Zesty Shrimp Ceviche Recipe: A Fresh Summer Delight

Fresh shrimp ceviche elevates ordinary seafood into a vibrant, zesty culinary experience that awakens taste buds with its bright, tangy profile.

This Latin American delicacy blends raw seafood with citrus juices, creating a light and refreshing dish perfect for warm afternoons.

Delicate proteins get deliciously “cooked” through acid’s magical chemical reaction, resulting in tender, succulent morsels bursting with incredible flavor.

Crisp ingredients mingle together, offering a harmonious balance of textures that dance across your palate with every bite.

Complex yet simple, this recipe requires minimal cooking skills and maximum ingredient quality to deliver an extraordinary sensory experience.

Coastal regions have long celebrated this technique, turning simple ingredients into something extraordinary through careful technique and masterful seasoning.

Seafood lovers appreciate how quickly and easily these ingredients combine to create a stunning appetizer or light meal.

A Refreshing, Zesty Take on Ceviche

• Unleash Zesty Freshness: This shrimp ceviche bursts with bright, tangy citrus flavors that dance on your palate, creating an explosion of tropical taste sensations without any cooking required.
• Embrace Quick and Easy Preparation: In just 25 minutes, you'll transform simple ingredients into a restaurant-quality dish that looks impressive and tastes incredible, making it perfect for spontaneous gatherings or quick summer meals.
• Celebrate Healthy Ingredient Harmony: Packed with protein-rich shrimp, vitamin-loaded vegetables like tomatoes and cilantro, and heart-healthy avocado, this recipe delivers a nutritious meal that doesn't compromise on deliciousness or vibrant textures.
• Experience Versatile Serving Potential: Whether you're hosting a beach party, enjoying a casual lunch, or craving a light appetizer, this ceviche adapts beautifully to different occasions and can be served with tortilla chips or as a standalone dish.

Ingredients That Keep It Bright and Fresh

• Shrimp: Fresh, sweet crustacean that forms the protein base of the ceviche, preferably raw or quickly cooked.

• Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Orange Juice

• Tomato, Jalapeno, Red Onion: Crisp vegetables that provide texture, heat, and sharp flavor to the dish.
• Jicama or Apple: Crunchy ingredient that adds sweetness and refreshing texture.
• Cilantro: Fresh herb that brings a classic Mexican-style brightness and herbaceous notes.
• Avocado: Creamy, rich fruit that softens the dish's acidity and adds smooth texture.

• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings to enhance and balance the overall flavor profile.
• Tortilla Chips: Optional crunchy accompaniment for serving and scooping the ceviche.

How to Prep and Marinate Shrimp Like a Pro

Step 1: Prepare Shrimp

Carefully slice shrimp into small half-inch chunks and transfer to a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Create Citrus Marinade

• Fresh lemon juice
• Fresh lime juice
• Fresh orange juice

Whisk ingredients together until well combined.

Step 3: Initial Shrimp Marination

Pour citrus mixture over shrimp pieces. Gently toss to ensure complete coating. Let shrimp rest in marinade for 15 minutes, allowing juices to begin “cooking” the seafood.

Step 4: Add Fresh Ingredients

• Diced tomatoes
• Chopped jalapeño
• Diced jicama (or apple)
• Fresh cilantro
• Finely chopped red onion

Gently mix all ingredients and let sit for additional 10 minutes.

Step 5: Final Touch

Fold in sliced avocado and any remaining citrus juices. Season with salt and pepper according to taste preferences.

Step 6: Serve And Enjoy

Place ceviche in serving dish. Accompany with crispy tortilla chips if desired.

Tips for Getting the Best Texture and Flavor

• Dice Precisely
• Marinate Carefully: Don't exceed 20-25 minutes total marinating time, or shrimp might become tough and rubbery from acid's intense effect.
• Choose Fresh Seafood: Select high-quality, fresh shrimp from a reputable fishmonger to guarantee the best flavor and food safety.
• Chill Ingredients: Refrigerate all components before mixing to maintain a crisp, refreshing temperature that enhances the ceviche's vibrant taste.
• Balance Acid Levels: Taste and adjust citrus juices gradually, ensuring the marinade isn't too tart or overwhelming for the delicate shrimp flavor.

