Quick & Easy Fresh Shrimp Ceviche

Quick & Easy Fresh Shrimp Ceviche filled with tender shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, jalapeno and lime juice. It’s an ultra healthy bite that’s perfect for a side dish, an appetizer or main dish

The Best Homemade Shrimp Ceviche

If you want to make a flavorful dish that incorporates vegetables and seafood, then you have to try this easy shrimp ceviche. Every bite is a burst of freshness in the form of zesty shrimp, diced tomatoes & cucumbers and plenty of seasonings. This 10-minute masterpiece can be a light meal on its own, a side dish, or even an appetizer!

Ceviche is suitable for every season. With a recipe this quick and easy, how could it not be!? During the summertime, it’s especially nice, because you don’t need to turn on the oven or the stove to cook the shrimp.

What is Ceviche?

Ceviche is a Peruvian dish that combines seafood with lime juice, herbs, onions and other seasonings. The reason you don’t need to cook the shrimp for ceviche is because the acidity of the lime juice actually cooks the seafood for you! There are tons of different ways to make it, but this simple recipe with shrimp, cucumber and tomatoes is my absolute favorite.

Is it Safe to Eat Raw Shrimp Ceviche?

Don’t worry, this dish is 100% safe to eat, even though the shrimp isn’t cooked with heat. The acid from the lime juice actually alters the protein structure of seafood in the same way that heat does! So the shrimp is essentially “cooked” even though it didn’t come into contact with the stove, grill or oven.

Recipe Ingredients

You don’t need a whole lot of ingredients to throw together this ceviche. Just the shrimp, the veggies and the trusty flavorings!

• Raw Shrimp: Peeled and deveined.
• Lime Juice: I strongly suggest using fresh lime juice. You will need about 4 limes.
• English Cucumber: Dice the cucumber into pieces of your desired size.
• Roma Tomatoes: You’ll need about 1 1/4 cups of diced tomatoes.
• Jalapeño: Dice up one jalapeño pepper.
• Red Onion: Diced.
• Cilantro: 1/3 cup of diced cilantro ties everything in this ceviche together.
• Garlic Cloves: I recommend mincing fresh garlic for the best flavor, but pre-minced garlic works great too.

How to Choose Shrimp

When it comes to buying shrimp, it’s a good idea to go to the seafood counter at the grocery store. Thawed frozen shrimp will work just fine for this recipe, but it’s definitely worth it to buy it fresh.

If you can’t get your hands on any fresh shrimp, go for frozen pink shrimp. You could also use Argentinian or rock shrimp, which have a more lobster-esque flavor. 

How to Make Fresh Shrimp Ceviche

This has got to be the easiest seafood recipe ever! You just have to soak your shrimp in the lime juice, add the rest of the ingredients and let the mixture sit.

1. Dice Shrimp: Cut the prepared shrimp into smaller bite-sized pieces (about 1/4″-1/2″).
2. Soak in Lime Juice: Add the shrimp to a large bowl and pour the lime juice over the shrimp. Toss to coat the shrimp and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The acid from the lime juice will cook the shrimp and turn it opaque in color. That’s how you know it’s done.
3. Add Remaining Ingredients: Next, add the cucumber, tomato, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, garlic cloves, cumin, salt and pepper to the bowl with the shrimp. Toss to mix.
4. Let Sit: Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
5. Enjoy: Serve as is or with tortilla chips.

Tips for Success

You can’t go wrong with this easy dish. If it’s your first time making ceviche or you want a little extra advice, check out these simple recipe tips!

• Don’t Use More or Less Lime Juice: It’s important to use exactly 1/2 a cup of fresh lime juice to cook your shrimp. Any less and it might not cook, any more and it will likely become tough.
• Look for Color Change in Shrimp: Once your shrimp is no longer translucent, you’re good to move on with the recipe; that’s how you know it’s been cooked.
• Serve with Tortilla Chips: This ceviche is amazing by itself, but if you’re serving it as an appetizer, you should definitely pair it with a bag of tortilla chips or Saltines. The fresh flavors taste so good on top of a crunchy cracker!

What Goes With Ceviche?

Oh wow, where to start? There are a million different dishes I like to serve with this shrimp ceviche. Here are a few favorites that come to mind right away:

• Guacamole & Chips: A lot of ceviche recipes include avocado as an ingredient, and you can easily make it one in this recipe! Just mix in some of my Homemade Guacamole before serving. You can also serve guacamole on the side with homemade pita chips.
• Margaritas: I bet you didn’t see this one coming! Just kidding. I know you did. Seriously though, I love pairing ceviche with a Classic Margarita.
• Sweet Potatoes: In Peru, it’s very common to serve ceviche with a side of sweet potatoes. Try serving yours with this Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Hash!
• Corn: Another common side dish for ceviche is corn. Keep things classic by pairing this shrimp ceviche with my Buttery Grilled Corn on the Cob.

How Long Does Shrimp Ceviche Last?

It’s best to enjoy your ceviche within 8 hours of making it, but you can keep leftovers for longer if you’d like. Just place them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2 days. I don’t recommend freezing ceviche.

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More Shrimp Recipes to Try

Need more tasty ways to serve shrimp? These ideas have got you covered.

• Garlic Herb Roasted Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce
• Spicy Shrimp Pasta

DON’T MISS A RECIPE

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