Have you ever wanted to learn How to Make Ceviche? A perfect summer appetizer or light dinner, this Classic Fish Ceviche Recipe is made with cubes of fresh snapper and halibut cooked in lime juice and mixed with shallots, chili peppers, bell pepper, and fresh cilantro. Serve with chips, fresh tortillas, avocado, or plantain, and enjoy with friends and family all summer long!
I remember the first time I ever tried ceviche. My husband (then boyfriend) and I had just landed in San Jose, Costa Rica after what felt like the longest flight of my life. We ventured out of our hotel for dinner where he introduced me to the tangy, delicious world of ceviche.
I’ve been hooked ever since.
My husband, once far more traveled than I, learned about this seafood dish while traveling in Peru, where, come to find out, ceviche is considered a national dish (but more on that later).
What is Ceviche
Ceviche (pronounced “seh-VEE-chay”) is a popular and well-known Latin American seafood recipe for raw fish that has been marinated in citrus juice, primarily lime and lemon. Also known as cebiche, seviche, or sebiche, ceviche often includes onions, chiles, cilantro, and tomatoes.
Ceviche recipes vary by region, with Peru claiming the origin of the dish to be in Lima nearly 2000 years ago.
Regardless of its origin, Ceviche is now a popular international dish prepared several different ways throughout the Americas (I have personally enjoyed this dish in California, Mexico, Tahiti, and Costa Rica), with the greatest variety of ceviche found in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Peru.
Ceviche Variations
North America, Central America, and the Caribbean
- Mexico and Central America – shrimp, octopus, squid, tuna, and mackerel are popular bases along with salt, lime juice, onion, chili peppers, avocado, and cilantro as the marinade. Sometimes, olives or tomatoes will be added (but never ketchup as it is not considered fresh). In Mexico, it may be served “wet” or “dry”. In the dry version, the ceviche is drained from the marinade and is served with chips or on top of tostadas.
- Ceviche de concha negra (“black conch ceviche”) or pata de mula (“mules foot”) this popular recipe is from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and parts of Mexico and is made with lime juice, onion, yerba buena, tomato, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
- Nicaragua and Costa Rica – typically made with marinated fish, lime juice, salt, pepper, minced onions, cilantro, and minced peppers, and is usually served in a cocktail glass with a side of ketchup, mayonnaise, and Tabasco sauce.
- Cuba – made with mahi-mahi, squid or tuna, lime juice, salt, onion, green pepper, habanero, and a pinch of allspice.
- Puerto Rico and the Caribbean – ceviche is often made with coconut milk.
- Bahamas / Southern Florida – conch ceviche is the specialty.
- South Florida – tomato juice is often added.
South America
- Chile – ceviche is typically made with halibut or Patagonian toothfish and marinated in lime and grapefruit juices, minced garlic, red chili peppers, mint, and cilantro.
- Ecuador – Ecuador comes with several variations of ceviche. Some are prepared with tomato sauce, while others are prepared with the juice provided by the cooked shrimp. Sometimes made with local shellfish such as clams, oysters, and barnacles, you will often find Ecuadorian ceviche served with corn kernels, plantain chips, popcorn, or even rice.
- Peru – the classic Peruvian ceviche is made with chunks of raw fish that is marinated in freshly squeezed key lime or bitter orange juice, sliced onions, salt and pepper, and chili peppers. Traditionally, the mixture would have been marinated for several hours and served at room temperature with corn on the cob and sweet potato.
Is ceviche safe to eat?
First and foremost, let me explain real quick how the citrus juice “cooks” the fish.
Here’s how it works-
The acid from the citrus juice denatures the proteins in the fish. In other words, proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids (adenine, guanine, thymine, etc) which are the most fundamental building blocks of life. Place the fish chunks in a bowl of citrus acid and it causes these perfectly configured chains to reconfigure or break apart. Heat also accomplishes this (usually much faster).
But is it safe?
Unfortunately, this isn’t really something that can be answered with a yes or a no.
The citrus does kill many of the nasty bits that can make you sick, however, it will not protect you from things such as salmonella, certain parasites, and worms.
What can you do?
- Be smart about the fish you pick- safe picks include tuna, rockfish, halibut, lingcod, snapper, seabass.
- Buy only the freshest sushi-grade fish or fish that has been previously frozen.
- Make sure to chop the fish into small chunks to create more surface area for the citrus juice to cover.
- If you’re really nervous, blanch the fish in boiling water for 1 minute.
