Now that summer is in full swing, it is the perfect time to enjoy cool, fresh appetizers, like this shrimp ceviche. If you are unfamiliar with ceviche, it is a topping, side dish, or appetizer of raw seafood cured in citrus juice. Add in or leave out ingredients as you wish – just be sure to keep that delicious, flavorful citrus marinade as is. (The marinade is what makes your ceviche safe to eat!) Best of all it takes less than half an hour to make with no cooking.
It originated in Peru, and there have been all sorts of variations as it spread. It is easy to customize. If you aren’t sure how to make shrimp ceviche, this recipe has got you covered. This shrimp ceviche recipe is really easy, and done in just 30 minutes. It is also pretty cool to see how the citrus juice alone “cooks” the shrimp! Ceviche is filled with protein, omega-3s, vitamin C, antioxidants, lycopene, and more!
Why You'll Love This Shrimp Ceviche
- If You Can’t Take the Heat – If you are anything like me, you prefer to avoid cooking with lots of heat when the weather is already hot. This dish is prepared using all fresh, raw ingredients, and a refrigerator. So simple – no heat necessary!
- Serve it Your Way – Ceviche is a unique dish, in that it can be served as a dip or topping, or a side dish, but can also be transformed into part of a main dish. It really all depends on how you serve it, so have some fun when serving your ceviche! Enjoy it with tortilla chips, crackers, or grilled bread. Serve it on top of tostadas or burrito bowls. Warm tortillas and fill with ceviche and avocado. The options are endless, and no matter how you serve it, your guests will love this dish!
Ingredients For Shrimp Ceviche Marinade
- Shrimp – Ceviche is known for its use of raw seafood, so grab a pound of raw, deveined jumbo shrimp, or prepare beforehand, by deveining it yourself. If you want to make this recipe with cooked shrimp, you will need to marinade it for less time, since the shrimp will have already been denatured.
- Orange Juice – Citric acid is the key ingredient in a ceviche marinade. As a result, it is super tangy. For this recipe, I like to balance out the infamous lime flavor with a bit of orange juice to add a hint of sweetness to this acidic dish.
- Lime – You will need freshly squeezed lime juice for the marinade in this dish. You may also wish to garnish with additional lime slices for serving. If so, be sure to pick up an extra lime!
- Lemon Juice – Lemon is the final component in your marinade. I like mixing the three citrus juices, as it not only breaks down the shrimp, but also adds a burst of flavor.
Additional Ingredients
- Cucumber – Cucumber adds a delightful crunch to this dish. It is also packed with antioxidants. Since cucumber has such a high water content, it is naturally hydrating, making this a great dish to enjoy on these hot, summer days!
- Tomatoes – Try to dice your tomato similarly in size to your cucumber. If you have never had ceviche, it is similar to eating salsa, so you want to be able to get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Red Onion – Red onion is the best type of onion for this dish, as it adds a little sweetness and a little pungency. That little bit of crisp really makes the dish.
- Cilantro – The recipe itself calls for ¼ cup of fresh, chopped cilantro. Keep in mind that you may also wish to garnish your dish with additional cilantro for serving. If so, be sure to save some extra cilantro for the end.
- Salt and Pepper – This dish gets lots of flavor from its raw, healthy ingredients. All you need for seasoning is salt and pepper!
- Jalapeno – Jalapeno is an optional ingredient that will add a little spice and flavor to your ceviche. It isn’t necessary if you aren’t a fan of spice, but I find that it adds a really nice element to the dish!
How to Make It
- In a flat bottom dish, cover the chopped shrimp with the orange, lime and lemon juice. 2. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to cook the shrimp in the acids of the citrus juices. The shrimp should begin to turn pink and firm up.
- When the shrimp has firmed up add the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, salt, pepper and jalapeno, if desired, to the bowl of shrimp.
- Fold thoroughly and serve warm or chilled with crackers or tortilla chips.
Step by Step Instructions
Before you begin, clean and devein your fresh shrimp. Once peeled and deveined, chop it into small, bite-sized pieces, and prepare your orange, lime, and lemon juices.
To start, add your shrimp in a flat bottom dish. Now it's time to pour in your fresh citrus juices of orange, lime, and lemon juices into the dish. Make sure that your juice marinade completely covers your shrimp, as the juice is what “cooks” the shrimp!
Allow the shrimp to marinade and “cook” in the citrus juices. Leave the dish in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Do not cut the time, as soaking in the juice kills off bacteria. I'd let it cook in at least 15 minutes, because this is raw fish you're dealing with. You will know that the shrimp is ready to come out of the refrigerator when it has begun to firm up and turn pink in color.
Next it is time to add the rest of your ingredients to the ceviche. Remove your shrimp from the refrigerator, and add in your diced cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, and add in the diced jalapeno, if desired.
Fold your ingredients until evenly mixed, and you are done! Garnish with hot sauce, sliced lime, and cilantro if desired. Enjoy warm or chilled with tortilla chips or crackers.
Cook's Tips
- Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Ceviche is traditionally made with raw seafood, however, if you prefer to use pre cooked shrimp, you may substitute it in. If using precooked shrimp, only marinate it for 10 minutes, rather than the 20 you would need for raw shrimp.
- If you do not know how to devein your shrimp, you can either buy them already deveined, or you can learn how to do it yourself. Try a quick YouTube search for a simple tutorial on deveining shrimp! It is important to devein them, especially when consuming raw, because this part of the shrimp contains bacteria.
FAQ
Ceviche is essentially a raw seafood that cooks in a citrus or vinegar marinade. The acidity of the marinade "cooks" the shrimp.
While the citric acid in the lemon, lime, and orange juice does kill some of the bacteria, as well as alter the texture and color of the shrimp, it is important to note that this is not the same as cooking the shrimp with heat. There is always some risk associated with consuming raw seafood, so avoid this recipe if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system.
The shrimp need to sit in the lime juice for 15-20 minute in order to kill harmful bacteria. Soaking for too long can cause the shrimp to toughen.
Ceviche is prepared with raw seafood. The seafood is steeped in citrus juice, which helps to denature the proteins and fight off bacteria. The shrimp in ceviche is not cooked using heat.
Citrus juices contain citric acid, which helps to break down the proteins in seafood. This not only alters the appearance and texture of the shrimp, but also helps to kill some potentially harmful bacteria.
Looking for more summer recipes? Try these:
Easy Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon and Veggies
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Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Raw Jumbo Shrimp deveined & cleaned, chopped
- ⅓ cup Orange Juice
- ⅓ cup Lime Juice
- ⅓ cup Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Cucumber small diced
- ¾ cup Tomatoes small diced or sub small cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup Red Onion small diced
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
Instructions
- In a flat bottom dish, cover the chopped shrimp with the orange, lime and lemon juice. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to cook the shrimp in the acids of the citrus juices. The shrimp should begin to turn pink and firm up.
- When the shrimp has firmed up add the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, salt, pepper and jalapeno, if desired, to the bowl of shrimp.
- Fold thoroughly and serve warm or chilled with crackers or tortilla chips.
- Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days after serving.
Notes
Make sure to cover raw shrimp completely with the orange, lemon and lime juice while it is cooking in the citrus juices.
Easy peasy I love it…..delicious!