Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
When it’s hot out, we like to keep dinner simple and cold, too. This easy avocado and shrimp ceviche recipe fits the bill and then some. With juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, lime juice and zest, this avocado-loaded shrimp ceviche recipe is our ideal light summer dinner or party appetizer.
It’s fast, delicious and healthy, too. Just grab a Homemade Tortilla Chips and scoop this zingy, protein-packed ceviche up. Plus, it’s meant to be made ahead! So toss it together before the heat peaks, and by 5pm, your shrimp ceviche snacky dinner will be ready to be gobbled up. For another raw(ish) fish dish, try our yummy Poke Bowls!
Ingredients For Shrimp Ceviche
- Medium shrimp. Hot tip: at some grocery stores, the fishmonger will peel and devein the shrimp for you.
- Limes
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Red onion
- Herbs and spices: cilantro, salt, sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin.
- Avocado
How to Make Shrimp Ceviche
- Cook the shrimp. Drop the shrimp carefully into a big pot of boiling water. Cook just until they are opaque and pink, about 2-3 minutes.
- Ice bath! When they’re done, drain them and drop them into a big bowl full of ice water to stop the cooking.
- Cut everything! Chop the cooked shrimp and all of the other goodies—cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, and avocado.
- Gently combine the shrimp ceviche ingredients in a big bowl.
- Ceviche marinade time! Stir in the lime zest, juice, cilantro, salt, sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, and cumin.
- Chill the ceviche. Chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. If you leave it longer than that, the shrimp will get tough.
- Serve the ceviche! We’ve been known to serve this ceviche on the hottest day paired with nothing but a spoon and an ice-cold beer. But it’s nicer if you pair it with fresh Guacamole, Homemade Salsa, Pico de Gallo, and a couple of Classic Margaritas.
Shrimp Ceviche Tips + FAQs
- No, you don’t have to use raw shrimp. Usually if you see the word “ceviche” you might assume that the fish or seafood is served raw and “cooked” by the lime or lemon juice in the marinade. However, shrimp ceviche recipes (like ours) often call for cooking the shrimp quickly before making the salad. Why? Though the texture of raw fish or shellfish changes as it marinates in citrus juice, you cannot count on citrus juice to kill any parasites in the fish. Thus, our shrimp ceviche recipe calls for you to cook the shrimp first.
- However! If you want to use raw shrimp, you can — with caveats. If you want to make ‘real’ shrimp ceviche with raw shrimp, we’ve included how to do that in our recipe.
- Is shrimp ceviche safe to eat? Yes! Our shrimp ceviche recipe is safe to eat because we cook the shrimp before making the ceviche. Or at least, it’s as safe as any shellfish recipe gets. As always, the most important thing about ensuring that your shrimp is safe to eat is to buy good shrimp.
- How to shop for & buy shrimp: To be sure you’re making the best shrimp ceviche ever: buy wild, American shrimp. The global shrimp industry is notorious for questionable practices and even human rights violations. So, be sure to look for wild American shrimp and consider sustainability, too. There are a couple of awesome organizations that are working to help care for our oceans and part of their work includes certifying certain seafood as sustainable, like the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Look for labels that carry a seal from either of these organizations, and when in doubt, you can always cross-reference your shrimp buying options with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's excellent “Seafood Watch” site or app.
Tips For Making Shrimp Ceviche With Raw Shrimp
Our recipe includes instructions for making shrimp ceviche with raw shrimp or with poached shrimp. Both ways are delicious, but frankly, raw shrimp ceviche is not for everyone and it cannot be made with anything less than the highest quality fish. Here’s what you need to know before making raw shrimp ceviche:
- If you are pregnant or have a compromised immune system, raw shrimp may not be safe for you to eat. Because the citrus can’t be counted on to truly “cook” the fish, you should think of eating raw shrimp ceviche in the same way you’d think about eating sushi or raw oysters. If you’re in a group of people who should not eat those things, you should make the cooked version.
- Any time you’re making a recipe with raw fish or shellfish you must buy the absolute best-quality fish. All of our instructions above about finding high-quality shrimp will point you in the right direction, but particularly if you are going to consume your shrimp raw, it may be a good idea to go to a fancy fishmonger and let them know what you’re planning to cook and ask what they suggest.
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