Mexican Shrimp Ceviche is ready in just 30 minutes, packed with flavor and a variety of textures, and loaded with cucumbers and avocado.
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled and cooked
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 jalapenos seeds removed then minced
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 2 cups Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 avocados peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- Salt to taste
- Tortilla chips for serving
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Prep the ingredients. Add the shrimp, red onion, jalapeno, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado to a large bowl.
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Pour the lime, lime zest, and orange juice over the shrimp mixture. Add salt to taste. Gently toss to coat.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours
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If you plan to refrigerate the ceviche for longer than 30 minutes, skip adding the avocado and add it right before serving.
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Serve chilled with tortilla chips.
Recipe Video
How to “cook” shrimp with citrus juice
Although the traditional way to make shrimp ceviche is to cook it with citrus juice, I prefer using cooked shrimp for this recipe. Shrimp that is cooked in citrus juice is not actually cooked, and although it reduces the risk of bacterial diseases from raw seafood, it does not eliminate them. What citric acid does is denature the protein, making it look cooked and feel more solid. So it feels cooked, but technically it is not, and the bacteria can still be present.
However, there is a way to cook shrimp in citrus juice that some say is perfectly safe. The process involves only lime and lemon juice. First, clean, shell, and devein the shrimp. Then place them in a bowl with ½ cup lime juice and ½ cup lemon juice, so the mixture covers all the shrimp. Cover it and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the size of the shrimp. The shrimp should be opaque and white when finished.
More recipe tips to consider
- Cooking shrimp with citrus juice does not actually cook it. However, it can denature it, making it more solid.
- If you are going to soak the ceviche for longer than 30 minutes, do not add the avocado until the last 30 minutes. The acids in the juice will make it soggy.
- Do not over-squeeze the fruit. Squeezing citrus fruits too hard can make the juice bitter from pith oils.
- The same thing can happen when using a juicer. Be sure not to get any of the white pith in the juice.
- A certain percentage of the population finds that cilantro tastes like soap. For those who do not like it, use parsley.
- Soaking the shrimp too long in citrus juice can make it rubbery if it is cooked first.