Easy Shrimp Ceviche Recipe with raw or cooked shrimp that is cool, zesty, and refreshing. Dip into shrimp ceviche with tortilla chips, spread on a tostada shell or add to tacos.
Our other family shrimp favorites include these shrimp tacos, shrimp tostadas and grilled shrimp skewers.
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Easy Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
Shrimp ceviche is one of those high end healthy appetizers I never order in a restaurant because it is soooo expensive. Ha, truth be told we barely even go to restaurants except for sushi.
I used to wait all year round for our yearly all-inclusive vacation to eat my fair share of Mexican shrimp ceviche. No more.
Shrimp ceviche recipe is so easy to make at home. Once you get over a fear of “eating raw seafood” you will keep making ceviche with shrimp all summer long.
And to clarify, you will not eat raw shrimp as lime juice will “cook” it. You can also use cooked shrimp, no problem.
This is the best shrimp ceviche recipe that is cool, zesty and refreshing. A must have for summer! Let’s do it!
What Is Shrimp Ceviche?
What is shrimp ceviche? I will explain in my own words. Ceviche is raw seafood “cooked” in lime juice for a few hours. Then mixed with traditional flavors like jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, avocado, tomato etc.
I can guarantee you there are a million variations of a shrimp salsa recipe. Ceviche cocktail with clamato juice, hot sauce and ketchup. With addition of cucumber or mango. And so on.
For today’s easy shrimp ceviche recipe all you need is shrimp, limes, red onion, tomato, avocado, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper.
I like to share it as a seafood salsa type of dish alongside other salsa recipes like pico de gallo, fresh peach salsa or strawberry mango salsa, and even salsa guacamole!
How to Make Shrimp Ceviche with Raw Shrimp
Here is how to make shrimp ceviche recipe step-by-step in photos. You can find full recipe card below.
I buy small peeled, deveined and tails off raw shrimp because it is the cheapest. You can also add crab and scallops if you happen to have them on hand.
- Place 1 pound of shrimp in a large bowl and cover with warm tap water. Let shrimp thaw for 10 minutes.
- Drain and give shrimps a gentle squeeze.
- Cut small shrimp in half lengthwise and large shrimp into 4 long stripes.
- Then dice the shrimp. You want small pieces of shrimp with each bite.
- Pour fresh lime juice over diced shrimp in a bowl and stir.
- Refrigerate shrimp mixture in acidic marinade for 1.5-2 hours or until pink and opaque.
- Your shrimp is now “cooked” and ready to be combined with other ingredients to make homemade ceviche.
How to Make Shrimp Ceviche with Cooked Shrimp
If you are not “brave” enough to make raw shrimp ceviche, make cooked shrimp ceviche. No worries, no judgement here. I was the same until a few weeks ago. Until I saw how perfectly lime juice cooks the shrimp. It was pink after sitting in acid for 1.5 hours!
Many will say ceviche with cooked shrimp is not authentic ceviche but that’s OK. Marinate cooked shrimp in lime juice for only 15 minutes. That’s the only difference.
How to Juice Limes Properly
OK, friends. You can use a shortcut with cooked shrimp but don’t even think about bottled lime juice. It is not the same taste plus a ton of preservatives. Yikes.
You need 3/4 cup fresh lime juice. That’s about 6-8 large limes depending how fresh, juicy and big your limes are.
To juice limes:
- Roll limes on a cutting board pressing with your hand. Helps to release juice from the flesh.
- Cut limes in halves.
- Squeeze juice using this squeezer. Limes are not lemons. I find lemon rimmer doesn’t work as well.
- You should end up with 3/4 cup lime juice. Discard the skins.
How Long Does It Last?
After you stir everything together, let Mexican shrimp ceviche marinate for 15 minutes. There are several salads that taste so much better with a bit of marinating time like this healthy shrimp salad, Kani salad and more!
I adjust salt and pepper to taste after taste testing shrimp ceviche with a chip. You have to take into consideration that all tortilla chips have different levels of sodium.
