For those who do not eat seafood, you can substitute black beans for the shrimp. Shrimp can get expensive, so substituting black bean for the seafood makes this a great affordable dish for potlucks, entertaining, or good healthy plant-based eating. The base of both these dishes is the same- a solid pico de gallo, comprised of tomato, onion, cilantro, chili pepper, and lemon/lime juice. So once you master the perfect umami balance that characterizes pico de gallo, you can use this as a base with a wide range of ingredients to create equally tantalizing concoctions.

What kind of shrimp should I use for ceviche?

Avoid pre-cooked shrimp if at all possible. Always start from good quality fresh or frozen shrimp. Get the best possible quality that you can. Old shrimp can be mealy/pasty. Try to go for Jumbo shrimp if possible, size 16/20. The bigger your shrimp, the juicier your ceviche. Sprouts is a great place to buy shrimp because it has the easy peel kind that has already been de-veined.

How long should the ceviche marinate?

Ideally, 1-2 days. Any shorter than a day, and you will not have the full flavor of the lemon and veggies soak into the shrimp. Any longer and your ceviche will begin to taste old and bitter.

Should I add the avocado into the ceviche ahead of time?

Do not pre-mix avocado into the salsa as it will brown after about 15 minutes. Always leave your avocado separate and serve it alongside your ceviche fresh.

Cooking tips for Easy Shrimp Ceviche

• Always keep in mind the chip you are serving with any salsa. If you have a very salty chip, go easy on the salt with your salsa. Mexican food is all about that perfect umami balance of salt, sour and spicy.
• You can bake your own tostadas, which are are healthier than the deep-fried kind. With tostadas, either use a lot of oil to fry them or don’t use any at all. Anything in between these extremes and you’ll get a soggy chewy mess.
• Squeeze the ceviche with your (gloved) hands to release the juices from the veg
• gies. This allows them to swim with the juices of others, and then absorb the flavors of all the other
• kids in the pool. Try it out and see if you notice a difference!

Print

The Best Easy Shrimp Ceviche

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword easy ceviche, easy shrimp ceviche, Mexican ceviche, shimp ceviche, summer dish

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 2 lb shrimp
• 5 roma tomatoes diced
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• 1/2 sweet onion diced
• 3-5 pickled serrano chiles diced
• 1 fresh serrano chile optional
• 2 large lemons juiced
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp salt

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once water is boiling, place shrimp into boiling water and allow to boil for 3-5 minutes until just cooked through. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel shrimp and chop into bite sized pieces.
• Add chopped shrimp into a large mixing bowl. Add in diced tomatoes, onion, pickeld serrano chiles, serrano chile, and cilantro and mix together. Add lemon juice, lime juice, and salt.
• Wear plastic cooking gloves. Using your hands, squeeze the ceviche mixture and mix around approximately 1 minute. This allows the flavors of the ingredients to combine.
• Place ceviche in the refrigerator overnight.
• The next day, taste for seasoning and add salt or lemon juice as needed. Serve with fresh avocado and tortilla chips or tostadas.

For other tasty summery fresh recipes, check out my strawberry coconut chia seed pudding and healthy caesar salad.