Ceviche is so fresh and loaded with shrimp, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados; all marinated in fresh lime juice. For this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, you can use raw shrimp or cooked shrimp meat (if you want to cut the prep time way down).

Ceviche is an appetizer we’ve probably made a hundred times and it’s among our favorites, right up there with Cowboy Caviar and the wildly popular Guacamole. Shrimp Ceviche is a major crowd-pleasing recipe.

Shrimp ceviche served on tostadas with lime wedges

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Shrimp Ceviche

We got this authentic Mexican ceviche recipe from one of our readers, Blanca Villasenor. The secret ingredient for the best ceviche is Clamato juice which melds the flavors together and makes it one of the freshest and most satisfying appetizers you will try. Thank you so much Blanca for generously sharing your traditional family recipe with us!

Watch the Video

Watch Natasha make this classic Restaurant-style Ceviche. We’ve been loving this recipe for years and have been fine-tuning it over the years. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this recipe. Also, it’s a true story that my husband and I can polish off the entire batch in one evening in lieu of dinner!

What is Ceviche?

Ceviche has many names including cebiche, seviche, or sebiche. The origin is debated but thought to have it’s roots in Peru. It is a seafood cocktail using fresh fish that is marinated or “cooked” in a large amount of lime juice. It also includes tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and some form of spice or pepper. We love bulking it up with fresh diced cucumber and diced avocado.

How to Cook Shrimp? If you are starting with raw shrimp and want to pre-cook it before adding it to Ceviche, see our Boiled Shrimp Recipe.

Ingredients for Mexican shrimp cocktail with cooked or raw shrimp, limes, jalapeno, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, cilantro and clamato juice

How to Make Ceviche

  1. Put chopped shrimp in a large bowl and stir in 1 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice. Refrigerate and marinate (1 1/2 to 2 hours for raw shrimp and 15 minutes for cooked shrimp).
  2. Dice remaining vegetables: cucumber, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
  3. Once the shrimp are done marinating, stir in the diced vegetables and Clamato juice.
How to marinate shrimp for ceviche and how to assemble ceviche

Pro Tip: A speedy tip for making Ceviche is to dice everything up using a food chopper. You’ll get everything chopped up in less than 5 minutes. My husband literally puts everything he can on that chopper. He’s become super efficient with the many batches of ceviche we’ve enjoyed over the years.

Variations

There are so many ways to make this and different regions will make it differently (i.e Peruvian Ceviche versus Mexican Ceviche). The biggest differences are in the types of seafood used.

  • Fish Ceviche – instead of shrimp, you can try fresh white fish diced into small pieces. Some options include halibut, sea bass, or snapper. Scallops are also a popular option. Always use the freshest fish, keep it on ice in the refrigerator, and make ceviche the day you purchase it.
  • Raw Shrimp – If using raw shrimp, it should be super fresh and purchased from a trusted source (preferably shrimp labeled “wild caught”), and enjoy the ceviche the first day it is made.
  • Cooked Shrimp – I’ll be the first to admit that I love using cooked shrimp meat for ceviche. With a 15-minute marinating time, it’s a no-brainer for me. I also love that shrimp meat is often wild-caught and typically comes at a lower price tag than whole shrimp, plus there is zero peeling or deveining required. Sign me up!

Safety Tip: The USDA recommends cooking seafood thoroughly to minimize the risk of food born illness, especially for at-risk groups including pregnant women, children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems. This is another reason we prefer using cooked shrimp.

Shrimp Ceviche in a mixing bowl with serving spoon

Is Ceviche Safe to Eat?

If you’re new to ceviche, you may be wondering – is ceviche still raw? Marinating shrimp in fresh lime juice essentially cooks the shrimp due to the high acidity of lime juice.

Use pre-cooked shrimp if you are uncomfortable with raw shrimp or want to save a ton of marinating time (and it will taste just as good). With small cooked shrimp salad meat, you don’t even have to dice it! In either case, rinse the shrimp and thoroughly squeeze or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture so your cocktail isn’t watered down.

Make Ahead

Ceviche is best enjoyed the same day it is made since the cucumbers and tomatoes are vibrant and crisp, but leftovers do keep well.

Refrigerate leftovers right away. Refrigerate for up to 1 day if you used raw seafood and refrigerate for up to 2 days if you used cooked shrimp.

