Ceviche is a famous Latin American dish where shrimp or other seafood is cooked in fresh lime juice mixed with fresh spicy chilis, onions, and fresh herbs. This easy ceviche recipe (also known as cebiche and seviche) makes an easy and delicious light lunch or an impressive appetizer, especially if you're serving Mexican Food.
This is the best ceviche recipe because the flavors are perfectly balanced — a little bit spicy, fresh and crisp, with savory onions and creamy avocadoes.
Ceviche Ingredients
Ceviche is made with fish or other seafood, like shrimp, scallops, and octopus. The vegetable ingredients used to make ceviche are similar to what you would need to make a salsa recipe.
- Fresh tomatoes. I like ripe Roma tomatoes for this recipe. Deseed the tomatoes and dice them.
- Onion. Red onion adds great flavor and color to this ceviche recipe. Quarter an onion and then slice one-quarter of it as thin as possible. You'll want about a quarter of a cup.
- Garlic. Use two to three cloves of garlic, minced or pressed.
- Cilantro. Finely minced cilantro adds flavor and color to ceviche. Use two to three tablespoons.
- Chilies. Use two to three serrano peppers or jalapeño peppers, depending on how much heat you like.
- Lemon and Lime juice. You'll need about 1 cup of citrus juice. You can use any combination of lemon and lime juice.
- Seafood. This recipe calls for one pound of seafood. I used shrimp. But you can use a mixture of fish, shrimp, and other seafood in this recipe.
The best fish for ceviche is a matter of preference. My favorite ceviche is made with shrimp. Other delicious options are cod, tilapia, halibut, mahi-mahi, scallops, and octopus. You can use one or more of these seafood options to create different flavors.
Whatever seafood you decide to use, make sure that you buy 1 pound of the freshest seafood available. If you can't find fresh seafood in your area, frozen is the next best option.
How to make ceviche
Ceviche is made by cooking fish with lemon juice and lime juice.
While this may sound unusual, if you've never done it before, this method of cooking with acid is perfectly safe. You will end up with fish that has been delicately cooked with the acid from lemon and lime juice.
The process of cooking with acid takes about 30 minutes or less. Keep in mind that you can "overcook" ceviche even though there is no heat.
During the cooking process (heat or acid), protein is denatured. If the proteins are overcooked, you end up with dry and tough meat. So once the ceviche is cooked, remove it from the acid marinade. It's OK to have a small amount of liquid remaining.
The cooked ceviche is added to the veggies and tossed together.
Recipe Variations
There are many types of ceviche recipes, but the general preparation is the same. Seafood, shrimp, or fish is cooked in citrus juice and then fresh veggies are added.
Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
Shrimp ceviche is ceviche made with fresh shrimp. The raw shrimp is cooked in lemon and lime juice served with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and chilies.
Mexican Shrimp Ceviche Recipe with clamato
I like to add a little bit of clamato to my ceviche recipe. Clamato is a tomato juice cocktail that is made with clam juice. It adds a little extra flavor and helps to round out the acid from the lemon and lime juice.
Seafood Ceviche Recipe
Other fresh fish is commonly seen in ceviche recipes. Most commonly cod, tilapia, sea bass, and halibut. Delicate white fish works best when making ceviche.
In addition, scallops and octopus are fantastic in a ceviche recipe.
Peruvian ceviche vs. Mexican ceviche
Peruvian ceviche is a little different from Mexican ceviche. While both versions are essentially raw seafood that is cooked in acid, Peruvian ceviche incorporates orange juice, and you will find the use of hotter chilis.
Peruvian ceviche has also gained Japanese influence in handling raw fish and skips the longer "cooking" step. Peruvian ceviche recipes plate the raw fish with the citrus and forgo cooking it in acid for 15 to 30 minutes.
Mexican ceviche recipes are usually made with serranos, while habeñeros and even Thai chilis make the Peruvian ceviche.
In addition, Peruvian ceviche is often made with sweet potatoes and corn, while Mexican ceviche is made with tomatoes and avocado. Both are fantastic!
How To Eat Ceviche
My favorite way to serve this shrimp ceviche recipe is with tortilla chips or crips tostadas. I also love to serve ceviche with hot sauce like Cholula or Tapatio.
The acid in citrus is capable of cooking shrimp and seafood. This process usually takes up to 30 minutes.
Ceviche is a dish that originated in Latin America, most notably the Pacific Coast of Peru.
Ceviche eventually migrated to Spain and then to the Pacific Islands and Japan. Nowadays, you can see regional ceviche recipes all over the world.
Hungry For More Mexican Food
Mexican ceviche is the perfect appetizer course for your favorite Mexican Food Recipes.
If you're hungry for more, try out some of my favorite recipes like Carne Asada Tacos, Enchiladas, or my favorite Fish Taco Bowl with Mango Salsa.
Don't forget the homemade tortillas with a side of guacamole and a serving of Mexican Rice.
You are sure to find something to satisfy your Mexican food cravings.
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Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lbs shrimp shelled, deveined, and cut in half or thirds
- 2 to 3 small tomatoes diced (I like roma tomatoes) (1 cup)
- 2 small cucumbers diced persian cucumbers (1 cups)
- ¼ red onion finely sliced
- ¼ bunch cilantro minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 to 3 serrano peppers minced or sliced in rounds, remove the seeds and membranes for less heat
- 3 lemons juiced
- 3 limes juiced
- 1-2 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 avocado diced, add right before serving or serve on the side
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ cup clamato or clam juice
Instructions
- Add all of the prepared veggies to a large non reactive (plastic or glass) bowl. Set aside.
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Chop them into bite-sized pieces (½ or ⅓). Add to a large bowl.
- Squeeze the lemon and lime juice over the shrimp(or other seafood). Add enough citrus juice to cover completely.
- Let the ceviche sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so. When the ceviche is done cooking you will see that the shrimp have turned pink and the fish will have a firmer texture.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the seafood from the acid and place it in the bowl of prepared veggies. Toss to combine all of the ingredients. Add fresh diced avocado and clamato, if desired.
- Enjoy with tortilla chips or plantain chips and some hot sauce.
Laura's Tips + Notes
- Fresh tomatoes. I like ripe Roma tomatoes for this recipe. Deseed the tomatoes and dice them.
- Onion. Red onion adds great flavor and color to this ceviche recipe. Quarter an onion and then slice on a quarter of it as thin as possible. You'll want about a quarter of a cup.
- Garlic. Use two to three cloves of garlic, minced or pressed.
- Cilantro. Finely minced cilantro adds flavor and color to ceviche. Use two to three tablespoons.
- Chilies. Use two to three serrano peppers or jalapeño peppers depending on how much heat you like.
- Lemon and lime juice. You'll need about 1 cup of citrus juice. You can use any combination of lemon and lime juice.
- Seafood. This recipe calls for one pound of seafood. I used shrimp. But you can use a mixture of fish, shrimp, and other seafood in this recipe.
Barbara
Brings back memories of a trip we took to Costa Rica.
Laura Reigel
Ahhh I wish I was in Costa Rica right now! I can only imagine how delicious that ceviche was.