Ceviche
Looking for a meal idea that’s fresh and delicious? Something that will cool you down before the summer ends? Have you ever tried ceviche? This meal can be served as an appetizer or a main dish and is one of my favorite ways to eat seafood. Extra bonus: it’s super quick and easy to make. I’m talking 20 minutes or less (depending on your chopping skills). Get ready as I walk you through how to prepare this tasty Latin dish.
Fresh is best!
Without a doubt, my #1 rule for ceviche is you must have fresh ingredients. Especially the fish/seafood that you want to use – I like to use tuna but shrimp, salmon, mahi mahi, sea bass, scallops, and halibut are all excellent choices as well. Another must is that your seafood needs to be sushi grade. Sushi grade means the fish is safe to consume raw as it has been frozen or flash-frozen according to FDA regulations (although we will be cooking the fish in lime juice – more to come on that below). I realize preparing & serving a dish with raw or undercooked seafood at home can be daunting for many, so sushi grade seafood is a must.
Cooking the fish in lime juice? Huh?
Yes, that’s correct. Absolutely no heat is needed for the recipe, the lime juice does all the work. The acid from the lime juice will aid in killing parasites and even denature the protein of the fish in the same way heat would. Not to mention the lime juice gives great flavor! All that you need to do is cut your fish in bite sized pieces and mix with the lime juice. That’s it!
How long should I leave the fish in the lime juice?
My recommendation: anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. Anything less than 5 minutes and the fish will still be raw. Anything more than 30 minutes and you’ve overcooked the fish. My sweet spot on cooking time is 15 to 20 minutes from when you first mixed the fish and lime juice. The fish will be firm on the outside but still tender on the inside. Between cutting up the remaining ingredients, mixing them with the fish & lime juice, and letting it all sit together, following this recipe should get you to that sweet spot.
What else do I need to do while the fish is cooking in lime juice?
While the fish is “cooking”, it’s the perfect time to prep your remaining ingredients. This is where we can get really creative as there are so many different variations of ceviche. Here is what I like to add:
- Jalapenos (or serrano peppers if you really like the heat)
- Onion
- Avocados
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Salt and pepper
- Olive Oil
Some other ingredients I’ve seen in ceviche before (not necessarily together) include corn, sweet potato, passion fruit, coconut, and even guava sorbet! As I mentioned, you can be really creative with this.
Final thoughts
Ceviche is definitely one of my favorite ways to eat seafood. Whenever I visit countries in Latin America, I make sure to eat this as much as possible. On my most recent trip to Colombia, I ate this at least once a day – it’s so delicious! The ingredients in this recipe are refreshing, healthy, and PACKED with FLAVOR. While there are many versions of this dish, the flavor profile in this version will make you fall in love with this amazing meal. I am literally craving it just writing this post. Serve it with some tortilla chips, on a crostini, or as is. I am telling you that you’ll be adding this recipe to your favorites!
Ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 lb Sushi Grade Fish I like to use Tuna
- 3 Limes juiced
- 1-2 Jalapenos chopped
- 1 small Onion sliced
- 1 Avocado cubed
- 8-12 Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup Cilantro roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Cube your fish into bite size pieces. Combine in a bowl with the lime juice and let rest for about 5-10 minutes.
- While the fish and lime juice is resting, cut up & prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Combine the remaining ingredients with the fish and lime juice. Let rest another 5 minutes. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, on a crostini, or as is.
