Shrimp Ceviche
Fresh, healthy and easy! This Shrimp Ceviche recipe will wow as a restaurant-quality party appetizer that is so simple to make at home.
It’s National Ceviche Day! I think this may only be a food holiday in Peru, but let’s just pretend I’m in South America for the day, not Detroit. Cool?
Does lime juice cook shrimp?
Ceviche is one of those things that allow me to appreciate the chemistry of cooking.
The conventional wisdom is that the acid of the citrus juice “cooks” the seafood, but upon some further research, I’ve discovered that the citric acid in the lemon and lime juice causes the proteins in the seafood to become denatured, which means that the seafood looks like it is cooked (it will become more opaque and firm).
The same thing happens to meat if you leave it in buttermilk chicken marinade or flat iron steak marinade too long. It’s not really “cooked,” but it does get firmer, which makes it tough when you grill it.
Start with the freshest seafood for Shrimp Ceviche
The very fact that citrus juice can do this at all is pretty amazing to me. However, it is still a raw fish dish – if you like sushi, you’ll probably like ceviche.
If you’re pregnant or your immune system has issues, you may want to skip it, because the acid in the lime juice will not be able to kill any stray bacteria or parasites the way that heat does (treat yourself with some fully-cooked shrimp fajitas or shrimp wonton soup instead).
I probably don’t need to tell you this, but it’s important to start with the freshest, best-quality seafood you can find. Use this as an excuse to head to a great fish market in your area (and pick up some Chilean sea bass while you’re there, for my best Chilean sea bass recipe).
You don’t need to cook the shrimp for ceviche!
Invite your friends over for a ceviche party, and wow them with the chemistry experiment. Although be prepared for detailed explanations to skeptical diners.
I wrote a similar shrimp ceviche recipe for a publishing company I work for. It was published in a grocery store magazine, and shortly after it hit newsstands the publishing company received a voicemail from a very confused lady that thought we had accidentally forgotten the step where you cook the shrimp.
We returned her call and tried to explain how ceviche works, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t trust us. Oh well, her loss, right? She’ll miss out on the spicy, tangy, fresh summer delight that is ceviche!
The ingredients for shrimp ceviche are simple and fresh:
- shrimp
- lemon juice and zest
- lime juice and zest
- olive oil
- sugar
- paprika
- salt
- tomato
- cilantro
- cucumber
- green onions
- jalapeño
How to make shrimp ceviche:
First, combine shrimp with lemon and lime juice. Simple! Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight.
Next, make the dressing for the ceviche using olive oil, sugar, paprika, salt, lemon juice and zest and lime juice and zest.
Right before you’re ready to serve, remove the shrimp from the juice and place it in a bowl. Add tomato, cilantro, cucumber, onion, jalapeño and the dressing and toss it all to combine. Serve as is or with chips!
How long does shrimp ceviche last?
I would recommend keeping it in the refrigerator for no longer than 2 days. Eat it up as soon as possible (preferably with a tequila mojito or Strawberry moscow mule in hand) for the freshest flavor!
Shrimp Ceviche
Fresh, healthy and easy! This Shrimp Ceviche recipe will wow as a restaurant-quality party appetizer that is so simple to make at home.
Ingredients
- 1 pound 51-60 count peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled cucumber
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1-1/2 tablespoons seeded and minced jalapeño
- Lime wedges for garnish (optional)
- Tortilla chips for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In medium bowl, combine shrimp and 1/2 cup each lemon and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight, stirring at least 2 or 3 times.
- In small bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, paprika, salt, lemon and lime zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons each lemon and lime juice.
- Just before serving, pour excess liquid off of shrimp mixture. Add tomato, cilantro, cucumber, onion, jalapeño and oil mixture; toss to combine. Serve immediately garnished with lime wedges, with tortilla chips, if desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 284mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
Other great shrimp recipes:
- Citrus Fennel Salad – perfect for when grapefruit is at it’s peak!
- Grilled Shrimp with Vanilla Beurre Blanc – fancy yet totally do-able at home.
- Roasted Lemon Shrimp Cocktail – I make this every Thanksgiving!
- Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta – a reader favorite!
I had had Scrimp Ceviche for the first time this past May in San Antonio. It was very good, but this was even better. I will defiantly be making this many times in the future. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
http://yallcomeoninthedoorsopen.blogspot.com/2014/07/dinner-with-friends-from-afar.html
Wow, Brenda – that is a huge compliment. I’m honored, and so glad you enjoyed it!
Paprika, eh? This is a beautiful looking ceviche, I kinda want to lick my screen. Will definitely try your version! I’m thinking inside a half an avocado. Nom Nom as they say.
Ceviche is super cool, but I’m not a raw fish or meat eater. These shrimp do look cooked, though, which is pretty amazing.
Hi Katie – it’s raw shrimp – the best quality you can find. If you’d like to start with pre-cooked shrimp, I’d skip step 1, and just start at step 2 – it’ll mimic the ceviche flavor 🙂
do you use raw shrimp or precooked?
I’m so glad it was a hit, Kristine! I love the extra heat from some of the jalapeno seeds, too 🙂 Also, I’m going to try adding avocado to mine next time. I bet it added a nice touch of richness.
I made this as an appetizer for a 4th of July party. It was excellent and a huge hit with the guests! I doubled the recipe, added a bit more cucumber and 2 diced avocados. I also gave it a few shakes of tapatio hot sauce. Next time I think I would use another jalapeno instead or just keep some ribs or seeds of the jalapeno for some balanced heat.
I made this as an appetizer for a 4th of July party. It was excellent and a huge hit with the guests! I doubled the recipe, added a bit more cucumber and 2 diced avocados. I also gave it a few shakes of tapatio hot sauce. Next time I think I would use another jalapeno instead or just keep some ribs or seeds of the jalapeno for some balanced heat.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Kristine! I love the extra heat from some of the jalapeno seeds, too 🙂 Also, I’m going to try adding avocado to mine next time. I bet it added a nice touch of richness.