Ceviche
intro
Bright, zesty no-cook seafood cured in fresh citrus, tossed with crisp veggies and cilantro for a light, refreshing, gently spicy bite perfect for hot days.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the fresh fish
Pat 500 grams of skinless, sashimi-grade white sea bass completely dry with paper towels, then cut into uniform 1cm cubes, discarding any dark bloodline sections or stray pin bones. Place the cubed fish in a non-reactive glass or ceramic mixing bowl (avoid metal, which reacts with acid to create off-flavors).
Cure fish in citrus
Pour 180ml freshly squeezed lime juice and 60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice over the cubed fish, stirring to ensure every piece is fully submerged in citrus. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes at 4°C, until the fish is fully opaque on all sides with no translucent raw centers; do not cure longer than 20 minutes, as over-curing will make fish tough and rubbery.
Prep vegetable mix-ins
While the fish cures, add the finely diced 120g red onion to a small bowl of ice-cold water and soak for 10 minutes to mellow its sharp, harsh bite, then drain completely. Combine the drained onion, minced 15g seeded jalapeño, diced 180g seeded Roma tomatoes, and chopped 15g cilantro in a small prep bowl, tossing to mix evenly.
Toss and season ceviche
Once the fish is fully cured, pour off 1/3 of the excess citrus juice from the bowl (do not drain all juice, as it keeps the ceviche moist and flavorful). Add the prepped vegetable mix, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, and 0.5 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to the fish, stirring gently with a silicone spatula to combine all ingredients evenly.
Chill to meld flavors
Cover the mixed ceviche again with plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator to rest for 10 minutes at 4°C to let the flavors meld; avoid stirring during this rest time to prevent breaking down the tender fish pieces.
Add avocado and serve
Right before serving, gently fold in the 150g cubed ripe Hass avocado, taking care not to mash the soft avocado pieces. Portion the ceviche into 4 small serving bowls, and serve immediately alongside 200g of crisp corn tortilla chips for scooping.
Tips
2.Skip bottled citrus juice: fresh-squeezed lime and lemon juice has the bright, balanced acidity needed to properly cure fish, while bottled juice has a bitter, preserved aftertaste that will ruin the dish’s bright flavor.
3.Seed both tomatoes and jalapeños during prep: tomato seeds add excess water that makes ceviche watery, while jalapeño seeds and white membranes hold most of the pepper’s heat, so removing them lets you control spice level easily.
OMG this ceviche is a total game changer! I brought it to my neighbor’s backyard potluck last weekend and people begged me for the recipe all night. I used fresh red snapper like the note suggested and it was perfectly bright, not too fishy at all. My 7 year old even ate two servings with tortilla chips!
SO good. I make ceviche all the time and this version tastes exactly like the stuff I had at a little beach shack in Puerto Vallarta a few years back. The addition of a little orange juice is chef’s kiss, cuts the tartness perfectly. Already added this to my weekly meal prep rotation for quick lunches.
I was nervous to make ceviche for our family taco night because I thought it would be too complicated, but this was so easy! 35 minutes total start to finish, no fancy equipment needed. My kids loved it piled on tostadas with a little avocado. Only thing I did different was skip the serrano because my toddlers don’t do spice.
Wait has anyone tried this with shrimp instead of white fish? I have a bag of frozen raw shrimp in the freezer and I don’t feel like running to the fish market today.
Made this to go with our weekend craft beer tasting with friends and it was the perfect pairing. Bright, fresh, a little kick from the serrano, went so good with our citrusy IPAs. Didn’t change a single thing, followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect first try.
I was skeptical because I’m used to the more tomato-heavy ceviche from my trips to the east coast of Mexico, but this coastal version is lighter and so much more refreshing for hot summer days. 10/10 will make again.
How long does this keep in the fridge? I want to make a big batch on Sunday for work lunches but I don’t want it to get too mushy.
Y’all, I added an extra serrano and a pinch of tajin on top and it was LIFE CHANGING. If you love heat, do not sleep on that tweak.
First time ever making ceviche and I was so worried I’d undercure the fish and make everyone sick, but the timing instructions were so clear! 20 minutes in the lime juice was exactly right, the fish was opaque but still tender, no rubbery texture at all. Even my super picky roommate ate three helpings.
Packed this for our beach day last weekend and it was the perfect snack. No heating required, just tossed it in a cooler with a bag of plantain chips and it was such a nice change from the usual sandwiches and potato salad. Got so many compliments from the group we were with.
So happy to find a ceviche recipe that doesn’t call for any weird hidden gluten! A lot of store-bought ceviche has weird soy sauce or wheat-based additives, so making it at home with this recipe means I can eat it without worrying about my Celiac. Tastes incredible too, win win.
I used tilapia because it was the cheapest white fish at the grocery store this week and it still turned out so good! I was worried tilapia would be too bland but all the lime, cilantro, and veggies gave it so much flavor, I didn’t miss the more expensive fish at all.
Made this for our football watch party on Sunday and it was gone before halftime. I set it out with a big bowl of chips, tostada shells, and little cups for people to scoop, and it was way more popular than the usual queso and wings. Will be making this every game day from now on.
For anyone who hates cilantro like me: I swapped it for fresh chopped parsley and a little extra lime zest and it was still chef’s kiss. You don’t even miss the cilantro, I promise. I was worried I’d have to skip making this but the easy swap worked perfectly.
Made this for my partner’s birthday dinner since they’re obsessed with all things Mexican food, and they said it was better than the ceviche we had on our honeymoon in Cancun. Served it with coconut rice on the side and margaritas, total dream date night meal.
Has anyone tried adding a little diced mango to this? I love sweet and savory combos and I feel like mango would go so good with the lime and spice.
I worked in coastal Mexican restaurants for 20 years and this recipe is spot on. The ratio of lime to orange juice is exactly what we used, the resting time is perfect, no weird unnecessary add-ins. Great work on this recipe, it’s a classic for a reason.
I topped mine with a huge dollop of guacamole and extra pickled red onions and oh my GOD, it was so good. I could eat this every single day in the summer, it’s so light but filling.
As a broke college student, this was so easy to make in my tiny dorm kitchen! No oven needed, just a cutting board, knife, and a big bowl, and the ingredients were all cheap at the campus grocery store. My roommates and I devoured the whole batch in 10 minutes. Will 100% be making this again when we have people over.