Shrimp Enchiladas with Creamy Poblano Sauce
Veggie-loaded Shrimp Enchiladas topped with a simple homemade creamy poblano sauce and freshly grated cheese. These shrimp enchiladas are hearty and filling and easy enough to pull together for weeknight dinner!
First — Shrimp Enchiladas!
Yuh-Huh. All day. Everyday.
Shrimp, veggies, cheese, poblanos, and a cream sauce! How could you not love that? The end. Please scroll to the bottom, grab the recipe, and be on your merry way to enchilada bliss, like right now.
I mean, shrimp enchiladas or seafood enchiladas are probably my #1 favorite item to order at a Mexican restaurant. It just doesn’t happen very often because, um.. calories!
But there’s just something so warm and comforting about a hot plate loaded with Mexican rice, refried beans, and enchiladas stuffed with seafood, be it fish or shrimp, and smothered in a way-too-rich cream sauce only to be covered in melty, gooey cheese. I prefer shrimp enchiladas to beef enchiladas because the natural sweetness of seafood pairs beautifully with the cheddar cheese sauce and green chiles. But of course, I can NEVER finish it on my own once I’ve loaded up on chips, guacamole sauce, and restaurant-style salsa and was already close to being full when my enchiladas hit the table.
But this recipe for shrimp enchiladas! Nailed it!
Instead of filling my enchiladas with tons of seafood and mountains of cheese, a quick swap for some protein-rich baby spinach and crunchy matchstick carrots makes these a much healthier choice for a weeknight dinner. I use poblanos to flavor the sauce and the enchilada stuffing to make these rich in flavor without a lot of heat.
So you know everyone at home can enjoy them.
Ingredients for shrimp enchiladas recipe:
- Butter: we’ll use the butter to create a roux for the cheesy enchilada sauce.
- Flour: the flour helps thicken the cheese sauce we’re using in this enchilada recipe.
- Chicken broth or Chicken Stock: adds flavor and thins out the cheese sauce.
- Poblano Peppers: makes the verde enchilada sauce with the diced chilies.
- Sour Cream: Adds a tangy flavor to the poblano cream sauce.
- Seasonings: we’ll use garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to help flavor the poblano cream sauce.
- Shredded Cheese: I like to use Monterey Jack cheese for this recipe. You can also use pepper jack cheese if you prefer a slightly spicier kick to this recipe.
- Cilantro: adds a pop of color to the sauce and gives it an earthy flavor that pairs beautifully with the shrimp in this recipe.
- Shrimp: Use good quality shrimp for this recipe. I like to use Langostino shrimp for this recipe if I can find them. The natural sweetness of this variety of shrimp makes the enchiladas even more delicious. You can use other types of shrimp as well, just be sure to use a medium-jumbo size instead of the teeny tiny ones!
- Onions: Minced onions go into the shrimp filling.
- Garlic cloves: help flavor the shrimp.
- Carrots: Bulk up the shrimp filling.
- Baby Spinach: Adds color, fiber, and more protein to the shrimp filling.
- Hot Sauce: I like to use a dash of hot sauce on the shrimp to give them more flavor. Feel free to season with cayenne pepper for a spicier kick of flavor!
- Flour Tortillas: I prefer to use flour tortillas for this recipe over corn tortillas because I find them to be much easier to work with, and they hold up well to the sauce. Readers have mentioned using corn tortillas with success. However, I haven’t tried them myself.
Making Shrimp Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce
- Start with the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let it cook for a few minutes so it doesn’t have a raw flour-y flavor. Then pour the chicken broth in a steady stream as you whisk the sauce. You want it to be smooth and start to thicken slightly. Then add the sour cream, garlic powder, and most of the poblano peppers. Simmer the sauce until it thickens. Stir in some of the cheese and once it melts, remove the sauce from the stove and stir in the cilantro. Set the sauce aside while you make the enchilada stuffing.
- Make enchilada filling. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven while you prepare the filling. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and let them cook until they just start to curl. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the shrimp to a plate using a slotted spoon so that you don’t transfer the liquid.
- Saute the veggies. Wipe the pan clean. Then add a bit more oil and saute the onions until tender. Add the garlic and the poblano peppers and saute them until softened. Add the carrots and baby spinach along with the hot sauce. Once the spinach wilts down, chop the shrimp and add it to the spinach filling.
- Make enchiladas. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Lay a tortilla on a clean, flat surface. Spoon the shrimp mixture in the center, about 1/3 cup in total. Sprinkle some of the remaining cheese over the filling. Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortilla and filling.
