them with some oil and place them on a sheet tray. Bake at 325° for 3-5 minutes. After they’re warmed, stack them and cover with a damp warmed clean towel to keep them soft while rolling enchiladas.
I don’t usually recommend reheating seafood because it does not reheat well. If you do have to save leftovers and reheat them, definitely don’t reheat shrimp enchiladas in a microwave. Reheat them in a the baking dish, in the oven, at 325° until just heated through inside.
No, these shrimp enchiladas are not good to freeze because of the cream sauce and re-freezing seafood. I never recommend freezing seafood dishes because most people do use seafood in recipes that have been previously frozen.
Some More Shrimp Recipes To Make
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Shrimp Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 12-14 oz large shrimp
- 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil for cooking
- 1 small yellow onion sliced thin
- 2 large jalapenos seeded or not, based on desired spice level
- 2 medium tomatoes “on a vine’ diced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt
- 4 soft taco flour tortillas
- 8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese grated, divided in two
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.
- Preheat oil in a large cooking pan over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and sauté until they start to soften.
- Add diced tomatoes and minced garlic, mix and cook until all vegetables are cooked.
- While the veggies are cooking, whisk heavy cream, sour cream, spices and salt in a mixing bowl and pour it into the pan with veggies. Stir well and let it heat through and come to a slow simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Nestle in the shrimp in the sauce and cook, still over medium-low heat, until shrimp is opaque on the bottom. Flip the shrimp and cook until shrimp just turn all opaque and take off the heat.
- Use half the cheese to divide it among the four tortillas. Spread the cheese in the center of each tortilla, in the line.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop out about a quarter of shrimp/veggie mixture, draining most of the sauce, into the tortilla. Spread them in the line over the cheese.
- Roll the tortilla and place it in the baking dish, seam down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, shrimp, and veggies.
- Pour the sauce over enchiladas and spread the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Flour Tortillas or Corn Tortillas: Flour tortillas are softer and sturdier, white corn tortillas do have a tendency to break and crumble. There is also a noticeable flavor and texture difference between the two types of tortillas, that is mostly where personal preference comes in. You can absolutely use corn tortillas if that is what you love or use flour.
If you choose to use corn tortillas in shrimp enchiladas, use larger size homemade or store-bought tortillas. DO use smaller shrimp because corn tortillas are prone to breaking and crumbling. - To soften corn tortillas, lightly brush or spray them with some oil and place them on a sheet tray. Bake at 325° for 3-5 minutes. After they’re warmed, stack them and cover with a damp warmed clean towel to keep them soft while rolling enchiladas.
- Reheating shrimp tortillas: I don’t usually recommend reheating seafood because it does not reheat well. If you do have to save leftovers and reheat them, definitely don’t reheat shrimp enchiladas in a microwave. Reheat them in a the baking dish, in the oven, at 325° until just heated through inside.
Shannon Buzbee ,Fl. says
Wow!!!! This was as good or better than anything I’ve ever had in a restaurant. I added a couple ounces of cream cheese to the sauce . It was seriously so good!!!
LyubaB says
Wow, I’m thrilled to hear that! Adding cream cheese to the sauce sounds like a fantastic twist—definitely a great way to elevate the dish. Thanks for sharing your tip, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Mercedes. Reyna says
They were awesome and I didn’t even have all the ingredients
LyubaB says
So glad you liked the recipe!
Anitra says
This is the second time I’ve made this. I forgot how good it was. I thought the sauce was going to be too loose but it set up while cooking. I had to quadruple the recipe, worked great.
LyubaB says
I am glad you like the recipe, Anitra!
Diana says
Hi
Since I am alone, I see the recipe mentioned 4 servings. Meaning one each person? Is that enough for one?
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Sherry Brooks says
I have made this dish a couple of times… Once as the enchiladas, and today, I made it as a sauce and added it to pasta, it was divine!!! If you haven’t tried this dish do. It could be also thickened and used as a dip … Yummo! ❤️❤️❤️
LyubaB says
Oh, what a good idea I will have to try it with pasta! I am so glad you like the recipe!
Sheryl says
Can I make this ahead of time and refrigerate and bake same day??
LyubaB says
I haven’t tried it but would be worried that the tortillas would get to soggy.
Mary says
First time trying this recipe and everyone loved it!! I did make it ahead and kept the sauce in a separate container from them enchiladas. Then the next day, I heated the sauce up and pored over them, topped them with the cheese and put them in the oven!
They turned out beautifully!! I added about a half cup of pineapple – very good!!
BROOKSIE64 says
In a cup of pineapple sounds delicious!!! 😋
LyubaB says
That does sound yummy!
LyubaB says
That is a good make ahead tip! Thanks for sharing!
Amber says
This turned out delicious! I doubled the recipe and tweaked the seasoning and did a tablespoon of everything instead of a teaspoon. I also added some pepper. Next time I think I would do more cheese and jalapenos but besides that it was perfect.
J Houston says
Could you use well drained Rotel for the fresh tomatoes? Enchiladas look delicious! Can’t wait to try them! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
LyubaB says
Yes, but make sure to drain them really well, it wouldn’t hurt to also pat them dry with a paper towel as well.
Janet says
Absolutely delicious!
Cindy says
Thought this was delicious. It was a real hit with everyone!
Brittany says
Corn tortillas only crumble if you don’t add a little oil and heat a little before rolling
Shantell Lewis says
I have been making these enchiladas for about 10 years and my family will fight for them 😂 I literally have ZERO left over every time. I have people from my hometown asking when I’ll be back to make them. 😆 I’m actually taking them to work for our Christmas party. A TRUE sample for me. Also I use jumbo shrimp and cut in two. Better for the bite I think. If you want to wow someone make these! Trust me they are a win.