- Enjoy within 24 hours…48 hours at the absolute MAX!
Ingredients in Fish Ceviche
- Fish. As I mentioned above, tuna, rockfish, halibut, lingcod, snapper, and seabass are all great options.
- Chili peppers. Ajà Amarillo is a type of chili used in many authentic Peruvian ceviche recipes and may be used as a paste or finely minced. Unfortunately, I could not find Ajà Amarillo so I added serrano peppers, but jalapeño peppers would also work.
- Garlic cloves. Used primarily to season the marinade, the garlic is left whole and smashed. It’s optional, so feel free to leave it out.
- Fresh cilantro. I can’t imagine a ceviche without cilantro- as part of both the marinade and sprinkled fresh at serving. I suppose, if you hate cilantro, you can leave it out?
- Salt. It’s necessary. Trust me.
- Limes. Making homemade ceviche will make you wish you had lime trees. That said, do not even think about making this with lime juice concentrate. FRESH LIME JUICE ONLY.
- Grapefruit and Oranges. The main citrus whenever making ceviche should always be limes or lemons or a combination of both as they have a much higher acidity compared to grapefruit and oranges. That said, these other citrus fruits add a nice fruity flavor to the marinade, so I always like to add one or two.
- Shallots. Some kind of onion variety is almost always found in ceviche. I added thinly sliced shallots to this recipe, but feel free to add red or white onion.
- Tomatoes. I’ve come to learn that tomatoes are one of the lesser common ingredients. That said, I always add at least a few because they add a nice sweet, mellow contrast to the other ingredients.
- Bell pepper. I have made this recipe with bell peppers, cucumbers, and a mix of each. It’s entirely up to you.
- Olive oil. You don’t technically need the olive oil, but a little drizzle just before serving adds a nice touch of flavor (especially if you’re using a high-quality EVOO).
- Hot sauce. Not enough spice? Sprinkle on the hot sauce!
How to make Ceviche
Full transparency – I marinated this fish for 4 hours.
Here’s the thing, many people (maybe you?) would find this “cook” time to be far too long. That’s fine. For me, it was the right amount of time as I wasn’t interested in completely raw fish on the inside. Some people like that sort of thing and that’s ok. I prefer to save that, however, for actual sushi.
My fish was not rubbery or flaky. It was just perfect…for me. As such, I highly recommend that when YOU make YOUR OWN ceviche that you check on your fish every 30 minutes or so. Give it a taste, check its progress.
With that said, you should marinate, or cook, your fish for at least 1 hour.
Yay! Let’s get started!
2 | Allow the fish to cook. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold. Allow your fish to “cook” for 1-4 hours. Stir and check on the doneness of the fish every 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3 | Soak the shallots. Add the shallots to a separate bowl and cover with hot (not boiling) water and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well. Allow the shallots to soak for approximately 10-15 minutes before draining and rinsing with cold water. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
4 | Marinate the tomatoes. Approximately 30 minutes before serving (this can also be done ahead of time) add the shallots, tomatoes, and bell pepper to a new, larger, mixing bowl. Add the juice from approximately 5-10 limes and sprinkle with approximately 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine. Allow the tomatoes, shallots, and bell pepper to rest for approximately 15 minutes. Drain approximately half the liquid from the bowl, cover, and set aside in the refrigerator.
5 | Check the fish. Check the doneness of your fish. The fish should, at the very least, be completely white around the outside. I prefer my fish to be almost “well done”, but if you prefer a more “medium rare” that’s ok, too.
6 | Put it together. Once the fish is ready, remove the smashed garlic cloves. Add the tomato, shallots, and bell peppers to the fish, mixing well to combine. Stir in the chopped cilantro and olive oil and several dashes of hot sauce, if desired.
Tips and Tricks
- The primary citrus should always be lime (or lemon). Grapefruit and orange juice are added for extra flavor, however, their acidity is far less than that of limes.
- Other delicious additions include finely chopped cucumber and corn kernels.
- You will be juicing a lot of limes. I highly recommend investing in some kind of electric citrus juicer.
- Speaking of citrus, make friends with someone who has a lime tree because you will need A LOT of limes to get FRESH LIME JUICE. None of that concentrated bottled stuff around this recipe.
- Although this should go without saying, remove the bones before marinating. No one wants to bite into a sharp little fish bone.
What to serve with this Fish Ceviche Recipe?
You will often find ceviche served with sweet potatoes and corn-on-the-cob, especially when ordering as the main course.
