With about 15 minutes of active prep and a 30-minute rest in fresh lime juice, you can make bright, citrusy shrimp ceviche that’s tender and never rubbery.
I’ve had my share of shrimp ceviche that was either mushy from over-acidifying or rubbery from being underprepared. This recipe avoids both problems by briefly poaching the shrimp in a seasoned aromatic bath before the citrus step. That par-cook gives you control over texture and lets flavor penetrate the shrimp, so the lime brightens the dish without turning the seafood tough.
This Mexican-style ceviche adds crisp vegetables and buttery avocado for extra texture and richness compared with simpler styles. It’s easy to scale for a crowd and gives a reliably delicious appetizer without worrying about the nuances of curing raw fish entirely with acid.
Table of Contents
- Recipe at a Glance
- Shrimp Ceviche Ingredients
- Why This Recipe Works
- How to Make Shrimp Ceviche
- Pro Tips
- Make-Ahead and Storage
- More Must Try Seafood Appetizers
- Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Skill level: Easy
Shrimp Ceviche Ingredients
Shrimp Ceviche Ingredients
- Raw shrimp: Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined. If using frozen, thaw completely before poaching.
- Fine sea salt: For best flavor, avoid iodized table salt.
- Whole black peppercorns: The kind used in a pepper grinder.
- Roma tomatoes: Firm, ripe Roma tomatoes hold their shape when diced.
- English cucumber: English or diva cucumbers are ideal because they need no peeling. If using a standard cucumber, peel and remove large seeds.
- Radishes: For a crisp, peppery bite.
- Jalapeño: Remove seeds and membrane for mild heat; use serrano for more spice.
- Cilantro: Use leaves for the ceviche and save stems for the poaching liquid; the stems add concentrated flavor.
- Avocado: Ripe but firm, so diced pieces hold their shape.
- Tortilla chips: Or plantain chips for serving.
Why This Recipe Works
- Aromatic poaching liquid: Poaching shrimp with lime wedges, salt, peppercorns, and cilantro stems seasons them internally rather than only on the surface.
- Short steep time: A three-minute poach followed by a quick chill ensures the shrimp are safe to eat and remain tender instead of becoming firm from prolonged acid exposure.
- Radish for texture: Thinly sliced radishes add a sharp crunch that complements cucumber.
- Late avocado addition: Folding in avocado just before serving keeps the cubes intact and prevents browning.
How to Make Shrimp Ceviche
Poach and shock the shrimp: Bring water to a boil with fine sea salt, lime wedges (squeeze some juice into the pot), whole peppercorns, and cilantro stems. Add the shrimp, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 3 minutes until just cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to stop cooking, then pat dry and chop into bite-size pieces.
Combine and chill: In a large bowl, toss the chopped shrimp with diced tomatoes, cucumber, radish, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro leaves, and fresh lime juice. Season with a pinch of fine sea salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Add avocado and serve: Right before serving, fold in diced avocado so the pieces stay intact. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish if desired, and offer tortilla chips and lime wedges for dipping.
Pro Tips
- Pat shrimp dry: After the ice bath, blot shrimp well with paper towels to avoid diluting the ceviche.
- Dice uniformly: Cut vegetables and shrimp into similar-sized pieces so each bite has balanced texture and flavor.
- Use a large bowl: Toss gently in a roomy bowl to avoid mashing the avocado and to make mixing easier.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Shrimp ceviche is best eaten the day it’s made. You can prep the vegetables and poach the shrimp a few hours ahead, but combine shrimp, lime juice, and vegetables only about 30 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours. Expect the shrimp to firm up the longer it sits in lime juice.
More Must Try Seafood Appetizers
- Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
- Tuna Tartare
- Tuna Ceviche
- Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Scallop Crudo
- Scallop Ceviche
Shrimp Ceviche
Video
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt for seasoning water
- 1 lime cut into wedges; squeeze juice into pot
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves reserve stems for cooking water
Other Ceviche Ingredients
- 4 Roma Tomatoes seeded and diced small
- 1 medium cucumber peeled and diced small
- 3 radishes thinly sliced, slices quartered
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 medium jalapeño finely diced; seeds and membrane removed for milder heat
- 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 3 limes
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1 medium avocado
- microgreens for garnish, optional
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
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Prepare an ice bath for the shrimp.
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Bring 2 quarts water to a boil with kosher salt, lime wedges (squeeze some juice into the pot), peppercorns, and reserved cilantro stems. Add shrimp, cover, remove from heat, and let stand 3 minutes until just cooked. Transfer shrimp to the ice bath with a slotted spoon.
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When shrimp are cool, lift them from the ice bath, pat dry, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.
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Add tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro leaves, and fresh lime juice to the shrimp. Gently stir and season with kosher salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Just before serving, peel, seed, and dice the avocado. Fold it into the ceviche gently, transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with microgreens if desired. Serve with tortilla chips and lime wedges.
Notes
- To increase heat, leave the jalapeño seeds and membrane or substitute serrano chiles. Wear gloves when handling hot chiles to avoid skin irritation.
- For more shrimp and fewer veggies: use 1/2 cucumber, 2 tomatoes, and reduce red onion to 1/4 cup if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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