Homemade shrimp ceviche will keep fresh in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
What to Serve Shrimp Ceviche With?
With tortilla chips. Our favorite are organic Kirkland tortilla chips. They are lower in sodium and seem to be not as oily. Set out for your guests or family as a dip.
Spread on a tostada. You can even make your own healthy tostada shells at home that can be used with any Mexican dish. So much better than store bought. Essentially tostada is a giant tortilla chip.
In tacos. If you are making fish tacos recipe or any veggie tacos, top with ceviche. Or just make shrimp ceviche tacos!
Variations
The beauty of shrimp ceviche recipe is that you can make it your own by adding seafood, vegetables and even fruit up to your tastes. Of course, it would not be an authentic ceviche but I am sure it will taste good either way.
- Other seafood: Replace some of the shrimp with small pieces of firm white fish, scallops, crab or octopus.
- Lemon juice: Use half fresh lemon juice and half fresh lime juice for more refreshing flavor.
- Add fresh vegetables or fruit: Like diced cucumber, red bell pepper, green onion, serrano chile pepper, mango or pineapple.
- Make Mexican shrimp ceviche: By adding traditional Mexican spice, Tajin.
- Clamato: Add a bit of clamato to taste to cooked shrimp ceviche.
FAQs
I don’t recommend to freeze shrimp ceviche. It has vegetables and fruit which will become soggy and discolored when thawed.
Use the most affordable shrimp as you will dice it anyways. The smaller shrimp size, the cheaper it is. I used raw peeled and deveined shrimp with tail on, 31-40 count per pound. You can also make ceviche recipe with cooked shrimp. Please see above for instructions.
Ceviche is a Latin American dish that originated in Peru. However, it is popular in many coastal regions of western South America.
Marinate ceviche with raw shrimp for 1.5 hours or until pink, and ceviche with cooked shrimp for 15 minutes.
Citrus juice is an acid and an agent of denaturation. It breaks down proteins in shrimp making it opaque in color and of firm texture. This method to cook shrimp for ceviche has been used for centuries.
However, from my research experts do not always agree and I recommend to consume it at your own risk. If you are not convinced, just use cooked shrimp or quickly poach the shrimp.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
- Shrimp avocado salad
- Shrimp stir fry
- Air fryer shrimp
- Shrimp spaghetti
- Bang bang shrimp tacos
- Bang bang shrimp
You might also want to peruse through all of my shrimp recipes and Mexican inspired dishes!
Best Ever Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw or cooked shrimp peeled, deveined & tails off
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice 6 large limes
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 large avocado diced
- 1/2 cup red onion minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro minced
- 1 jalapeno seeded & diced
- Salt and pepper to taste (I added about 1/2 tsp salt)
Instructions
- If using frozen shrimp, add it to a medium bowl and cover with warm tap water. Let thaw for 10 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, squeeze juice from limes and add to a large bowl. Please do not use bottled juice.
- Drain shrimp and give it a gentle squeeze. Dice it and add to the bowl with lime juice.
- Marinate: Cooked shrimp for 15 minutes; raw shrimp for 1.5 hours or until opaque and pink. Acid will "cook" the shrimp.
- While shrimp is marinating, dice tomato, avocado, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno and add to another bowl. Refrigerate if making ceviche with raw shrimp. I also recommend to dice avocado right before combining shrimp with veggies to avoid brown avocado.
- Add vegetables to the bowl with shrimp, stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Remember tortilla chips are salty. So I would salt after the taste test with a chip.
- Serve cold with chips, on a tostada and even in tacos.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days. Do not freeze.
Hi im making this now. The shrimp is marinating. after do i drain the lime juice from the bowl before adding the veggies? thanks
No do not drain the lime juice.
I would like this recipe very much to save thank you.
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We have some very close friends from Mexico. They taught us how to make this, years ago. The only difference to your recipe it that they add cucumber. We serve it in tostadas smeared with mayonnaise!! Try it, so yummy. 😋
Glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for my family !! Very delish !!
So glad you enjoyed it!