As an appetizer, you may serve ceviche with tortillas, fried tortilla chips, or plantains, or simply scoop right from the bowl with a spoon.
Other delicious pairings include this classic margarita or mojito recipe. Serve with my favorite chicken enchiladas, chicken mole, or even this Peruvian chicken soup.
Love this Ceviche recipe? Try these other seafood recipes,
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
- Mediterranean Baked Fish with Artichokes and Olives
- Cioppino Recipe (Seafood Stew)
- Chicken, Sausage and Seafood Gumbo Recipe
- Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
- Pineapple Coconut Thai Fish Curry
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Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 2 pounds white fish fillet ((cod, halibut, mahi mahi, tilapia, snapper, sea bass) chopped into small, bite-size square pieces)
- 2 serrano peppers (sliced thin)
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tsp salt
- 10 limes (juiced (enough to fully cover the fish in lime juice))
- 1 large grapefruit (juiced)
- 2 oranges (juiced)
Instructions
- Marinate ("cook") the fish. Transfer the diced fish to a large bowl. Add the serrano peppers, garlic, cilantro, and salt. Cover with the juice from approximately 10 limes, 1 grapefruit, and 2 oranges. If your fish is not completely covered, add more lime (or lemon juice) as needed until it is.
- Allow the fish to cook. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to keep cold. Allow your fish to "cook" for 1-4 hours (see notes). Stir every hour.
- Soak the shallots. Add the shallots to a separate bowl and cover with hot (not boiling) water and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well. Allow the shallots to soak for approximately 10-15 minutes before draining and rinsing with cold water. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Marinate the tomatoes. Approximately 30 minutes before serving (see notes) add the shallots, tomatoes, and bell pepper to a new, larger, mixing bowl. Add the juice from approximately 5-10 limes and sprinkle with approximately 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine. Allow the tomatoes, shallots, and bell pepper to rest for approximately 15 minutes. Drain approximately half the liquid from the bowl, cover, and set aside in the refrigerator.
- Check the fish. Check the doneness of your fish. The fish should, at the very least, be completely white around the outside. I prefer my fish to be almost "well done", but if you prefer a more "medium rare" that's ok, too.
- Put it together. Once the fish is ready, remove the smashed garlic cloves. Add the tomato, shallots, and bell peppers to the fish, mixing well to combine. Stir in the chopped cilantro and olive oil and several dashes of hot sauce, if desired.
Jessica's Notes
- The level of doneness is very personal. Some people prefer ceviche to be just cooked around the outside and raw on the inside, while others prefer ceviche to be completely white and "cooked-through". Depending on the length of time you decide to leave your ceviche in the lime juice will determine it's overall doneness. Although I love sushi, in this recipe I allowed my fish to cook for 4 hours. Some say this will cause the fish to "flake apart" but I did not experience this.
- You can prepare the tomato, shallot, and bell pepper mixture ahead of time. Simply marinate in the lime juice, drain half the liquid, and cover and store in the refrigerator until the fish is ready.
- The primary citrus should always be lime (or lemon). Grapefruit and orange juice are added for extra flavor, however, their acidity is far less than that of limes.
- Other delicious additions include finely chopped cucumber and corn kernels.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
You don’t mention whether you drain the juice form the fish or completely remove it from the marinade? Do you drain the fish and add to the pepper mixture or leave all the marinade juices in? This seems like a lot of liquid.
Great question Amanda! There are lots of different versions of Ceviche as mentioned in the post. Some in in Central America are “Dry” as you mentioned, in which the liquid is drained after marinading.
You can serve this ceviche recipe with as much or as little marinade as you like after it the fish is done marinading to the done level of your preference 🙂
How long can this keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Marissa,
Since its raw fish within 24 hours is best 🙂
this made my freezer fish from a few months ago awesome
I am happy to help with your freezer fish 🙂
this was the hit of the party last night thanks
Wowzers that was just like I remember in Mexico!
Excellent and clear explanation! Congratulations, especially the picture guide, I grew up in Peru and this is authentic! We just got back from the deserts around Paracas/Peru where we came across 3 rugged fishermen making their simple ceviche on the very beach they were fishing from, adds a nice visual to your excellent blog
How many servings does this make?
Hi Stacy,
I listed this recipe, in the recipe card at the bottom, as making 8 servings. You can edit that number to whatever serving you like you by clicking on the box and it will modify the recipe accordingly.