- Bake until bubbly. Cover the dish with foil. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the tortillas heat through and the sauce is bubbly. Serve topped with a bit more cilantro.
FAQs about this recipe
Every recipe is different. For this recipe, you cook the enchiladas in the cheese sauce in the oven. The thicker sauce keeps the tortillas from becoming soggy.
Covering the enchiladas with a piece of foil in the oven keeps the tortillas from drying out and becoming hard.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Salmon Burgers with Cajun Remoulade Sauce
- Enchiladas Suizas
- Cheesy Bean and Rice Enchilada Soup
- The Most Delicious Carne Asada
- Spicy Mexican Shrimp Salad
Shrimp Enchiladas with Creamy Poblano Sauce
Veggie-loaded Shrimp Enchiladas topped with a simple homemade creamy poblano sauce and freshly grated cheese. These shrimp enchiladas are hearty and filling and easy enough to pull together for weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
creamy poblano sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 large poblano, minced (reserve 2 tablespoons)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups Monterey or pepper jack cheese (divided)*
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
enchilada stuffing:
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup white onions, diced
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ cups shredded (matchstick) carrots
- 3 cups packed fresh baby spinach
- a couple dashes of hot sauce*
- 12 flour tortillas (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
- CREAMY POBLANO SAUCE: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cook. You want to whisk continuously so you don't have any lumps, about 2-3 minutes. When the sauce begins to thicken just a bit, add in the sour cream, whisking if necessary. Next, add garlic powder and the poblano (except the reserved 2 tablespoons). Simmer and allow the sauce to thicken for another 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste and stir in 1 cup of cheese, When the cheese melts, remove from stove and stir in 2 tablespoons of cilantro. Set aside.
- ENCHILADA STUFFING: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a large sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and allow them to cook about 1 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the shrimp to a plate using a slotted spoon. Discard any moisture from the pan and wipe clean. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook the onions for 1-2 minutes or until they just being to turn translucent. Add the garlic along with the 2 tablespoons of reserved poblano and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the matchstick carrots and baby spinach along with a couple dashes of hot sauce.Allow the spinach to just barely begin to wilt and remove from stove. Chop the shrimp and add them to the spinach mixture, stir to combine.
- ASSEMBLY: Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface such as a cutting board and spoon the shrimp and spinach mixture in the center, about ⅓ cup. Sprinkle some of the remaining cheese and roll the tortilla and place it seam side down on the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Drizzle the tops of the tortillas with ½ of the creamy poblano sauce, cover the casserole dish with foil and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tortillas heat all the way through. Drizzle the remaining sauce on the enchiladas and top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cilantro.
Notes
- Cheese: I highly highly recommend shredding your own cheese for this recipe. The consistency of the sauce won't be as creamy and smooth if you use pre-shredded cheese.
- Hot sauce: For the hot sauce I used Louisiana style hot sauce which is a little more acidic and not as spicy. Feel free to use whatever kind of hot sauce you like best!
Yummy enchiladas! However, it took me almost an hour to prepare and then the full 20 minutes to cook. If someone is able to start the timer in the kitchen, get out all ingredients, prepare the dish, cook it, and dish it up in 35 minutes, they must have a super power that I don’t! I’m not a rookie cook either. Anyway, excellent meal but it will take you longer than 35 minutes from start to putting it on the table.
This was an AMAZING recipe! Thank you!
Glad you gave it a try, Karen 🙂
I was making the fab gumbo recipe when I saw this. Made it tonight. It’s blooming delicious!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Linda! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂
I have never commented on a recipe before. I made this twice now. This is my favorite Mexican dish. It is absolutely amazing and I don’t say that lightly.
Just made this a second time, and it’s even better. Wondering if it’s safe to freeze? Looking forward to trying out some more of these recipes
Did you try freezing this in advance?
These are very delicious and I will certainly make them again. However, I will try corn tortillas next time. The flour ones turned mushy when I microwaved them the next day.
This was my second time making the shrimp enchiladas, and I will definitely make again. My husband said they were a 10! The chili gives the sauce so much flavor. I added extra cilantro to the stuffing mix. Thank you for sharing.
Made this last night… absolutely delicious! The combined flavors were amazing! Served with homemade refried beans and avocado slices. My husband loved it and said I can make this one again.
These were fantastic. I substituted red bell peppers for the carrots, used light sour cream and low carb tortillas. Also added a small diced jalapeño pepper (no seeds). Yum! I do have to agree with the other comments, that the prep time is considerable with all the chopping. Well worth the effort though! Delicious. I froze half of the recipe, unbaked. Will post how that came out when we try it. The cooking times noted in the recipe were perfect, thank you, that’s not always the case. Also, I used 10 ounces of spinach and that was perfect.
