Ahi Aguachile

Our Favorite Aguachile Recipe

Lovers of fresh fish, ceviche, sushi and poke bowls, meet your new favorite raw fish obsession! Think of aguachile as Mexico’s answer to ceviche or sashimi! Authentic Mexican aguachile is a lovely, simple dish of the freshest raw fish lightly cured in a spicy bath of lime juice and aguachile (chile water). 

On a trip to San Jose del Cabo, I became obsessed with the aguachile at a little open-air restaurant called El Burro Sashimis. After many visits, I finally asked the chef if he’d share his recipe. He kindly did, and this recipe is my riff on his delicious aguachile recipe. 

What’s in Aguachile? 

There are two key components of aguachile: Raw fish and the “aguachile” or spicy “chile water” that lightly cures the fish. Sometimes aguachile is called ‘aguachile verde” and that “verde” refers to the vibrant green color of the cilantro-chile-lime sauce you pour over the fish to cure it. The classic raw fish base for aguachile is shrimp, but sushi grade raw shrimp can be hard to track down, so I usually prefer to make this ahi aguachile version. 

Fresh, Vibrant Aguachile Sauce Ingredients

This sauce is what makes aguachile so, so, so good. Fresh cilantro, zingy lime juice and lots of it.

• Lime juice: As in ceviche, fresh lime juice is key!
• Salt: Salt is key in this simple marinade, I don’t recommend skipping or even reducing it.
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce for umami richness! If you need gluten-free, use GF tamari instead.
• Garlic: The main source of pungence in this recipe, and a great way to balance the fish flavor.
• Serrano peppers: I love the sharp, grassy heat of serrano pepper, but you could try poblano or jalapeño peppers for a milder, smoky flavor.
• Fresh cilantro: I love cilantro, but if you are a hater it would be fine to use fresh parsley instead. 

How To Buy Raw Fish For Aguachile

You cannot eat raw fish unless you are absolutely sure that the fish is ultra fresh and from a trustworthy source. Here are our best tips for buying good-quality fish you can feel confident about eating raw: 

• Know how to interpret labels! Terms like “sushi-grade” or “sashimi-grade” are not FDA-regulated. Because those phrases have become familiar to consumers, some fish companies will use them to indicate quality, but do not trust the words alone. 
• Prepare to spend money. Good fish that you can eat raw is not cheap. It really can’t be. It has to be caught responsibly, frozen on the spot, and kept at very exacting temperatures in order to ensure safety. That’s a lot of work! And that means it’s going to cost money. As sustainability issues become a bigger deal, good fish is just going to get more and more pricey. But that’s OK! You don’t need to buy a lot to make a beautiful few bites of aguachile. Raw fish dishes like this are a splurge, and it’s worth it! Plus, it’s still cheaper to make it at home than to buy it in a restaurant, so keep that in mind if you have sticker shock at the fish counter. 
• Find a local fishmonger you trust. The fish counter at a gourmet grocery shop is usually a good place to start, or if you have a favorite fish restaurant in town, ask someone there where they would buy fish for making aguachile. 
• Try ordering raw fish online: No really, there are some excellent companies offering this now. The Honolulu Fish Company, Seattle Fish Company or Catalina Offshore Products all come highly recommended.  

How To Prepare Aguachile

You can serve it with tortilla chips, if you’d like to or just eat it as-is. Here’s how to make the best aguachile: 

1. When you’re almost ready to eat, use a very clean, very sharp knife to slice the fish thinly. Store it in the fridge while you make the sauce. It’s very important to keep raw fish cold until the moment you’re ready to serve it.
2. Make the aguachile sauce: Blitz the cilantro, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, serrano pepper, water, and salt in a food processor.
3. Arrange the aguachile! First, spread the cilantro-chile sauce on a plate. Lay the fish on top of the sauce and garnish it with onions and avocado. 

How To Serve Ahi Tuna Aguachile

Aguachile is meant to be beautiful, spare, and elegant. It’s a dish that honors that beautiful fish as the precious gift that it truly is! As you lay out your thinly sliced fish, display it with pride on a favorite plate and top it delicately with the onion and fresh avocado. All of the flavors should play well together and result in a dish that bursts with the freshness of an ocean breeze. Some folks serve tortilla chips on the side, or you could even serve it with a spread of Mexican favorites, like guacamole and pico de gallo. I love to eat aguachile on a hot day, and I usually just eat it straight as a very light appetizer. 

Spicy Fresh! 

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