Enchiladas are a Mexican dish consisting of corn tortillas stuffed with anything from meat to cheese or even seafood, though they’re not to be confused with burritos. Enchiladas are usually made with corn tortillas — don’t make the mistake of using flour ones — drenched in a sauce made from red chiles, called salsa roja, then baked. If you want to fill your enchiladas with seafood, it’s important to know the best type to use. Zach Steen, culinary director for Rick Bayless, excluseively tells Chowhound that shellfish work perfectly in this dish.
“Shellfish like shrimp, crab, or lobster lends a nice contrast in texture to the soft tortillas,” Steen says. These seafood types all have a mild flavor, meaning each one is perfect for highlighting that chile sauce, plus the other enchilada toppings. Shellfish also cook quickly and melt in your mouth. “For enchiladas with shellfish fillings, the sauce needs to have tang, richness, and always needs to cover the tortillas entirely,” he adds. It doesn’t need to be supremely spicy; save that for a different type of seafood stuffing.
The best sauces and toppings for seafood enchiladas
The sauce flavor can vary depending on which type of seafood you ultimately go with. “If you’re using salmon or tuna as an enchilada filling, they can stand up to bolder sauces like a smoky chipotle tomatillo sauce,” Zach Steen says. You can add a bigger burst of flavor with these types of seafood because they bring more flavor to the table. Something like a smoky chipotle would probably overpower the mildness of shellfish. You can technically substitute salsa for enchilada sauce if you have to, but the flavor will be different.
As for other toppings, you can offset the tangy sauce by adding a rich dairy component to your seafood enchiladas, which is a welcome addition with this type of stuffing. “Mexican crema, sour cream, or crème fraîche would be quite welcome,” he adds, noting that cheese can also be used, “but when and if to add it is hotly debated.” Cilantro garnish adds a little color and a refreshing bite, but for something even hotter, dress the finished dish with fresh jalapeño slices and enjoy.
