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
Love this! I have now made it both ways – with raw and with cooked shrimp and both are delicious. Natasha is right that a big bowl is better, the flavors are so fresh and tasty everyone will eat more than you think!
Thank you for your lovely review and comment, Sue!
Dear Natasha . First, Thank you so much for lots of delicious recipes ! And this one sounds just perfect for a hot Summers day ! But I live in Norway, and here it is difficult to find that Clamato Juice – it is not in any store near me. Is there a nice substitute you can recommend ?
Hi Anne! You’re very welcome! Clamato is essentially tomato juice with clam juice, salt, and spices added for flavor. You could look at making your own using those ingredients or if you can find V8 juice, that would work too.
Thank you so much for your quick answer , but there is no V8 here either . But I read somewhere that I can mix ordinary tomato juice half-and-half with Worcester sauce. Or do you maybe have another nice sauce I could use ? Mix Tomato sauce with lemon juice, e.g. ? Lime juice ?
You’re welcome, Anne! I do not have a recipe for anything like that. You can find one with a quick search online. You may find this clamato juice recipe to be a helpful resource.
Thank you again, Natasha – I will make this as my next dinner , that`s for sure – I will find a way ! 🙂
Go for it and enjoy!
Hi Ann, I’m American living in England and it’s always so difficult to find my American products that I use. My suggestion for you is to Google Clamato Juice and/or Google American groceries online then search for Clamato. Or even another way is to search “Where in Norway can I find Clamato Juice” Good Luck! Sharon
Here is what I do. Do as recipe above instructs EXCEPT boil shrimp until cooked.save 1 cup of “shrimp juice”, let it cool. Cool shrimp in ice water. Add shrimp juice to recipe and also add ketchup. I start with 1/4 cup and add until I like the taste. It helps take away the citrusy taste that sometimes can be overwhelming. You can add Chile powder to spice it up. Hope this helps…
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Tish!
I made this last night, and my husband and I ate the entire thing for supper! It was delicious! Thanks so much, Natasha!
You’re welcome, Susan! I’m so glad it was enjoyed.
I made this yesterday as part of my family dinner, it was everything Natasha said it was. This is a fantastic dish! I’ll be making this again and again. For those who asked about a substitute for the clamato, I bought V8 and clam juice and made my own “clamato” with about 3/4 cup V8 and 1/4 cup clam juice. I tasted it before adding my clamato and it was delicious without it, and delicious with it. This recipe is another Winner! Winner! Winner! from Natasha’s Kitchen! Thanks Natasha!
So glad to hear that, Steven! Thank you for sharing with us.
As there are only 2 of us we made half of the recipe – big mistake, like you, we could probably have eaten the whole amount! I love all your recipe’s although one or two of your ingredients are hard to find in England.
Hi Anne! Thank you for trying my recipes! I’m so glad you are loving them!
What a hit! I am actually not a shrimp fan, but my family and friends are. I made this for a gathering last night; everyone LOVED it (even me). It was easy to make and delicious. Thanks, Natasha.
That’s wonderful, Jana! So glad to hear that.
Hey girly! Yum! I love all your recipes so far! Real food! Real ingredients in my kitchen! Hey. My mom made authentic ceviche since I was a kid. We use almost all the same things except we use clam juice and ketchup. 🤣 Salt and pepper to taste. Some garlic powder too. 😊
Hi Gina! Thank you. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Looks easy and delicious, Sharks was the towel for you used to wipe your hands.
I got to watch the video this morning as it was introduced. I’m printing the recipe now, and I’ll probably make it this weekend. The recipe looks so delicious, healthy and nutritious! I can’t wait to have some! I can’t wait for my garden tomatoes to arrive! Thanks Natasha! Another Winner! Winner! Winner! Recipe!
Thank you so much for watching live, Steven! I hope you love this recipe!
I will make this for sure. You and your family are crazy make smile and is fun to see you all having a good time. Thanks
Thank you, Elzbieta!
How do you get 665 grams of sodium in this recipe? Where from? We’re trying to watch the salt. Is there something I can leave out or substitute so it’s not a problem. Thank you.
Hi Kate! It’s from the Clamato juice. If you can find it in low sodium you can use that, or look for low sodium V8 juice, that would be the next best.
I’ve only had this one’s from a Spanish friend of mine and I don’t recall the shrimp being raw. The recipe says raw or cooked but I would assume you cook it am I not correct?
You can use cooked or raw shrimp in this Mexican shrimp cocktail. I have tried both and I prefer cooked.
The acidity from the limes cooks raw shrimp, it’s the traditional method.
I make this very often everyone loves it. We use spotted bass from a local lake along with shrimp I just put them in separate bowls in the lime juice. I also use some Tejin for seasoning. Either way great recipe. I make a giant bowl every time.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Mathew! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
When I make ceviche at home, I
make it the traditional Peruvian way with wild caught fresh, firm fleshed white fish (depending in availability), marinated in fresh lime juice, aji amarillo, aji lima , or rocoto, depending on availability, and salt.
Served with deflamed slivered red onions on the top, cancha (Andean toasted corn, similar to corn nuts but don’t destroy your teeth), a slice of sweet potato for contrast, maiz choclo (starchy large grains of corn), served on lettuce leaves.
It’s traditional in Mexico to use tomato products in their ceviche-different style and adaptations.
I’ve had ceviche both ways and love both. My favorite has to be Peruvian ceviche though-so many happy memories tied to that dish.
I like to make it with scallops also and I always dice up some mango and add that also. I’ve done it with grapes also. Just adds a touch of sweet.
Sounds good, I’m sure those are great too, thanks for sharing that with us.
I thought it was good, but added a little brown sugar to cut through a touch of the acidity. Also Zing Zang makes a great substitute for Clamato, it’s what I had.
I always eat civiche with homemade eel sauce! It’s perfection… adds the sweet you need. Try it! 😊
Hi Natasha! After I mix the veggies and juice into the shrimp, is it ok to keep in the fridge for a few hours? We won’t eat this till later so I’m worried that the ceviche will be soggy.
Hi Izzy, I imagine that should work. We haven’t tried it longer than 1.5 to 2 hours.
Needs a pinch of salt and a few dashes of Worcestershire 👍
Great dish to make if you’re having some friends or neighbors over for a few beers in the summer.
It is debated if is peruvian or spanish, but not mexican for sure… still good 5stars
I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Someone asked what to sub out for Shrimp due to shellfish allergies. Suggestion was Scallops….N O !!!! It is also in the same category as shrimp when it comes to allergies (crustaceans and mollusks)
Sub out fish, but commercially frozen as the below grade temperature kills harmful bacteria.
Any kind of white fish!!! It doesn’t have to be shellfish. When you go to an authentic Mexican restaurant, most ceviche mixes are comprised of shrimp and/or some sort of white fish. Hope that helps! Enjoy!