Ceviche is a famous South American dish of raw seafood cooked in an acidic marinade, mixed with fresh spicy chilis, onions, and herbs.
This classic ceviche recipe (also known as cebiche and seviche) makes an easy and delicious light meal or an impressive appetizer, especially if you're serving Mexican Food.
This is the best ceviche recipe because the flavors are perfectly balanced — it's a little bit spicy, fresh, and crisp, with savory onions and creamy avocadoes. If you're a fan of a good seafood cocktail, you can't go wrong with this easy recipe.
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What You'll Need
- A large glass bowl
- A sharp chef's knife
- Serving glasses.
FRESH INGREDIENTS
This is an easy recipe that requires simple ingredients. Fresh fish or other seafood, like shrimp, scallops, and octopus.
The vegetable ingredients used to make are similar to what you need to make a salsa recipe.
- Fresh juicy 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.
- Fresh 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.
- Cucumbers. I like to use a few seeded Persian cucumbers in this recipe
- 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 type of fish for ceviche
This recipe is made with fresh shrimp, but you can use other types of seafood to make an authentic Mexican ceviche recipe: cod, tilapia, halibut, mahi-mahi, scallops, and octopus.
You can use one or more seafood options to create different flavors. Buy 1 pound of the freshest seafood available.
HOW TO MAKE CEVICHE
Step 1 - Combine the lemon and lime juice with the shrimp.
Marinate for about 30 minutes.
How Does Cooking With Acid Work?
Here's the food science behind cooking with an acid marinade.
The method of cooking with acid is perfectly safe. You end up with fish that has been delicately cooked with the acid from lemon and lime juice. Peruvian recipes also use orange juice.
During the cooking process (heat or acid), protein is denatured. In the case of ceviche, citric acid is used for cooking the protein.
The process of cooking with acid takes about 30 minutes or less. Remember that you can "overcook" fish even though there is no heat. If the proteins are overcooked, you end up with dry and tough meat. So once the seafood is firm, strain off the acid marinade.
Step 2 - Cut the vegetables
Step 3 - Combine the Veggies with Shrimp
Drain off the excess citrus marinade and then combine the veggies with the cooked shrimp.
Ceviche Tips
- Buy the freshest seafood you can find. Frozen is the next best option if you can't find fresh seafood in your area.
- Use a glass or plastic bowl.
- Cut fish into small pieces.
- Shrimp can be whole or cut into small pieces.
- Don't overcook the seafood.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
There are many different ways to make ceviche recipes, but the general preparation is the same. Seafood, shrimp, or fish is cooked in citrus juice. The cooking solution is drained off, and then fresh veggies are added.
SHRIMP CEVICHE RECIPE
Shrimp ceviche is 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 the marinade in this recipe. Clamato juice is a tomato juice cocktail that is made with clam juice. It adds a little extra flavor and helps 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, halibut, and mahi-mahi. Delicate white fish works best..
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 an acidic marinade, the Peruvian version 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 recipes plate the raw fish with the citrus and forgo, cooking it in acid for 15 to 30 minutes.
Mexican recipes are usually made with serranos, while habeñeros and Thai chilis make the Peruvian varieties.
In addition, Peruvian ceviche is often made with sweet potatoes and corn, while Mexican ceviche is made with tomatoes and avocado. Both are fantastic!
Serve Ceviche With
- Creamy Avocadoes
- Lime wedges
- Crackers
- Tortilla Chips
- Plantain chips
- Lime Wedges
- Hot Sauce
Frequently Asked Question
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 on 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.
Ceviche has a mild seafood flavor complemented by the tartness of the lemon and fresh citrus juice. It can be spicy and the fresh ingredients like juicy tomatoes and buttery avocado make this recipe the best light meal on a hot summer day.
The acidic marinade keeps ceviche fresh. It can be safely stored in the fridge and eaten for about two days. The acids in the marinade will continue to cook the fish, and it can become rubbery if you try to keep it any longer than that.
I don't recommend freezing ceviche. This dish is best when eaten within a couple of hours of making it.
Hungry For More Mexican Food
Mexican ceviche is the perfect appetizer course for your favorite Mexican Food Recipes.
Try out some of my favorite recipes like Carne Asada Tacos, Enchiladas, or my favorite Fish Taco Bowl with Mango Salsa if you're hungry for more.
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 fresh 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.