Indulge in the world of Mexican cuisine with this effortless shrimp ceviche recipe, a delicious dish that demands no cooking whatsoever. This refreshing Mexican ceviche bursts with the zesty goodness of lime and lemon juice, infusing the shrimp with a tangy zest that’s nothing short of sensational. The medley of avocado, ripe tomatoes, and cilantro adds a burst of color and flavor, making every bite better than the one before.
What sets this dish apart is its sheer convenience. In just 45 minutes, you can whip up a bowl of this gluten-free ceviche, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a vibrant appetizer at your next gathering. Serve it on crispy tostadas for a delightful crunch, scoop it up with tortilla chips for an irresistible snack, or simply savor it by the spoonful for a burst of freshness in every bite. This shrimp ceviche is a testament to the joys of simplicity and flavor, making it a must-try for any lover of Mexican cuisine.
What is Ceviche?
[suh-vee-chey, ‐chee] an appetizer of small pieces of raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice
Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the Pacific coastal regions of Latin America. It’s typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime. The dish is not cooked with heat but rather cured with acids in the citrus juice. Very fresh (or frozen) seafood must be used.
What is the Best Fish For Ceviche?
Most fish work in Ceviche. Those fish that work really well include semi-firm white-fleshed fish like:
- sea bass
- striped bass
- grouper
- flounder
- shrimp
- scallops
Fish that don’t work well in ceviche include:
- oily fish like mackerel & tuna
- freshwater fish like trout or catfish
How To Make Mexican Ceviche
To begin, initiate the parboiling process for the shrimp by following these simple steps:
- Start by bringing a pot of water to a vigorous boil.
- Once the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat source.
- Carefully introduce the shrimp into the hot water.
- Promptly cover the pot with a lid.
- Begin timing the process for exactly 1 minute.
Please remember to prepare an ice bath beforehand to swiftly halt the cooking process. An ice bath is essentially a large container filled with a mixture of ice and water.
- As soon as the minute is up, promptly drain the parboiled shrimp.
- Immediately transfer the shrimp to the waiting ice bath.
This technique, known as parboiling, involves partially cooking the food and is a useful method to prepare the shrimp for various culinary applications.
Important Note: The purpose of the ice bath is to rapidly halt the cooking process, so it’s essential to work with both speed and caution.
Keep in mind that you are parboiling, which means you’re partially cooking the shrimp. The intention here is to let the acidity from the citrus juice take care of the rest of the cooking process.
Detach the shrimp tails by grasping the middle of the shrimp and gently pulling on the tail end.
Please take note that by delicately pulling and giving a slight twist to the tail, you can efficiently free the meat inside the tail, minimizing any unnecessary waste.
Carefully chop the shrimp into uniform, bite-sized pieces. Next, place the chopped shrimp into a flat-bottomed pan, ensuring that every piece is generously coated with lemon and lime juice. Alternatively, for an even distribution of flavor, you can opt for a gallon-sized ziplock bag and flip it halfway through the marinating process. Let the freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice work its magic by drizzling it generously over the parboiled shrimp, and then refrigerate this citrus-infused blend for a duration of 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, as the shrimp marinate, turn your attention to the vegetables, finely chopping them and combining all the components in a medium-sized bowl. Don’t forget to add the finely chopped cilantro, a touch of sugar, and a pinch of salt to elevate the flavors. Once the time is up, drain the shrimp using a colander, then add them to the vegetable mixture, gently stirring and adjusting the seasonings as needed to achieve the perfect harmony of flavors.
What To Eat With Ceviche
Ceviche offers a world of delightful possibilities for enjoyment. You can serve shrimp ceviche on a tostada for a satisfying crunch, wrap it in a warm tortilla for a hearty twist, or dip tortilla chips for a communal snack. But for a personal and cherished experience, there’s nothing like savoring it by the spoonful. Ceviche’s versatility ensures that every bite is a celebration of fresh flavors, catering to your unique preferences.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Ice Bath Prep: Prior to starting, ensure you have an ice bath ready. This ice and water combination is crucial for swiftly stopping the cooking process when parboiling the shrimp. It helps maintain their texture and freshness.
- Tail Removal: When removing the tails from the shrimp, gently tug on them. This not only makes them easier to chop but also enhances the overall dining experience by ensuring every bite is tail-free.
- Even Marination: To evenly coat all the shrimp pieces with the marinade, use a flat-bottomed pan or a gallon-sized ziplock bag. If you opt for the bag, remember to flip it halfway through the marinating time to ensure consistent flavor absorption.
- Fresh Citrus Juice: For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice when marinating the shrimp. The combination of these citrus juices is what gives ceviche its refreshing and zesty taste.
- Balanced Vegetable Mix: When combining the vegetables in a bowl, aim for a well-balanced blend of flavors and textures. The combination of ingredients like canned tomatoes with chilies, red onion, jalapeno, avocado, cilantro, salt, sugar, and a touch of freshly squeezed orange juice creates a delightful medley.
- Bringing It All Together: To finalize your ceviche, add the remaining lime juice and the orange juice to the vegetable mixture. Drain the parboiled shrimp and gently incorporate them into the mix.
- Serving Suggestions: If you enjoy a bit of heat, consider adding hot sauce to your ceviche. It pairs wonderfully with tortilla chips or tostadas, offering a delightful contrast in textures. Serve promptly to savor the vibrant flavors at their peak.