These are amazing. Used corn tortillas. Served with a drizzle of El Pato (yellow can) and my oh my. Also used full fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It’s a lot of work but worth it.
Girl, I just put it in the oven , but I
already know its going to be fabulous! ( I dipped into the sauce beforehand, as usual).
Thank you so much! Just what I was wanting!
Made this last night! OMG the sauce is the best!!! Will make again….I had some smoked salmon..leftover..really great recipe! The flavors of that sauce!!
I made these yesterday….certainly NOT only 20 min prep! Delish! I made half corn tortillas and half flour… The corn definitely got mushy. If I was going to make these ahead of time and freeze them I would not put the sauce on top… I would try freezing them separately. I am gluten-free so I did not try the flour, but they did not look like they got mushy. I will definitely make them again -just being mindful of the prep time!
Made these tonight, and they were delicious! I’m gluten free, so used corn tortillas- heated them up with damp paper towels in the microwave before rolling them so they were soft.- and they worked great! Also didn’t use cheese, and used homemade cashew cream instead of sour cream and it was wonderful. Next time I will probably use some more spices on the shrimp while they are cooking to give it some kick. But overall- delicious!
Delicious recipe! The prep definitely takes longer than the recipe says, but is worth it. Make sure to have everything cut up and measured out before starting to cook…the sauce requires attention. Added 1/2 lb of bay scallops as well and were so good. Served with a mexican cole slaw with fresh charred corn and was a nice balance. Will definitely make this again!
Made these enchiladas for friends and oh goodness were they a hit. I only put just enough sauce on top to bake the 1st 15 mins. Then added the rest, more cheese, baked for another 10 then broiled for a minute or 2 to get it browned a bit and some crispy edges on the tortillas. They were amazzzzzing! Oh and I added a little chili powder to the stuffing mix, and used both types of cheeses. Perfection.
Do I need to peel the peppers
I plan to make a version of these tonight (using salmon instead of shrimp since we don’t eat shellfish), and would like to actually eat them for dinner tomorrow.
Should I bake it tonight, then put it in the fridge? Or should I assemble tonight, then pull it out from the fridge and pop it in the oven tomorrow before serving?
Trying to have a decent dinner tomorrow around full work hours.
I made these last night. Amazing, Wonderful! Everyone went back for seconds. The pan was left empty. Will be on my rotation of meals.
I did make these with corn tortillas. First, heat some oil (vegetable or avocado) in a pan and then fry each tortilla for about 10 seconds on each side and then stack cooked tortillas on a plate until all are cooked. Cooking them in the oil helps to make them pliable and stronger so that they won’t come apart when you roll and cook them.
Now, as for the enchiladas, we enjoyed them. I doubled the recipe and ended up using 30 corn tortillas total. My shrimp were large so I cut them before cooking them. The sauce was very tasty. The only change I would make would be to add some more seasonings (seasoned salt, maybe some cumin…). I will probably make these again but not on a week night. They took a lot longer to make then I thought they would and that may be in part because I shredded my cheese by hand (melts better when it doesn’t have cellulose in it from pre-shredded cheese).
Delicious!!! Added scallops as well, and green zucchini.
Excellent recipe, my husband and I both love it! We’ve had it 3 times already!
These shrimp enchiladas were delicious. Definitely a keeper
Delicious! I did pre-roast my poblano and used a little less shredded carrots replaced by about a half cup chopped red pepper. It was putzy but should be easier next time. There was extra sauce which I’m planning to try over pasta a someone else mentioned. Definitely a keeper! [email redacted]
Has anyone made this with leftover chicken? How did it compare to Shrimp?
EXCELLENT!!! My family LOVED it!!
Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again
Absolutely love this recipe!!! Another variation I use with your Poblano Sauce recipe is seafood Chimichangas. Being from Maine fresh seafood is abundant… I take Lobster and/or Crab, Shrimp and Scallops and lightly sauté with butter and a lite dusting of Mexican spices, once cooked add just enough sauce to coat. I put a nice scoop of seafood and Mexican cheese in a large flour tortilla and deep fry. Top with more Poblano Sauce, pico and cilantro, I usually side with street rice and corn and black bean refrieds. The sauce just rocks it with the fresh seafood. Thank you!!!
ive made this recipe a few times and its delish. i now add one red bell pepper and fresh garlic
Unbelievable, Love the poblano cream sauce