Get ready to discover your new favorite appetizer! This Avocado Shrimp Ceviche is the perfect blend of zesty lime, tender shrimp, creamy avocado, and fresh vegetables. It’s a vibrant, healthy, and incredibly simple dish that requires no cooking, making it ideal for warm weather gatherings, light lunches, or an impressive starter for any dinner party. We’ve perfected this recipe to ensure it’s not just good, but absolutely unforgettable.
Why This is the Best Avocado Shrimp Ceviche You’ll Ever Make
Unlike other recipes, ours focuses on the perfect balance of textures and flavors. We use a specific method to marinate the shrimp, ensuring it’s “cooked” to perfection in the citrus juice without becoming tough. The addition of creamy avocado at just the right time prevents it from getting mushy, while a hint of jalapeño adds a gentle kick without overpowering the delicate flavors. This is more than a recipe; it’s a foolproof guide to mastering a classic dish.
What is Ceviche?
Ceviche is a popular Latin American dish where raw seafood is marinated in a vibrant mixture of citrus juices, typically lime or lemon. The acid in the juice denatures the proteins in the seafood, effectively “cooking” it without any heat. This process results in a firm, opaque texture and a wonderfully fresh flavor, which is then tossed with ingredients like onion, cilantro, and chili peppers.
The Key Ingredients for Perfect Ceviche
The beauty of this Avocado Shrimp Ceviche recipe lies in its simplicity and fresh ingredients. Quality is everything here, so aim for the best you can find.
For the Ceviche
- Shrimp: One pound of large, raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped into half-inch pieces.
- Lime Juice: One cup of freshly squeezed lime juice is non-negotiable for the best flavor.
- Red Onion: Half of a medium red onion, finely diced, for a sharp, sweet crunch.
- Jalapeño: One jalapeño, seeded and minced, for a touch of heat.
- Cilantro: Half a cup of freshly chopped cilantro to add a bright, herbaceous note.
- Tomatoes: Two Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced, for a bit of sweetness and texture.
- Avocado: One large, ripe avocado, diced just before serving.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste, to bring all the flavors together.
Optional Add-ins
- Cucumber: Half a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced for extra crunch.
- Mango: One ripe mango, diced, for a touch of tropical sweetness.
- Garlic: One clove, minced, for a deeper aromatic flavor.
How to Make Avocado Shrimp Ceviche (Step-by-Step)
- Marinate the Shrimp: In a non-reactive glass bowl, combine the chopped raw shrimp and the fresh lime juice. Ensure all the shrimp are fully submerged. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and opaque.
- Prepare the Vegetables: While the shrimp marinates, finely dice the red onion, jalapeño, and tomatoes. Chop the cilantro. You can combine these in a separate large bowl.
- Combine Ingredients: Once the shrimp is “cooked,” drain about half of the lime juice from the bowl. Add the marinated shrimp to the large bowl with the vegetable mixture. Stir gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Add Avocado: Gently fold in the diced avocado right before you plan to serve. This prevents it from browning and turning mushy, preserving the creamy texture that makes this avocado shrimp ceviche so special.
- Serve Immediately: For the best taste and texture, serve the ceviche right away.
Tips for Success: Secrets from a Seasoned Pro
- Use Fresh, High-Quality Shrimp: Since the shrimp is the star, start with the best you can find. Fresh or flash-frozen raw shrimp works best.
- Don’t Over-Marinate: The shrimp can become tough if left in the lime juice for too long. Check it at the 15-minute mark; it should be firm and pink.
- Fresh Lime Juice Only: Bottled lime juice has a dull, often bitter flavor. The vibrant, zesty taste of fresh-squeezed limes is essential for authentic ceviche.
- Dice Uniformly: Try to chop your vegetables and shrimp into similar-sized pieces for a balanced bite every time.
Serving Suggestions: What to Eat with Your Ceviche
This Avocado Shrimp Ceviche is wonderfully versatile. Serve it as a classic appetizer with tortilla chips, tostadas, or saltine crackers for scooping. For a light and healthy lunch, enjoy it over a bed of lettuce or alongside a simple salad. It pairs beautifully with a crisp white wine or a cold Mexican lager. For a full spread, consider serving it alongside our favorite homemade salsa (coming soon) and guacamole.
Storing Leftover Ceviche
Ceviche is best enjoyed fresh, immediately after it’s made. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Note that the texture will change over time—the avocado may brown slightly and the shrimp may become firmer.
Avocado Shrimp Ceviche Variations
While this classic recipe is a stunner, feel free to customize it! Add diced mango or pineapple for a sweet and tangy twist. For a different texture, try incorporating other seafood like in this perfectly seared scallops recipe. If you’re a fan of rich and savory seafood dishes, you might also enjoy our creamy cajun seafood alfredo. For another fantastic appetizer idea, check out this baked brie with fig jam.
FAQs About Shrimp Ceviche
You can prepare some components ahead of time, like chopping the vegetables. However, you should only marinate the shrimp and combine all the ingredients, especially the avocado, just before you plan to serve it to ensure the best texture and freshness.
No, you do not cook the shrimp with heat. The shrimp is ‘cooked’ by the acid in the fresh lime juice. This process is called denaturation, and it turns the shrimp firm and opaque, just as if it were cooked with heat.
Shrimp ceviche is best eaten the day it is made. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The texture will change as it sits, so fresh is always best.
The best shrimp for ceviche is high-quality raw shrimp. Look for large or extra-large shrimp that are peeled and deveined to save time. Both fresh and high-quality frozen shrimp work perfectly.
While similar, the main difference is that the shrimp in ceviche is cooked in lime juice, whereas the shrimp in a Mexican shrimp cocktail (coctel de camarones) is typically boiled first and then chilled before being added to a tomato-based sauce.
Share Your Creation!
We are certain you’ll love this fresh and flavorful Avocado Shrimp Ceviche recipe. If you make it, don’t forget to leave a comment below and share your masterpiece on Pinterest! We can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Avocado Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
Avocado Shrimp Ceviche: The Ultimate Fresh & Easy Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- In a non-reactive glass bowl, combine the chopped raw shrimp and fresh lime juice. Ensure all shrimp are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and opaque.
- While the shrimp marinates, dice the red onion, jalapeño, and tomatoes. Chop the cilantro. Combine these in a separate large bowl.
- Once the shrimp is 'cooked,' drain about half of the lime juice. Add the shrimp to the large bowl with the vegetables. Stir gently to combine and season with salt and pepper.
- Gently fold in the diced avocado right before serving. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or tostadas.
Notes
Do not marinate the shrimp for more than 30 minutes, as it can become tough.
Serve immediately after adding the avocado to prevent browning.
