Fish Ceviche Recipe

A bowl of tilapia ceviche next to limes and tortilla chips.

Learn How to Make Ceviche from any fish or seafood through a process called denaturation. Then combine your zesty fresh fish with citrusy vegetables and your favorite toppings, like hot sauce and avocado, for the ultimate Latin American appetizer.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 147kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

1 pound fish or seafood, thawed (see note 1)
1 cup citrus juice plus more for serving (see note 2)
1 medium onion peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot peeled and finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 Roma tomatoes seeded and finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 jalapeño peppers stemmed, seeded (if desired) and minced (see note 3)
1 bunch fresh cilantro stems removed and minced (see note 4)
Salt
Hot sauce or mayonnaise and tortilla chips, tostadas, or saltine crackers, for serving

Instructions

To break down large pieces of fish for ceviche, first cut each filet into strips about 2 inches wide, rinsing your knife in cold water between cuts. Holding your knife at a 45-degree angle and following the muscle fibers of the fish, slice the fish into chunks. Continue cutting the fish into 1/2-inch pieces for this recipe.
In a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, add fish or seafood and citrus juice and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until the fish is opaque and "cooked" through, about 4 hours (if using cooked shrimp, omit this step).
Drain off and discard excess citrus juice. Add onion, carrots, tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro and toss until evenly coated. Season to taste with salt (I like 1/2 teaspoon) and more fresh citrus juice if desired. Serve with hot sauce or mayonnaise and tostadas, tortilla chips, or saltine crackers.

Video

Notes

Fish or seafood: Tilapia, salmon, black, white, or striped sea bass, halibut, flounder, snapper, grouper, sole, sea trout, yellowtail, shrimp, squid, scallops, and octopus are all great choices. Be sure to remove any skin before cutting. Thaw in a bowl or on a tray overnight in the refrigerator. For quicker thawing, thaw in a bowl of cold (not warm) water. Turn the faucet on and let a thin trickle of cold water run into the bowl, letting the excess water overflow out of the bowl and down the drain.
Citrus juice: The acid that "cooks" the fish. Lime juice is the most common in Mexico (lemons are not usually available there), but lemon, grapefruit, and orange juice are all great options.
Jalapeños: Remove the seeds for less heat. At family gatherings in Mexico, they prepare a separate bowl of spicy chiles (like serrano and habañero chiles) so the adults can add those to taste and the kids don't have to suffer.
Cilantro: Cut off the main batch of stems at the bottom of the bunch, then cut up the remaining stems along with the leaves. Please omit if you hate cilantro (parsley or chives are good substitutes).
Safety: Citrus juice does not kill bacteria or parasites in fish (neither will your home freezer), so choose commercially-frozen or high-quality fresh fish for ceviche. Cod, swordfish, and many freshwater fish are prone to parasites.
Yield: This recipe will make about 4 c. ceviche.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 1 day. Ceviche is best enjoyed the day you make it.

Nutrition