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Loaded with tender, seasoned shrimp and sautéed veggies, these fantastic shrimp enchiladas are full of delicious flavors and satisfying ingredients. We finish it off with a rich and creamy cheese sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese for an irresistible seafood dish that’s great for entertaining but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.

Overhead view of a casserole dish containing shrimp enchiladas topped with cilantro, slices of avocado, and sour cream.

🍤 What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • When you think of “enchiladas”, you probably picture shredded chicken or seasoned ground beef fillings. And sure, chicken enchiladas and beef enchiladas are delicious. But you tell your friends and family you’re making enchiladas for dinner, and they show up to shrimp enchiladas? Talk about impressive. This is a great way to mix things up, especially if most of your meals center around poultry.
  • The ingredients list might look a little involved, but I swear, this is honestly a super easy recipe to throw together. It’s totally worth the effort, too. Rich, homemade cheese sauce. Tender, seasoned shrimp. Sautéed onion and bell pepper. One bite and you’ll forget all the prep.
  • Not only are they delicious, these shrimp enchiladas are also super satisfying. With a decent amount of protein, carbs, and healthy fats in each enchilada, this one dish that won’t leave you hungry again right after dinner.

🍤 Chef’s Tips

  • I used flour tortillas here (I think they’re easier to roll) but corn tortillas would totally work instead. You can also use gluten-free tortillas or low-carb tortillas. If you’re having trouble rolling your tortillas without them tearing, warm them lightly in a skillet or between damp paper towels in the microwave first.
  • Shrimp enchiladas can be made with both fresh and frozen shrimp. Obviously, if you’re using frozen shrimp you’ll want to thaw them first. Just put them in a sealable food-safe plastic bag with as much air as possible squeezed out, and submerge the bag in cold water. They should be ready to go in 10-15 minutes. If you’ve got the time, though, and you don’t forget, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight instead.
  • Regardless of the type of shrimp you use, it’s important that you make sure the shells and tails are completely removed, and the shrimp are cleaned out well. When you chop them up, make sure they’re all roughly the same size so they cook evenly. That’ll reduce the chances some of the pieces overcooking.
Overhead view of shrimp enchiladas on a plate with avocado slices and chopped cilantro.

Tasty Tex-Mex and Mexican-Inspired Recipes We Love

Overhead view of a casserole dish containing shrimp enchiladas topped with cilantro, slices of avocado, and sour cream.
Recipe By: Sam Guarnieri

Shrimp Enchiladas

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 1 hour
Total 1 hour 15 minutes
Seasoned shrimp, sautéed veggies, and a creamy cheese sauce. This shrimp enchilada recipe's got it all!
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8 enchiladas

Equipment

  • Oven
  • 9×13 baking dish
  • Cooking spray
  • stovetop
  • Large skillet
  • Large wooden spoon
  • medium saucepan
  • whisk
  • Cutting board

Ingredients

For the Enchilada Filling

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 medium bell pepper red or green, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Cream Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1 4.5-ounce can diced green chilis drained
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

For the Enchiladas

  • 8 8-inch flour tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • fresh cilantro chopped, optional
  • avocado pit removed, peeled, sliced; optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Lightly grease baking dish and set aside.
  • Heat large skillet over medium heat. When pan is warm, add olive oil and swirl pan to coat bottom with oil. Heat oil over medium heat until oil is hot and shimmering.
  • Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to hot oil in skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Once onion and bell pepper are tender, add chopped shrimp, paprika, chili powder, and salt to skillet. Stir to incorporate, then cook until shrimp is opaque and fully cooked-through, approximately 5 minutes. When shrimp is ready, remove skillet from heat and set aside.
    Overhead view of chopped shrimp in a large skillet with chopped onion and red bell pepper.
  • Heat medium saucepan over medium heat. When pan is warm, add butter and cook until butter is completely melted.
  • Once butter has melted, add all-purpose flour to saucepan. Whisk ingredients together vigorously for 1 minute or until mixture is lightly golden-brown.
    Overhead view of melted butter whisked with flour in a saucepan to create a roux.
  • Slowly pour chicken broth into flour-butter mixture. Whisk to combine, and continue whisking until mixture has thickened.
    Overhead view of roux and chicken broth in a medium saucepan on a neutral background.
  • When mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, add sour cream, green chilis, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Stir well to incorporate ingredients, and continue stirring until cheese has melted completely. When cheese has melted, remove saucepan from heat and set aside.
    Overhead view of an enchilada cream sauce with cheese, green chilis, sour cream, and chicken stock in a medium saucepan.
  • Lay flour tortillas out flat on cutting board. Portion approximately ¼ cup of shrimp filling onto each tortilla, then roll tortillas around filling to form enchiladas. Place rolled enchiladas seam-side down in greased baking dish. Repeat until all enchiladas have been formed and placed in baking dish.
    Overhead view of 7 rolled enchiladas in a white oval casserole dish on a neutral wooden background.
  • Pour cheese sauce evenly over tops of enchiladas to cover, then sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese evenly over cheese sauce.
  • Place baking dish in oven and bake, uncovered, 30 minutes, or until enchiladas are golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Carefully remove baking dish from oven. Divide enchiladas onto serving plates, top with chopped cilantro and sliced avocado if desired, and serve warm.
    Overhead view of a fully baked shrimp enchilada topped with brown, melty shredded cheese and a creamy cheese sauce.
  • If you notice the cheese is browning too fast or beginning to get too dark, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to distribute the heat more evenly.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free tortillas, gluten-free all-purpose flour, and make sure your chicken broth is gluten free. You’ll also want to make sure your shredded cheese doesn’t contain any sneaky glutens.
  • Make it Low(er) Carb: Use low-carb tortillas. Shred your own cheese from a block of fresh cheese to avoid the starches and fillers added to pre-packaged shredded cheese.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1enchiladaCalories: 389calProtein: 24gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 919mgPotassium: 289mgTotal Carbs: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gNet Carbs: 28gVitamin A: 1021IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 362mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Sam Guarnieri

Sam is a travel, food, and fitness enthusiast from the New York metro area who loves creating new and inventive recipes. Her love of food goes all the way back to her early childhood, cooking alongside her mom and Nonna – the two best cooks she knows! She's a big believer that good-for-you food can still explode with flavor and (most importantly) be easy to make. When she's not in the kitchen, Sam can usually be found planning her next vacation, spending time outdoors, or bingeing the latest Netflix docu-series.

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2 Comments

    1. We didn’t try freezing it so I can’t say, unfortunately! If you try it, please let us know how it works out.

      Reply

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