Shrimp ceviche on tostada with clamato juice and limes

Fresh Ceviche always induces major cravings – it’s just mouthwatering good. I hope this becomes a new favorite for you! Let me know if you make your salsa differently. Do you use cooked or fresh shrimp or another type of seafood?

More Shrimp Appetizers

Can you tell we love Shrimp Recipes by now? These are some of our top-rated Shrimp Appetizers that we make on repeat:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Ceviche Recipe

4.97 from 160 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Ceviche is loaded with shrimp, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and cilantro; all marinated in fresh lime juice. You can use raw shrimp or cooked shrimp meat for this Mexican shrimp cocktail. Using cooked shrimp meat cuts down the marinating time significantly which is why we prefer it. P.S. This also keeps really well in the refrigerator and you'll be happy if you have leftovers!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 people
  • 1 lb shrimp , (raw or cooked) peeled, deveined and diced
  • 1 cup lime juice, from 6 limes
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 2 avocados
  • 3 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 1 cup Clamato juice, (use "picante" version for spicier salsa)

Options To Serve:

  • 16 Tostadas , (or tortilla chips)
  • Hot Sauce, (Tabasco or Cholula)

Instructions

  • Dice shrimp and place into a large glass (non-reactive) bowl. Squeeze 1 to 1 1/4 cups lime juice from 6 limes over shrimp. Stir to combine then cover and marinate in the refrigerator (marinate 1 1/2 to 2 hours for raw shrimp or until no longer translucent and marinate 15 minutes for cooked shrimp), stirring halfway through.
  • Chop the vegetables: cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno and cilantro. A food chopper will make this process much faster.
  • When shrimp are done marinating, add vegetables to the bowl along with clamato juice and stir to combine. Serve with hot sauce if desired along with tortilla chips or over tostadas.

Notes

*Nutrition label only calculates the ceviche and not tostadas or tortilla chips for serving. 

Nutrition Per Serving

156kcal Calories11g Carbs13g Protein8g Fat1g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat5g Monounsaturated Fat0.003g Trans Fat91mg Cholesterol77mg Sodium630mg Potassium4g Fiber4g Sugar470IU Vitamin A27mg Vitamin C61mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Ceviche Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
156
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
0.003
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
5
g
Cholesterol
 
91
mg
30
%
Sodium
 
77
mg
3
%
Potassium
 
630
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
 
11
g
4
%
Fiber
 
4
g
17
%
Sugar
 
4
g
4
%
Protein
 
13
g
26
%
Vitamin A
 
470
IU
9
%
Vitamin C
 
27
mg
33
%
Calcium
 
61
mg
6
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: ceviche
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 156

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Leah
    March 13, 2024

    Great ceviche recipe. I have made this twice now, and I have to say I’ll usually skip out on the avocado since sometimes it can go bad easily. The only suggestion I have is to almost double the shrimp or add imitation crap, the vegetable ratio was a little much for me but overall I will stick to this recipe when making ceviche!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 13, 2024

      Thank you for your comments and suggestion, Leah!

      Reply

  • Patrick
    February 28, 2024

    AWESOME Recipe ! I have made Ceviche hundreds of times and Never Once used Clamato ! I Definitely WILL from now on !
    Thank You Natasha

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 28, 2024

      I’m so glad you found this recipe, Patrick!

      Reply

  • Selita Robins
    January 26, 2024

    Hello good evening!

    Question:

    After the shrimp is done cooking in the lime juice do I use that lime juice already in there? Or drain it and use new lime juice?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 26, 2024

      Hi Selita! Yes- you just add the rest of the ingredients to it.

      Reply

  • Erika
    December 31, 2023

    This is an excellent ceviche! I have not been able to find good ceviche except this one restaurant near my old house in Chicago. The Clamato addition is a game changer!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 1, 2024

      So glad you loved it!

      Reply

  • Scott
    December 12, 2023

    Great Recipe… I did buy the Clamato though but left it out at the last minute because I read the ingredients and it has MSG in it… I know MSG makes things taste great but healthwise, I have opted out of MSG for many years. Otherwise, thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 12, 2023

      You’re welcome, no worries! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply

  • Connie
    November 6, 2023

    GREAT recipe!!! I’m living in Mexico, so all of the ingredients were super fresh and easy to get! The only thing I do different is not add the avocado till I’m ready to eat it, it retains it’s freshness longer!

