Cajun Crawfish Enchiladas

30 enchiladas servings Intermediate
5.0/5 (1)
While this Cajun lady was living in Corpus Christi, Texas, I was challenged to cook up a Mexican dish with crawfish for a potluck dinner. Everyone thought it was a winner. These enchiladas combine crawfish tails with cream cheese, Creole seasonings, and Monterey Jack cheese in soft flour tortillas. Shrimp can be used instead of crawfish.

Ingredients

30 enchiladas servings
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups onion, chopped
  • 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
  • 16 oz cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 tsp oregano leaves
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 tsp Old Bay Seafood seasoning
  • 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • 3 tsp Konriko Creole Seasoning
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 pounds crawfish tails, deveined
  • 2 tsp Old Bay seafood seasoning
  • 2 tsp garlic powder or minced garlic
  • 30 (6 inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 16 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican Mix cheese
  • Parsley sprigs for garnish
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat, melt 1/2-cup butter. Add onion and bell pepper and stir for 5 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and cook an additional 5 minutes until vegetables are soft.
  4. Add cream cheese, oregano, cumin, 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seafood seasoning, Konriko Creole Seasoning, and parsley. Cook 3 minutes, stirring until cream cheese is melted and smooth.
  5. Add 1 cup whipping cream and cook 5 minutes. Set aside.
  6. In a large skillet over low-medium heat, combine remaining ½-cup of butter and crawfish. Too high of a heat will cause crawfish to become rubbery or hard. Cook and stir 3 minutes.
  7. Add 2 teaspoons of Old Bay Seafood seasoning, garlic powder, and green onion. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Drain, keeping liquid, and set aside.
  8. Combine crawfish and cream mixtures and mix well. Spoon a portion of the mixture in the center of each warm tortilla. Fold the tortilla in thirds and place seam side down in casserole dish.
  9. Mix liquid from crawfish with 1 cup whipping cream and cook for 3 minutes. Add any remaining mixture of crawfish and stir. Spoon mixture over the tortillas and top with cheese.
  10. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs if desired.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why did my crawfish turn rubbery?

A: Crawfish become tough when cooked over high heat. Keep your heat at low-medium and cook just until heated through, about 3 minutes total. The crawfish tails are typically already cooked, so you're just warming them.

Q: Can I make these ahead of time?

A: Yes, you can assemble the enchiladas several hours ahead and refrigerate. Add the cream sauce and cheese just before baking, and increase baking time by 5-10 minutes if starting from cold.

Q: Why do I preheat to 350 but bake at 325?

A: The oven is preheated to 350 for the initial heat, but reduced to 325 before baking to prevent the cream sauce from breaking or the cheese from becoming greasy.

Tips and Techniques

Keep the tortillas warm and pliable while assembling by wrapping them in a damp towel or keeping them in a tortilla warmer. Cold tortillas will crack when you try to fold them. The cream sauce should coat the back of a spoon—if it’s too thin, cook it a bit longer before setting aside.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • crawfish tails: medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Konriko Creole Seasoning: Tony Chachere's or other Creole seasoning blend
  • Monterey Jack cheese: Mexican blend cheese or mild cheddar
  • flour tortillas: corn tortillas

Equipment Needed

  • 3-quart pot or large saucepan
  • Large skillet
  • 9x13 inch casserole dish (or multiple smaller dishes)
  • Wooden spoon for stirring

Historical Context

This recipe was born from the potluck challenge culture of Texas in the early 2000s, when transplanted Cajuns found creative ways to share their Louisiana heritage with their new neighbors.