Easy Shrimp Ceviche
- PREP 10min
- COOK 30min
- TOTAL 40min
My favorite shrimp ceviche recipe combines lightly poached shrimp with lime juice, lemon juice, and avocado. It’s fresh, healthy, and delicious. Shrimp ceviche is best served the day you make it.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) large or extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 cup (177ml) freshly squeezed lime juice, 6 to 7 limes
1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 to 2 lemons
1/4 medium red onion, finely minced
1 cup diced cucumber
2 chile peppers like Fresno, serrano, or jalapeño, deseeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 medium avocado, diced
Directions
Fill a pot with 2 quarts (8 cups) of water and add 2 tablespoons salt. This makes our poaching liquid and helps to season the shrimp.
Bring the water to a boil, add the shrimp, and then immediately remove the pot from the heat. Leave the shrimp in the poaching liquid until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. You can tell when the shrimp is cooked when it’s firm and opaque throughout.
If you have freshly caught shrimp, you can skip the poaching step; see our tips in the notes below and in the article above.
Remove the shrimp from the poaching liquid and spread them out on a cutting board to cool. When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, remove the tails (if there are any) and chop them into bite-size pieces.
Add the cucumber, onion, minced chile peppers, cilantro, and chopped shrimp to a non-reactive bowl (glass, stainless steel, and ceramic bowls are perfect).
Pour over the citrus juices and a pinch of salt. Toss well, then press the shrimp down into the liquid as much as possible. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Just before serving, stir in the avocado. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Using raw shrimp: If you have very fresh shrimp, you can skip the poaching step and allow the citrus juices to “cook” the shrimp. Cut the shrimp into small pieces (no larger than 1/2 inch) to make our recipe with raw shrimp. Cover the shrimp with the citrus juice. Use enough juice to cover the shrimp and allow it to float freely (this might require a bit more juice than what is called for in our recipe). If there is not enough juice, the shrimp will cook unevenly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the shrimp is “cooked” through.
- Using pre-cooked shrimp: You can use pre-cooked shrimp if you prefer, but our method for poaching the shrimp is quick and ensures perfectly cooked and seasoned shrimp.
- Spicy ceviche: You can leave some or all of the pepper seeds or add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.