FAQ
Cooked shrimp, such as in this ceviche recipe, can be eaten for 2-3 days afterwards as long as it’s properly refrigerated.
Shrimp should can sit out for no longer than two hours. If you’re serving shrimp outdoors on a hot day it can only be out for one hour.
If you want to serve ceviche as a side, it pares well with steak, lobster, or even burgers. If you’re looking for sides to serve with the ceviche try vegetable salads, baked potatoes, or fruit salads.
Cooking requires heat, so ceviche isn’t cooked. But it’s not exactly raw, either. Both heat and citric acid are agents of a chemical process called denaturation. Heat or citric acid changes the proteins in the fish, altering their chemical and physical properties. When fish is placed in citrus juices, this process of denaturation turns the flesh firm and opaque.
After soaking in citrus juices for just a few minutes, fish develops a firm, opaque exterior but maintains a raw, sashimi like interior. If you marinate the fish too long, it gets tough or overdone. A flakier fillet, like flounder, snapper, or sole, or tender shellfish like scallops may only need to marinate for about 15 minutes. A hearty and dense fish, like Mahi-Mahi, could take closer to 50 minutes or an hour to be ready to eat.
Food science comes into play in the making of ceviche. The acidic lime juice quickly transforms the fish, rearranging its proteins, making it safe to eat. The key is to use only very fresh fish.
Stop by your local fishmonger and ask for the freshest fish they have, then use whatever semi-firm white fish they have that’s the freshest. When bringing the fish home, you must keep it on ice in the refrigerator if you won’t be using it immediately. Make sure to buy the fish the day you plan to make ceviche or use frozen. Use frozen fish that is thawed if fresh fish is not available.
Storage Instructions
To keep your shrimp ceviche fresh and flavorful, proper storage is key. After preparing and enjoying your ceviche, any leftovers should be promptly refrigerated. Transfer the ceviche to an airtight container, ensuring that it is sealed securely to prevent air exposure then refrigerate. Consume the leftovers within 24 hours for the best taste and texture.
Ceviche is at its prime when served fresh, and while it can be stored briefly, its quality may decline over time. Always use your best judgment and adhere to food safety guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable dining experience.
More Fish Recipes:
Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh shrimp ✅
- 15 ounce diced tomatoes with chilies
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, divided about 6 large limes
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 2 large lemons
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice about 1 large orange
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup cilantro, minced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- optional: Hot sauce, tortilla chips, or tostadas for serving ✅
Instructions
- ⭐️Boil water and prep ice bath. Boil water in large pan. While water is boiling, prepare an ice bath (ice + water in a large bowl)
- ⭐️Parboil the shrimp. Turn heat off. Add shrimp to boiling water. Parboil for 1 minute. Drain shrimp and immediately add to ice bath.1 pound fresh shrimp
- Remove the tails and place into a pan or ziplock bag. Remove tails by tugging gently on the tail, then chop shrimp into bite sized peices. Place shrimp into a flat bottom pan (so the marinade can better coat all pieces). Alternatively, you can use a gallon sized ziplock bag and flip it half way through. Add 1/2 cup of the lime juice and the lemon juice. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, divided, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Combine the other ingredients. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add canned tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, avocado, cilantro, salt, sugar.15 ounce diced tomatoes with chilies, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1 jalapeno, minced, 1/4 – 1/2 cup cilantro, minced, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 avocado, diced
- Combine the ingredients. To the medium bowl with vegetables, add the rest of the lime juice, the orange juice. Drain the shrimp then add to the bowl.1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, divided, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- Serve. Serve immediately. Top with hot sauce if desired.optional: Hot sauce, tortilla chips, or tostadas for serving
Video
Notes
Kitchen Tips:
- When bringing fish home, you must keep it on ice in the refrigerator if you won’t be using it immediately. Make sure to buy the fish the day you plan to make ceviche.
- Use thawed frozen fish if you’re not confident in the freshness of fish available.
- A flakier fillet, like flounder, snapper, or sole, or tender shellfish like scallops may only need to marinate for about 15 minutes. A hearty and dense fish, like Mahi-Mahi, could take closer to 50 minutes or an hour to be ready to eat.
Nutrition
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Judy says
Perfect for a summer party!
Create Kids Club says
It sure is!
Gary says
Didn’t this recipe say “no cooking”?. First thing it says is to “cook” the shrimp. Why cook the shrimp in a ceviche?
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Gary! Thanks for pointing this out – I should have used the word parboil rather than cook, that was overlooked on my part and I have updated the recipe. I use a 1 minute parboil in this recipe to speed up the recipe preperation. The rest of the job is done by the citrus juice. You can skip this step and leave the shrimp in the citrus for longer if you’d like. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Maria says
Love this informative post! I have never made ceviche before but now I want to give it a try!
Create Kids Club says
Thanks, Maria! It was really easy, and the flavor was amazing! 🙂
Leonardo Salaz says
Can you add crab meat to this? Would I prepare it as I would the shrimp if yes?
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Leonardo! Yes, I would think you could add crab meat – that sounds pretty amazing. I would prepare it just the same. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Ed says
Cute style but honestly if compared side by side with Peruvian Ceviche where Ceviche was born, omg what a difference hands down. Voted Best culinary country in the world for several consecutive years with ceviche being one of many top national plates.
Andrés Bello says
¿Ceviche?