Shrimp Ceviche

I love making easy shrimp ceviche recipe in the summer as it’s a simple no-cook recipe that doesn’t take a lot of effort to put together making it the perfect dish to serve as an easy appetizer or light lunch. Simply chop everything into bite-sized pieces and marinate the shrimp in juice. The acid in the citrus juice cooks the shrimp, so you don’t even have to turn on the stove. 

Originating in Latin America, this easy recipe is full of bold, bright flavors, thanks to the citrus juice, and the crisp vegetables give you an irresistible crunch. Paired with creamy diced avocado and tender shrimp, you will love every bite of this ceviche. It is also versatile, as you can serve this as a light meal or with some tortilla chips or plantain chips for a simple appetizer. It’s a fresh, healthy dish that everyone will love. If you want another delicious shrimp recipe, then try my shrimp tacos, baked coconut shrimp, or shrimp alfredo recipe!

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Citrus — lime, lemon, and orange juice add a deliciously bright, bold flavor, so I highly recommend using fresh citrus juices over bottled juice. Make sure to use all three, as they balance each other out creating an acidic marinade that keeps the dish from tasting too sweet, sour, or tart.

Shrimp — make sure to clean and devein shrimp before cooking or buy pre-peeled and deveined to reduce the preparation time. If you do not want to cut the fresh shrimp, you can use small bite-sized shrimp instead of cutting the shrimp into ½-inch small pieces.

Tomatoes — I like to use Roma tomatoes as they are less watery than other tomatoes. They’re also firmer than other varieties of tomatoes, so they hold their shape in the dish.

Red onions — red onions add a nice pop of color to the shrimp ceviche. Red onions also have a little bit of spice to them and a wonderful crispy texture.

Jalapeno — this adds a nice kick of heat to the dish.

Avocado — a diced avocado adds a delightfully rich and creamy texture to the dish. Make sure the avocado is ripe for the best flavor and texture. To tell if an avocado is ripe, lightly squeeze it, and if it gives in, it is ripe.

How to Make Shrimp Ceviche

1. Combine the lime, lemon, and orange juice in a medium mixing bowl. Reserve ½ cup of the juice mixture and set aside.

2. Cut the shrimp into ½-inch pieces.

3. Stir the cut shrimp into the juice mixture, pushing down the shrimp so it is covered in the juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the shrimp turns pink and opaque. 

4. Strain the shrimp, discarding the liquid. Return the shrimp to the same mixing bowl. 

5. Add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and salt to a bowl.

6. Stir to combine.

7. Stir in the reserved ½ cup juice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. 

8. Gently stir in the avocado just before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

• To get the most juice out of your lemon, limes, and oranges, bring them to room temperature and roll them underneath your palm on the kitchen counter. This will loosen the juices in the citrus, and you’ll get more juice out of them.
• To prevent any metallic taste in your dish, it’s best to use a glass or non-reactive bowl (stainless steel, ceramic, or plastic). Avoid using aluminum or copper bowls as they can react with citrus. 
• You can use a serrano pepper or leave the seeds and membranes intact of your jalapeno pepper to make the shrimp ceviche spicier.
• Feel free to add diced fruit, such as mango or pineapple, for additional sweetness. 
• Crisp veggies such as diced cucumber, red bell pepper, and green onion make for a delicious addition to the ceviche. 
• If you find red onion tastes too sharp, you can soak it in some cold water to cut some of the bite. 
• You can add to or replace some of the shrimp with firm white fish, scallops, sea bass, or octopus.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve tried this Shrimp Ceviche recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!