When the summer heat starts rolling in and you need a satisfying snack to keep you cool, nothing does the trick quite like Ceviche de Camaron! Light and refreshing, yet protein-packed and hearty enough to pacify any appetite, there’s no contest — ceviche is the ultimate no-cook summertime appetizer!
Shrimp Ceviche comes fully packed with lime-infused bites of shrimp tossed with a fresh, zesty mix of tomatoes, avocado, jalapeño, and onion. Serve it alongside tortilla chips or Saltine crackers, and if you’re looking to make it a party, don’t forget the margaritas!
Love shrimp appetizers? Bookmark this flavorful Mexican Shrimp Cocktail for next time!
WHAT IS SHRIMP CEVICHE?
Ceviche de Camaron is a light and zesty South American appetizer featuring raw shrimp cooked in lime juice and tossed with other fresh ingredients like tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. Think shrimp meets pico de gallo with a lot of lime. It often also features diced avocado and cucumber.
It is traditionally served with crackers, hot sauce, and lime wedges. In the United States, you’re more likely to see it served alongside a basket of tortilla chips.
IS THE SHRIMP IN CEVICHE RAW?
The shrimp in Shrimp Ceviche goes in raw, but it should certainly not be consumed raw. The shrimp actually cooks in the lime juice. How does this work? Science. You can read more about that in this article “Cooking Without Heat,” from Sun-Sentinel where they explain the cooking process far better than this food blogger ever could.
HOW TO MAKE SHRIMP CEVICHE
- Juice the Limes – Mix together lime juice and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Prep the Shrimp – Have the shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed. Then, chop it into small, bite-sized pieces (just under a 1/2″ dice), and add it to the bowl with the lime juice. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- Prep the Veggies – Seed and dice the tomatoes and jalapeños. Next, chop the onion and the cilantro and add it to the bowl with shrimp, stir to combine, and transfer it back to the refrigerator.
- Chill and Cook – Cover and refrigerate the mixture for about 30 to 40 minutes more, stirring about every 15 minutes or so. Do this until the shrimp are opaque — with a pink exterior and white flesh — and fully cooked through,
- Add Avocado and Serve – Once the shrimp are cooked, add the diced avocado and stir until evenly mixed in. Serve chilled with good, hearty tortilla chips, and enjoy!
WHAT’S IN CEVICHE DE CAMARON?
- Shrimp
- Fresh-Squeezed Lime Juice
- Tomatoes
- Jalapenos
- Onion
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Salt
HIGH-QUALITY SHRIMP IS A MUST
If you’re a first-timer, Shrimp Ceviche may seem a little intimidating. Why? Well, simply put, parasites and bacteria. Not a fun topic, but you should have all the facts.
If not cooked properly, shrimp contains bacteria that can cause very unpleasant reactions (to say the least). Do not eat raw shrimp. Make sure the shrimp in your Ceviche de Camaron is fully cooked before consuming.
Here is a tip from Reader’s Digest to help you know when your shrimp are fully cooked:
To know when shrimp are cooked (and safe to eat), watch the color. A perfectly cooked shrimp… has an opaque pinky color with a sheen. When they are overcooked, shrimp turn matte white or gray.
This means the shrimp should have a firm, white flesh on the inside and a pink exterior.
You also need to make sure you are getting your shrimp from a trusted source, and it should be of the highest quality for making Ceviche de Camaron. Here’s why: Unlike cooking with heat, a longer “marinating” time will not kill any potential parasites. Now, I’m not trying to detour or scare you away from making ceviche, but you should have the facts.
Feeling squirmish about Shrimp Ceviche? Make this Shrimp and Avocado Salad instead. Pretty much the same dish, only the shrimp is cooked (with heat) before going into the bowl!
CAN I MAKE THIS WITH FISH?
Snapper, sea bass, halibut, and grouper are great fish for ceviche. However, shrimp takes longer to cook in lime juice than fish does. In fact, fish cooks in almost half the time! If you were to sub it fish for this exact recipe, it would turn out overcooked.
CEVICHE DE CAMARON SAFETY STORAGE TIPS
Keep Ceviche refrigerated and covered until it is time to serve, and eat it fresh. Do not keep leftover ceviche.
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE CAN YOU MAKE IT?
Ceviche de Camaron is a make-ahead dish as it has to cook in the lime juice for about an hour. So technically, you have to make it in advance. However, if you wait to serve it too far out from that hour-long timeline, the shrimp will very likely overcook in the lime juice, begin to lose their pink, and take on more of a greyish color.
5 MORE MEXICAN APPETIZERS YOU’LL LOVE
This Ceviche de Camaron is a make-ahead, light and refreshing no-cook appetizer made with shrimp and a fresh mix of tomatoes, avocado, jalapeño, and onion tossed in lime juice!
- 1 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (from about 10-12 limes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 pound (36/50 count) medium-sized, high-quality medium shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 4 large jalapenos
- 3/4 cup finely diced red or white onion
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, diced
- Tortilla chips or Saltine crackers for serving
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Add the lime juice and the Kosher salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
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Cut the shrimp into small, bite-sized pieces (just under a 1/2" dice) and transfer it to the mixing bowl with the lime juice. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes, toss the shrimp about half-way through. While the shrimp is "cooking," prepare the remaining veggies.
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Remove the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes, chop into a 1/4" dice, and add to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Deseed and finely dice the jalapenos, and add them to the bowl with the tomatoes. Add the chopped onion and cilantro to the bowl as well and set aside until ready to use.
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Add the veggie mixture to the bowl with the shrimp. Stir until evenly mixed. Then, cover and refrigerate for about 30-40 minutes more, stirring about every 15 minutes or so, or until shrimp are opaque -- with a pink exterior and white flesh -- and fully cooked through.
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Add the avocado and stir until evenly mixed in. Serve the ceviche chilled with good, hearty tortilla chips, and enjoy!
Warning: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.
Sources: Serious Eats | Cooks Illustrated | HoustonTX.gov
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