    Thanks!!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 6, 2023

      Thank you for sharing, Connie! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  • Dawn
    September 4, 2023

    This terrifies me. I can’t get over raw fish in citrus – which I know supposedly cooks it. It’s just not for me.

    Reply

  • Diane Spransy
    September 2, 2023

    We’ve been looking for a great ceviche recipe. At long last!!!
    Thank you, Natasha!

    From Salt Lake City, UT

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 2, 2023

      You’re very welcome, Diane!

      Reply

  • N.C.
    September 2, 2023

    This is the easiest and BEST ceviche recipe I have found thus far! Now I can have ceviche whenever I want in a snap (so-to-speak). I use cooked “salad” shrimp, which makes it even faster and easier. I’ve made it several times now and it is always perfect!
    Thank you, Natasha!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 2, 2023

      I’m so glad to her that you love the recipe, N.C. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

  • Annette
    August 7, 2023

    Hubby and I loved this fresh twist on “salsa.” I cooked the shrimp first and added 1/2 the Clamato juice it called for. It was delicious with tortilla chips. Will definitely put this in appetizer rotation! Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 7, 2023

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Annette!

      Reply

      • Bill
        January 3, 2024

        I use Spicy V8 juice and jalapeno with seeds. First tasted this in St. Croix and am glad to now have a recipe to work with. Hard to choose between this and the Cowboy Caviar.

        Reply

  • Connie
    August 3, 2023

    This was very tasty and full of flavor. Nice lunch on a hot Florida afternoon! Thanks Natasha!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 3, 2023

      Hi Connie! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you liked the recipe!

      Reply

  • Nance
    July 29, 2023

    This recipe is phenomenal. I used cooked salad shrimp and made a small test batch. We loved it and will be making it for our family when they come visit next week.
    What a treat! I keep all these ingredients in my kitchen anyway (except the Clamato), so > can 2hip up a batch whenever I want.
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 30, 2023

      Hi Nance! I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you!

      Reply

  • David R
    July 22, 2023

    I’ve never made it with shrimp, this sounds interesting. I’ve always made it with halibut cheeks. I highly recommend trying halibut. Just remember to clean out the tendon(?) in the cheeks. Next time -shrimp

    Reply

  • Gloria Webb
    July 14, 2023

    Hi Natasha,
    I love Cerviche and I was quite surprised to see one of your followers suggested adding Clamato Juice!
    Well, I tried it and I love it!
    Makes it even better. Thank you. 💕

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 14, 2023

      That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that feedback with us, Gloria!

      Reply

  • Brooke B
    July 10, 2023

    First time making this recipe. It was amazing!!! The avocado made all the difference by making the Cerviche a bit creamy and dreamy !!! Everyone loved it !! Will me making this often !

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 10, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Brooke! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

  • Mary Taylor
    June 29, 2023

    I made this with fresh salad shrimp and the first day it was delicious! Second day the shrimp were dried out from the lime juice and tasted fishy. Wondering if I should drain some of the juice after marinating for a few hours?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 29, 2023

      Hi Mary! The fishy smell can be concerning and I would wonder if the shrimp went bad. When using raw shrimp, it should be super fresh and purchased from a trusted source (preferably shrimp labeled “wild caught”). I recommend enjoying the ceviche the first day it is made, the longer it sits in the the juices, the more the texture can change. I don’t know how it will keep without the juices from the marinade.

      Reply

    • Annette
      August 7, 2023

      I found it to have alot of juice as well. I drained some of it out before I stored in the fridge. The next day, the juice as back, lol. But, still delicious!

      Reply

  • Jen
    June 28, 2023

    Had this today. Absolutely phenomenal. Just need to weigh out what a serving is so I keep calories in check!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 28, 2023

      I’m so happy you loved it, Jen!

      Reply

  • Linda Ezzat
    June 28, 2023

    I made this for an event, I used small cooked shrimp and added a little more hot peppers. This was delicious and very much enjoyed by all my guests and my family. I will definitely put this in my recipe library, until I received your cookbook!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 28, 2023

      Hi Linda! That’s great to hear. Thank you for sharing. I’m excited for you to get your copy of the cookbook.

      Reply

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