Cool and tasty shrimp ceviche recipe, shrimp served with chopped red onion, chile, cilantro, cucumber, avocado with lemon and lime juices.
With the warm days of summer upon us, a great way to cool off is with ceviche!
Ceviche is typically made with red snapper that is “cooked” by the acidity of lime and lemon juice (see this ceviche recipe.)
This version of ceviche is prepared with shrimp, which is first lightly cooked, and then marinated in the citrus juice.
My father, who generally doesn’t really like shrimp that much, loved this ceviche. (Gotta love it when they eat it up and ask for more!)
Why pre-cook the shrimp?
While the acidic marinade “cooks” (denatures) the proteins, it may not kill all of the bacteria. Traditionally ceviche is made with raw seafood, but even then it is recommended that pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems avoid it.
Personally I don’t find this as much of an issue with raw fish (think sushi, sashimi), but for some reason shellfish like shrimp and scallops can go bad much more easily. Unless your seafood is extremely fresh, I recommend lightly pre-cooking it first.
Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Chilling time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4-6
If you find the ceviche a little too acidic, drain out some of the juices after the marinating, add a little more avocado (or some olive oil) and/or a little more salt.
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3/4 cup lime juice (juice from 4-6 limes)
- 3/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 2-3 lemons)
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cucumber, peeled diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Method
1 Boil the shrimp: In a large pot, bring to a boil 2 quarts of water, salted with 1 tablespoons salt. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute to 2 minutes max, depending on size of shrimp. (Over-cooking the shrimp will turn it rubbery.)
Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
2 Cut up shrimp, mix with lime and lemon juice: Drain the shrimp. Cut each piece of shrimp in half, or into inch-long pieces.
Place the shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl. Mix in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour.
3 Mix in the chopped red onion and serrano chile. Refrigerate an additional half hour.
4 Right before serving, add the cilantro, cucumber, and avocado.
