Shrimp and Grits Enchiladas
Cheesy creamy shrimp and grits spiked with sausage can be the most satisfying meal any time of the day, and that is why I wanted to turn it into enchiladas! These juicy smothered enchiladas bursting with shrimp and grits flavor are a perfect mashup of the two dishes. I combined a shrimp and grits sauce with an enchilada sauce and the flavors balanced each other perfectly!
An added cool thing about making grits into enchiladas, is that the enchiladas take on a tamale flavor from the cornmeal. It’s sort of a cheaters way of getting your tamale craving taken care of.
The inspiration for the shrimp and grits enchiladas
I am obsessed with shrimp and grits and love to try and do new things with it. I was thinking about making a shrimp timale inspired by shrimp and grits, then thought it might be better as an enchilada. I wanted the grits to come oozing out of the enchilada when you cut into it! I combined a shrimp and grits sauce and an enchilada sauce to bake these in.
Make the chile broth
I used an ancho chile, and a few New Mexico chiles for this broth. Toast them in the pan, then add chicken stock. Let it simmer a bit, then blend it up.
Make the grits
The cornmeal goes into a mixture of milk, water, and butter. Then you whisk and cook for about a half an hour.
Perfectly creamy soft grits ready to go inside our shrimp enchiladas!
Make the andouille enchilada sauce
Andouille and onions first, then some garlic, spices, and wine. Finally, strain the chile broth and pour it in!
This sauce is so rich and flavorful and really balances between an enchilada sauce and a shrimp and grit sauce!
After the grits cool a little, stuff the tortillas with grits and raw shrimp, then roll it up. I do this right in the pan on top of the sauce! this way the tortilla will soften and be easier to roll, and it gets coated in that great sauce.
Bake the shrimp and grits enchiladas
Put them all in the pan, seam side down, and top with the rest of the sauce and more cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
They come out so toasty and melty! I just wanted to dig in right away.
Serving the shrimp and grits enchiladas
You could serve these with some avocado, cilantro, sour cream, or salsa if you wanted. I only wanted hot sauce and a fork!
These enchiladas are soooo satisfying. The cheese and grits ooze out of the tortillas when you cut it, and the shrimp is perfectly tender and tasty.
Twists on this recipe
I mentioned serving shrimp and grit enchiladas with avocado or sour cream, you could also mix some sour cream into the grits if you wanted. You could do this with other fish and wouldn’t have to change the recipe. If you wanted to do chicken or beef though, I would cook it first.
For more great tips on cooking grits, I love this guide.
For more fun twists on shrimp and grits, check out my laksa inspired shrimp and grits, or this pumpkin polenta and berbere shrimp.
Shrimp and Grits Enchiladas
Ingredients
Chile broth
- 1 dried ancho chiles torn and seeds removed
- 2 dried new mexico chiles torn and seeds removed
- 2 cups chicken broth
Grits
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup stone ground grits
- 1 teaspoon salt
Enchilada Sauce
- 1 small onion diced
- 6 ounces diced andouille sausage
- 5 cloves garlic slided thin
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
Enchiladas
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 16 jumbo shrimp
- hot sauce
Instructions
Make the chile broth
- Heat a dry pot over medium high heat. add in the chiles and cook a few minutes, stirring often, to toast. Be careful breathing in during this step because the peppers can create a strong aroma.
- Add in the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook about 30 minutes. Strain through a mesh strainer and set aside until ready to use.
Start the grits
- Brint the water, milk, and butter to a simmer and whisk in the grits.
- Cook on a low simmer for about 30 minutes until tender, stirring often.
Make the andouille enchilada sauce
- Cook the andouille and onions in a pan with some oil to lightly brown on the edges. About 8 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add in the cajun spice and cook 1 minute. Add in the white wine and stir to combine.
- Add the worcestershire and the strained chile broth. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes.
Make the enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 350
- Add a tortilla to the warm sauce in the pan and let it sit for a minute to warm. Add about 1/5 of both cheeses, and 1/4 of the grits. Add in 4 raw shrimp. Roll the enchilada with your hands and the help from some utensils because it will be hot and messy from the sauce.
- Place the enchilada seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.
- Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and spread it out. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving!