Ceviche is so fresh and loaded with shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, cilantro, 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). Watch the video, and you’ll see why I love this authentic ceviche so much!
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Helpful Reader Review
“AWESOME Recipe ! I have made Ceviche hundreds of times and Never Once used Clamato ! I Definitely WILL from now on! Thank You Natasha” – Patrick ★★★★★
What is Ceviche?
Ceviche is an appetizer my husband and I have probably made a hundred times, and it’s among my favorite appetizers, right up there with Cowboy Caviar and the wildly popular Guacamole.
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!
Ceviche has many names including cebiche, seviche, or sebiche. The origin is debated, but it is thought to have its roots in Peru. Ceviche is a seafood cocktail and traditionally uses fresh fish that is marinated or “cooked” in a large amount of citrus juice.
Ceviche Video Tutorial
Watch me make this easy and classic Restaurant-style Ceviche. I have loved this recipe for years and have been fine-tuning it over the years. Also, it’s a true story that my husband and I can polish off the entire batch in one evening in lieu of dinner!
Ingredients for Shrimp Ceviche
- Shrimp – you can chop up raw shrimp and let it cook in the lime juice or use cooked shrimp meat, which I do all the time because it’s easier and faster (more on that below).
- Limes – get the larger limes since they produce more juice. You need about 6 limes or enough lime juice to cover the shrimp, especially if you are using raw shrimp.
- Veggies – We like to bulk up the ceviche with tomatoes, cucumber, and Avocado. I love the slight creaminess that that avocado adds to the sauce. It’s so satisfying!
- Aromatics – Onions and fresh cilantro add a crisp freshness to the ceviche.
- To Make it Spicy– We add seeded and minced jalapeno peppers and serve it with hot sauce – my favorite hot sauce brands for Ceviche are Tapatio, Cholula and Tabasco. Also if you’re adding hot sauce, there’s no need for salt.
- Clamato – this tomato cocktail juice is Blanca’s recommendation to make the marinade a little richer in texture and flavor. Lately we’ve been using the spicy variety for even more depth of flavor.
Can I Use Cooked Shrimp?
Traditionally, ceviche is made using raw shrimp, which is cooked in lime juice. I don’t like to wait for that process to happen, and I don’t like to wonder if it’s really done, so I use cooked shrimp meat. It’s so much easier! If you are starting with raw shrimp and you want to pre-cook it before adding it to Ceviche, see our Boiled Shrimp Recipe.
How to Make Ceviche
- Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and thoroughly squeeze or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture so your cocktail isn’t watered down. Do this with raw or cooked shrimp.
- Marinate Shrimp – Put chopped shrimp in a large bowl and stir in 1 cup of fresh lime juice (this citrus squeezer is my favorite). Refrigerate and marinate (1 1/2 to 2 hours for raw shrimp and 15 minutes for cooked shrimp). If using raw shrimp, I like to stir a couple of times while marinating to make sure it’s well coated and it’s ready when it’s opaque and no longer transparent.
- Dice remaining vegetables– cucumber, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
- Combine and Serve – Once the shrimp are done marinating, toss in the diced vegetables and Clamato juice and gently stir to combine.
Natasha’s Speedy Tip:
The fastest way to make Ceviche is to dice everything up using a food chopper. My husband uses it to get everything chopped up in less than 5 minutes. After many years of making ceviche, it’s all about efficiency!
Variations for Ceviche
There are so many ways to make this, and it varies by region (i.e., Peruvian 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, snapper, or mahi mahi. 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 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!
How to Serve Ceviche?
Ceviche is meant to be served as an appetizer with either tortilla chips or over tostadas. You can also serve it over mini lettuce cups for a low-carb version, or for a fancy presentation, spoon it over avocado halves.
Helpful Reader Review
I love this recipe. A helpful tip I’ve learned is to mash avocado and spread on the tostada shell and then spoon on the ceviche. It helps to hold it on when you are eating.” – Glenda ★★★★★
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. Here’s more info on how ceviche works.
Personally, I prefer to use cooked shrimp salad meat, which you don’t have to dice; it saves marinating time, and it’s in line with USDA guidelines (plus, it will taste just as good).
Make Ahead and Storage
We usually polish off our ceviche the day it’s made, but on the rare chance we have leftovers, they do keep really 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.
I am always so giddy when my husband surprises me with a fresh batch of shrimp Ceviche – 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?
Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium shrimp, (raw or cooked*), thawed, 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
- Prep the Shrimp: Rinse the thawed shrimp under cold running water and thoroughly squeeze or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture so your cocktail isn't watered down. Do this with raw or cooked shrimp.
- Marinate Shrimp: Dice shrimp if large and place it into a large glass (non-reactive) bowl. Use a citrus squeezer to get 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.
- Combine: 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
Filed Under
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:
- Shrimp Cocktail with the Best Sauce
- Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Coconut Shrimp
- Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli
- Avocado Shrimp Cucumber Bites
- Stuffed Shrimp
- Hot Shrimp Dip
hello,
what can I substitute the Clamato for? or how can I make my own Clamato ?
thank you
Hi Nadia, we often skip the clamato juice if we don’t have it on hand and it works well.
very very good. thank you, Natasha
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
Question?
