Easy Crab Enchiladas: Your Secret To Dinner, Fast
Just say Crab Enchiladas and it may conjure up images of sweating out a labor-intensive recipe. Absolutely not so in the case of my Easy Crab Enchiladas. In fact, this recipe may just be your secret to everyone’s favorite dinner, fast. It all starts with canned crab meat and a zesty pico de gallo that’s hard to beat. But to make it even quicker, stir in supermarket-fresh pico de gallo. No one will even notice.
When you want it easy and you need it fast
Sure, there’s a bit of baking time here, but that’s also its beauty. You can prep these Easy Crab Enchiladas a bit ahead, then just pop them into the oven 30-40 minutes before you want to sit down. It’s just enough time to set out a quick spread of chips and guacamole. Or, if you’re making your own pico de gallo, a great way to use up the rest of the recipe. You could also use any leftover pico de gallo in Zesty Tuna-Salsa Salad.
Fresh vs canned crab meat
With the addition of one quick add, lime juice, I find canned crab is just as tasty as fresh. The trick is also the addition of copious amounts of pico de gallo, which also boosts the flavors. You may want to make your pico de gallo if tomatoes are at their peak and you have a bit of time.
Canned or pre-shelled crab comes in a dizzying array of choices, from not-too-expensive to costly. You can certainly buy fresh shelled crab meat, lump crab meat, or claw meat. All these are going to set you back a bit. Herein in the other beauty of this recipe: I really don’t notice the difference between fresh and supermarket canned crab meat in this recipe. Use a brand you trust and it won’t really matter whether it’s flaked, lump, or otherwise.
Easy Crab Enchiladas work in summer or winter
But I find this to be a great fall or winter dinner as well. The only change-up is I use store bought pico de gallo in this case. Tomatoes can be like red rocks in winter and I find the supermarket pico de gallo actually tastes a bit better than homemade in winter. I think they take the best tomatoes and leave the red rocks in the produce bin!
What is pico de gallo
Pico de gallo translates literally from Spanish to “rooster’s beak.” It’s one of those food names that sounds like it must have a story behind it, and it does, though no one is entirely sure which version is true.
The most popular theory is that the name comes from how the salsa was traditionally eaten. Before tortilla chips became the standard delivery vehicle, people would pinch small bites of pico de gallo between their thumb and forefinger, scooping it directly to the mouth in a motion that looked like a rooster pecking at the ground. The name stuck.
No matter where its name originates from, it’s key to this recipe. Don’t try to use saucy, soupy jarred salsa; you’ll be disappointed.
One final tip for Easy Crab Enchiladas’ success
Don’t be tempted to skip the draining steps for both the crab and the pico de gallo. If you do, you’ll end up with gummy enchiladas.
Also, while Easy Crab Enchiladas can be made ahead, don’t plan to assemble these any more than an hour or so before you plan to bake them. Otherwise, you’ll again end up with gummy tortillas instead of tender tortillas.
And don’t forget the lime!
Easy Crab Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 3 6 oz cans Chicken of the Sea (or other) lump crabmeat
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 14 oz pico de gallo you can use anywhere from 14-16 oz, to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- few grinds of fresh pepper
- 19 oz can Red Enchilada Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- 6-8 8-inch flour tortillas I use the low-carb version but any flour tortilla will work
Instructions
- Thoroughly drain all 3-cans of crab meat. Go so far as to push down on crab in strainer to extract all liquid. When it looks "dry," add crab to a medium-size bowl. Fluff with a fork.
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Add 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice to crab meat and stir.
- Strain pico de gallo (whether home made or store bought) well. Once no liquid is seeping out of strainer, add pico de gallo to crab.
- Add 1 cup of the Mexican cheese to crab mixture.
- Add salt and pepper, stir.
- Lightly spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Filling one tortilla at a time, make a line of crab mixture down the center, using roughly 1/6 of the crab in each.
- Pull the sides over the filling and lay tortilla seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat this for all 6-8 tortillas, or however many fit your dish.
- Evenly pour the red enchilada sauce over the top of all the enchiladas.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of all. You may want to add a bit more or less cheese, depending on taste.
- At this point, you can over the enchiladas and let sit in the refrigerator for up to an hour before baking. Alternatively, put immediately into oven and bake until lightly browned and bubbling. This will take 30-40 minutes.
- These serve best after 5-10 minutes out of the oven, just enough time to get everyone to the table!