How to Keep Ceviche Safe and Delicious

• Refrigeration: Seal ceviche in an airtight container and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Keep fresh by placing plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent browning.
• Avoid Freezing: Never freeze ceviche, as the texture of shrimp and vegetables will become mushy and lose their crisp, fresh quality.
• Serving After Storage: Before serving chilled leftovers, gently stir the ingredients and drain any excess liquid. Fresh cilantro or a squeeze of citrus can help revive the flavor and brightness of the dish.

What to Pair With Your Shrimp Ceviche

• Elevate with Crisp White Wine: Pair the zesty shrimp ceviche with a chilled sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. These light, acidic wines complement the citrusy seafood perfectly, enhancing the fresh flavors and cutting through the richness of avocado.
• Match with Refreshing Mexican Beer: Grab a cold Corona or Modelo Especial to balance the spicy jalapeño and bright citrus notes. The crisp, light beer provides a cool contrast to the tangy ceviche, making each bite more enjoyable.
• Serve with Crunchy Accompaniments: Layer tortilla chips around the ceviche for added texture. Consider adding homemade tostadas or corn chips to provide a satisfying crunch that highlights the soft, marinated shrimp and creamy avocado.
• Create a Citrus Mocktail Companion: Blend fresh orange, lime, and ginger for a non-alcoholic drink that mirrors the ceviche's vibrant citrus profile. This zingy mocktail will cleanse the palate and echo the recipe's bright, refreshing elements.

Flavor Twists That Keep Ceviche Exciting

• Tropical Seafood Mix: Replace shrimp with a combination of fresh white fish like mahi-mahi and scallops for a diverse ocean flavor profile.
• Mango Citrus Burst: Incorporate diced fresh mango and swap orange juice with passion fruit juice to add a sweeter, more tropical dimension to the classic ceviche recipe.
• Spicy Cucumber Refresh: Substitute jicama with crisp cucumber and add extra serrano peppers for a cooler, more intense heat that complements the seafood's delicate texture.
• Green Herb Fusion: Enhance the herb profile by mixing in fresh mint leaves and replacing cilantro with a blend of parsley and dill for a more complex, aromatic experience.

Shrimp Ceviche Recipe

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4.8 from 20 reviews

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Mexican shrimp ceviche brings zesty oceanic freshness to summer tables. Lime-marinated shrimp mingle with crisp vegetables, creating a refreshing coastal appetizer that invites you to savor each tangy, cool bite.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Proteins:

• 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Fresh Produce:

• 4 whole plum tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• 2 whole jalapeno peppers, seeds and vein removed, minced
• 1 cup jicama, diced (or diced peeled apple)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 avocado, pitted and diced

Citrus Juices and Seasonings:

• ¼ cup (60 milliliters) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• ¼ cup (60 milliliters) fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

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Instructions

1. Slice shrimp into precise half-inch cubes, transferring the delicate seafood pieces into a spacious mixing vessel.
2. Create a vibrant citrus blend by whisking together fresh lemon, lime, and orange juices in a separate container.
3. Cascade half the citrus mixture over the shrimp, gently coating each piece and allowing the acidic liquid to initiate the marination process for approximately 15 minutes.
4. Introduce diced tomatoes, finely minced jalapeños, crisp jicama (or apple), fragrant cilantro, and thinly sliced red onion into the shrimp mixture.
5. Thoroughly toss the ingredients, ensuring even distribution of flavors, and let the medley rest for an additional 10 minutes to develop a harmonious taste profile.
6. Carefully fold in creamy avocado cubes and the remaining citrus juices, maintaining a gentle mixing technique to preserve ingredient integrity.
7. Enhance the ceviche with a precise seasoning of salt and freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to personal taste preferences.
8. Serve the vibrant dish immediately, accompanied by crisp tortilla chips for added texture and traditional presentation.

Notes

• Citrus bath transforms raw shrimp, effectively “cooking” it through acid marinade without heat.
• Marinating time matters: 15 minutes for shrimp, then 10 minutes more after adding vegetables ensures perfect texture and flavor infusion.
• Choose fresh, high-quality shrimp for best taste and safety when preparing this raw-style dish.
• Balance acidity with sweet-tangy citrus mix of lemon, lime, and orange juices for complex flavor profile.
• Add diced avocado last to prevent browning and maintain its creamy, fresh texture.
• Customize heat level by adjusting jalapeño quantity or removing seeds for milder version.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Appetizer, Lunch, Snacks
• Method: None
• Cuisine: Latin American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 210
• Sugar: 6 g
• Sodium: 300 mg
• Fat: 10 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 18 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 20 g
• Cholesterol: 150 mg