My boyfriend is allergic to ALL Shellfish so I’m looking for a substitution to replace the shrimp.
What type of fish would you recommend in replace of the shrimp? Any suggestions…?
Hi Monique, I always use shrimp, but I have seen people use scallops or other types of fish. You might do a quick google search for ideas.
We always used Halibut when I lived in Alaska. Just make sure it was frozen first. It was delicious.
That’s awesome that it works with halibut.
Made it with scallops that had been frozen…It was outstanding! Thanks
So glad you love it!
Use shurimi it’s made with pollack fish and it absorbs flavor very well
What size shrimp would you recommend for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Kristen, any size shrimp will work. When we want a quick ceviche, we use small cooked shrimp meat and we don’t have to soak as long or chop it. If you use medium or large-sized shrimp, you would have to chop it.
So delicious! We loved the ceviche and will definitely make again! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I can never go wrong making anything you suggest! My favorites, chicken noodle soup, beet borscht, chow mein and the wonderful salad dressing from the Cobb salad. I make it ALL THE TIME. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Katie!
I have made most of your recipes My family absolutely love it all. Thank you for sharing!! Keep it coming
You’re welcome, Beatriz! I’m happy you all enjoyed it!
nice recipe but ceviche is original a Peruvian dish 😉
i just love all the recipes. I send them to my granddaughter who also loves and makes them. Especially anything chocolate. thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that! That is the best our kids (& your grandkids) love what we make. That’s so great!
The first time I made this the avocado didn’t work out very well. Possibly it was underripe, I don’t know. Anyway, the next time I made it I left out the avocado and cilantro, used a whole, large red onion, and added a bell pepper and a small can of pineapple chunks, including the juice.
Also, I used surimi (mock crab meat) instead of shrimp. Surimi is much easier on the budget than shrimp and is precooked, so no worries about raw shrimp issues.
This second batch was enjoyed by all the family, including those who spent half their time with the first batch picking out the avocado.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Joseph! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this!
I love ceviche! But you should mention that even though the acid of the lime cooks the shrimp it does not kill any parasite or bugs the way traditional heat cooking does. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Have an awesome evening.
Bud
Hi Bud, you could precook the shrimp and then soak them to infuse the lime flavor. We often use precooked shrimp meat and it’s easier and faster.
Try adding 2 TBLs of sugar and a little extra hot sauce MMMMMM
I should try that next time. Thanks!
hi! why does it specify to use a non metal bowl for the marinade?
Hi Carmen, the lime juice and tomato juice can react with stainless steel.
Can you substitute fish for the shrimp? What kind would you recommend?
Hi Lauren, I haven’t tested this with fresh fish but I bet it could work! It may need to sit slightly longer. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Yes!! Fish is awesome in Ceviche. Use Sea Bass, Mahi-Mahi, Red Snapper, Tilapia…any mild tasting fish is excellent in this type of dish.
Also you can replace the Clamato juice for Spicy V8 or just good ol Tapatio sauce added to the bowl.
When you put your ceviche on tostada use either mayo first (or greek plain yogurt for healthier version) and add the ceviche right on top of that. Top it with some more tapatio, fresh cilantro and some slices of avocado and viola…it’s amazing!!
Can you refrigerate any leftovers? Will it still be good the next day?
Hi Renee, we enjoy it fresh but I but it would be just as good the next day.
Although this is a good recipe, using Clamato is a Mexican American thing. During the 1980’s I grew up with a family owned Mariscos business in Los Ángeles. If you want authentic ceviche, ditch the Clamato and blend hot peppers of your choice with lots of lime or lemon juice, seasonings and marinate the fish or shrimp with this. (I prefer Habañero) Alternatively you can just marinate in the citrus juice and make your own hot sauce to dribble on the ceviche after it’s prepped. Serve on tostadas and spreading mayo on the tostada is optional.
What can be used if we don’t have the clamatto juice in the shrimp device
Hi Rosa, we often skip the clamato juice if we don’t have it on hand and it works well.
Great recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Making this for my family tonight. Was wondering if I can have the shrimp marinate for 3 hours or is that too long? Love all your recipes and videos!
Hi Sharon, I imagine that should work. We haven’t tried it longer than 1.5 to 2 hours.
It was delicious and my family hoovered it down!! A keeper for sure.
Sounds like you found a new favorite! That’s so awesome Sharon!
Hi again Natasha! Do you think it would taste okay without jalapeños? Also can you get the Clamato juice basically anywhere? If not is there a substitute I could easily find? Thanks!
Hi Samantha, that should work! This recipe still works without the clamato (if you wanted to omit it), or you could use a splash of tomato juice.
I add 1 apple chopped and 2 oranges juiced to the recipe. Along with a white fish. It makes it a little less tart for people who have somewhat picky kids to appease.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Ana!