Dungeness Crab Enchiladas

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

Rich, buttery and totally indulgent Dungeness Crab Enchiladas with creamy jack cheese and salsa verde.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican, Seafood

Servings 12 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.

Keyword Dungeness crab, pnw tacos, taco tuesday, tacos