Chi Chi's Seafood Enchiladas Recipe - Food.com (2024)

107

photo by Swirling F.

1. Just letting people know that I'm trying to freeze half of these so I'll let you know when I make them if they turn out ok.

   bjdawson694

2. Where exactly was/is Chi Chi’s located? My husband is from Benton County (rural IN) and for the last 15 years will not stop talking about how good their food was?

   thaedgeofglory

3. Where do you get lobster base? Also can you use real shrimp and crabmeat?

   See Also

   Not Your Father's Root Beer Float Recipe - Through Her Looking GlassAmish Friendship Bread Recipe VariationsEasy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes {Recipe}

   susan j.

4. For the crab mix it says to add 1.5 cups cold sauce. What cold sauce and where did it come from? The warm sauce goes over enchiladas in next step.

   garygolf5555

5. Why make such a beautiful sauce and then use imitation crab and canned shrimp?

   Lilly R.

see 17 more questions

Reviews

1. This is the real deal...We remember many nights at Chi Chi's on Mineral Point road in Madison...and the CanCun enchilada was my fav. Thanks KingJackQueen for posting this wonderful recipe!After reading many of the revues Some of the reviewers had problems with this recipe..Several things that are important to have this turn out right. 1. Make sure you're using unsalted butter...the lobster base is salty and using the unsalted butter is important. 2. Cook the ruox stirring constantly until it begins to turn light brown and you can really smell that nutty aroma. 3. Make sure you do use the lobster base...both Whole Foods and Woodmans Groceries carry it4. And lastly be sure to use sherry rather than white wine because you can taste the sherry in the final sauce.

   tommy53562

2. This was an excellent copy of the dinners I remembered at ChiChi's... I would like to clarify one ingredient, though:<br/><br/>2 tbs. Lobster STOCK, not Lobster base. The "base" is the concentrate that's used to prepare the stock, and if you used 2 tbs of the base, you would seriously overpower the entire recipe.

   purple-hayes

3. This was perfect! My Mom & I used to be the Cancun's biggest fans - that's what we ordered every single time we dined at Chi Chi's. For her Christmas gift this year, I made a pan of these for her. They were so delicious and just how we both remembered them. Thanks to another savvy reviewer, I made the shrimp broth from a ramen packet and substituted it for the lobster base (22cents at Walmart instead of buying a jar of lobster boullion). I also used one pkg of imitation crab and one pack of lobster flavored imitation crab. <br/><br/>We really truly were in heaven eating that wonderful meal. My Mom said it was her favorite gift! I've been buying "sweet corn cake" mix by Chi Chi's brand at SuperTarget for a while now. Make a batch of that to go along and you can't go wrong! Thanks so much for posting this recipe KingJackQueen!!

   Improvmom

4. I used to work at Chi-Chi's from 89-91 as a line cook and this recipe is spot on! Brings back memories. Seafood stock or condensed cream of shrimp soup will work well if you can't find lobster base.

   jobrow68

5. Yep, right on. Don't bother with lobster base though..just buy shell on shrimp instead of canned and use the shells to make broth for the sauce.

   Jason D.

see 102 more reviews

Tweaks

1. I absolutely had to add seasoning to the sauce. I added a little adobo, garlic powder and seafood seasoning (old bay). The original recipe was too bland for my family. We also added cheese on the inside of the enchiladas as well as the outside.

   Robin G.

2. Yum! Have been thinking about these for years and almost can't remember what they tasted like but I remembered I loved them. I cook a lot more now that I have time and have made some sophisticated seafood dishes but thought I'd try these. Great easy recipe. I made a few modifications - used frozen shrimp and pollock instead of imitation crab since who needs the processing and real crab is too pricey; increased the seafood to a pound in total; and added a 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Definitely use unsalted butter and yes, 2 tablespoons of lobster base is about right - it is concentrated so use less if you want. These were a huge hit and I will be making these again.

   Adele_NY2CA

3. We were huge fans of Cancun at Chi Chi's and this recipe is great. One suggestion I would have is to use regular Dry Sherry wine instead of the "cooking" stuff which is loaded with salt. I think a whole cup is a bit much. I like the suggestion of more stock and less wine.

   dosercl_11567129

4. These sound delicious. I am gonna use More Than Gourmet Classic Seafood Stock, 1.5 Ounce instead of the Lobster base due to the salt issues. I will cut back on the liquids to compensate. I will let you all know. Also, have anyone ever tried corn tortillas instead of flour? In AZ our enchiladas are typically made with corn.

   Sherrie M.

5. I haven't had Chi Chi's enchiladas cancun in over 15 years, so I was delighted to find this recipe! It tasted just like I remembered! Although, I couldn't find lobster base...the Whole Foods near my house didn't have it. So, I substituted tomato paste mixed with clam juice and paprika. Still a winner :) Can't wait to make it again!

   twinjess98

see 3 more tweaks

Advertisem*nt

Advertisem*nt

Advertisem*nt