Rich, buttery and totally indulgent Dungeness Crab Enchiladas with creamy Monterrey Jack cheese and tangy salsa verde.
Dungeness crab is my favorite Pacific Northwest food. It’s rich, buttery and a little bit sweet. I grew up crabbing and fishing in the Puget Sound off the coast of Western Washington. It was a way of life for my dad who would take us out for week long boating adventures. Many are the days that I spent cracking crab.
This recipe comes together quickly and highlights fresh Dungeness crab. I like making individual servings, but you can make a large batch in a casserole dish. It’s as easy as filling a tortilla with crab meat and cheese, rolling it up and placing in the cooking dish with sauce.
Homemade or Store Bought
When there’s no time for homemade, I reach for store bought green enchilada sauce to prepare my enchiladas. But…if you do have time, you will love how easy my green enchilada sauce is. Just roast a few tomatillos, onion, jalapeno and garlic on a sheet pan, blend with cream and a pinch of sugar, then thin with chicken broth or water. That’s it. Freeze your leftovers in a Ziplock for later. This sauce can double as a salsa, just don’t add chicken broth or water.
Ingredients in Dungeness Crab Enchiladas
- Dungeness Crab – You want the real deal for these enchiladas. Costco has fresh cracked Dungeness crab.
- Corn Tortillas – Medium size corn tortillas.
- Monterey Jack Cheese -Monterey Jack cheese is a good choice or use Farm Style Mexican Blend shredded cheese.
- Green Enchilada Sauce – Homemade, see recipe, or store bought is fine.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro lightens up these rich enchiladas.
- Lime – Fresh limes to squeeze on before eating.
Related Recipes
Dungeness Crab Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dungeness crab shelled
- 12 medium size fresh corn tortillas
- 4 cups Monterey Jack cheese or Farm Style Mexican shredded cheese shredded, reserve about 1 cup for topping
- 3 cups green enchilada sauce
- cooking oil
Green Enchilada Sauce
- 10 tomatillos skins removed
- 1 jalapeno whole
- 1 yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 – 1 cup chicken broth or water
Fresh Avocado Salad
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and cubed
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 handfull cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat about 1 cup cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium low heat.
- Warm green enchilada sauce in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
- Coat the bottom of a cooking dish with a little sauce.
- Place tortilla first in warm oil, then in enchilada sauce and move over to cooking dish. Fill with a heaping spoonful of crab and cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared cooking dish. When you have filled your dish with rolled enchiladas, drizzle a little more sauce over the top and remaining cheese.
- Bake at 375 degrees until cheese is just melted. Serve with fresh avocado salad.
Salsa Verde
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place on a sheet pan: tomatillos, jalapeno, yellow onion and garlic
- Drizzle with cooking oil
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Roast on 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until almost charred
- Transfer ingredients to a blender and pulse blend, adding about 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water until thinned. Add more if necessary.
- Transfer to a small saucepan on medium heat and add heavy cream and sugar
- Stir to combine and keep warm until ready
Fresh Avocado Salad
- Combine all ingredients together and serve over cooked enchiladas.
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