Fresh Fish Ceviche
Inside: Discover the best fish for ceviche, how to know if your fish is fresh and how to make this simple seafood recipe at home.
Fresh fish ceviche is a vibrant, healthy, and delicious Peruvian specialty made of raw seafood (usually fish) that’s “cooked” by the acid in citrus juice, such as lemon and lime. Traditionally, ceviche is seasoned with chili peppers and other fresh ingredients. My fish ceviche recipe includes a bit of fresh pineapple, which adds a sweet pop to the dish.
Though Peru is most commonly associated with this raw fish dish, there are many countries along the Pacific coast that have their own take on fish ceviche.
- In Peru, their fresh chili-lime ceviche is served with sweet potatoes and toasted corn.
- In Mexico, they enjoy it on tostadas or as a seafood cocktail with avocado.
- Ecuador’s version includes tomatoes and sometimes peanuts.
- Guatemalan ceviche is tomato-forward, with a base of tomato juice or even ketchup.
- Coastal Honduras makes theirs with coconut milk.
- Kinilaw is a similar Filipino dish made with vinegar instead of citrus.
- Fish marinated in vinegar and citrus is also known as escabeche, a throwback to colonial-era Spain.
Ceviche, often spelled ‘cebiche’, or ‘seviche’ seems a natural alliteration, with origins that are as likely to have originated in Europe as much as Latin America. You can read more about ceviche’s origins in this National Geographic article.
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Consequently, there’s no wrong way to make ceviche, especially in your own kitchen (where there’s no food police), and the more you experiment with it, the more ways you’ll find to enjoy it.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s fresh, light, healthy and delicious and can be an appetizer or a meal.
- There’s no (traditional) cooking involved. The citrus does the work.
- It’s a great way to eat your vegetables and heart-healthy fish.
- Ceviche makes a tasty poolside snack or appetizer before a larger meal.
- This recipe is great for summer entertaining.
Ingredients:
- Lemons and Limes: We use a combination of lemon and lime juice to “cook” the snapper. Citric acid denatures the proteins in the fish and firms up the texture, making it appear cooked. You can also use other sour citrus – like sour oranges or Calamansi limes.
- Fresh Fish—I used fresh yellowtail snapper, but it works with red snapper, corvina, grouper, or other whitefish. I recommend avoiding oily fish, as they generally have a fishy flavor in a way that fresh-caught white fish doesn’t.
- Red Onion – adds a bit of a bite and a brilliant purple color to the ceviche recipe.
- Sweet Bell Pepper – You can use red, orange or yellow peppers or a combination of all three.
- English Cucumbers – a.k.a. seedless cucumbers, are longer and thinner with thinner skin than traditional cucumbers. If you use traditional cucumbers, peel and seed them first.
- Jalapenos – a moderately spiced chili pepper to add heat and flavor to the fish ceviche. You can use other types of chilis, such as serrano pepper, or habanero, but they tend to be very hot — so only use them if you like it really spicy.
- Pineapple – I used freshly chopped pineapple, but you can also use canned pineapple tidbits.
- Avocado – I prefer the smaller Mexican Haas avocado, but you can use the larger Dominican or “skinnycado” too.
- Cilantro – adds a fresh flavor, you can use the stems and leaves.
- Salt & Pepper – to season the fish ceviche.
- Hot Sauce – After assembling the ceviche, taste it for seasoning and add your favorite hot sauce to round out the flavors.
- Tortilla Chips – for serving, optional.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Juice the limes and lemon until you have about ¾ – 1 cup of fresh juice.
2. Cut the snapper or whatever fresh fish you’re using into ½ – ¾” pieces. If the fish has a dark red bloodline, cut it out as it has a stronger fishy taste than the rest of the sea creature.
3. Transfer the diced fish to a bowl and cover with the citrus juices. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 2-4 hours to “cook” the fish.
4. Drain the fresh fish in a mesh strainer and reserve the citrus juices to add back to the ceviche later. See how the color of the raw snapper has become opaque? That’s the power of citrus acid.
5. Combine chopped bell pepper, cucumber, red onion and jalapenos in a bowl. Toss to combine.
6. Add the fish and chopped cilantro, as well as a few tablespoons of the reserved citrus juices, and stir to blend.
7. Season the fish ceviche with salt, pepper and hot sauce as desired.
8. Just before serving, add the diced avocado and toss it to coat. Serve with tortilla chips.
Pro-Tips:
- Use the freshest fish you can find, preferably one you caught yourself or from a reputable fishmonger.
- Many people complain that fish tastes “fishy.” Much of that can be attributed to the dark red or brown “bloodline” that runs down the fillet. Trimming away the bloodline will alleviate that issue.
- I chop the vegetables and pineapple into equal-sized ¼” pieces and the fish into slightly larger ½” chunks. To avoid getting a large piece of hot chili, I recommend mincing the jalapenos, or whatever chili pepper you use, finely.
Variations:
As we discussed above, many cultures have put their own riff on their local ceviche recipes and you can too.
- Make a shrimp ceviche instead, with freshly peeled and deveined shrimp. (Note: you may want to blanch shrimp for 30 seconds to a minute before mixing it with the citrus juices).
- For a ceviche mixto (mixed seafood ceviche), use a combination of seafood, such as shrimp, calamari, lump crab, oysters, or mussels.
- Swap the pineapple for other tropical fruits like mango, papaya, kiwi or dragon fruit.
- Add ½ cup of whole coconut milk after the fish has “cooked” and sprinkle on plain or toasted coconut.
What’s the best fish for ceviche?
For this recipe, I recommend avoiding most oily fish and looking for a clean-tasting whitefish.
- I used a yellowtail snapper, but red snapper, hogfish, and mutton snapper are fine.
- Mahi Mahi and grouper are other good options.
- Depending on where you live, the freshest fish for you may be cod, fluke, flounder, salmon, halibut, sole, tilapia, Corvina, sea bass, or (in a nod to my Minnesota family), walleye.
The key to this recipe is using ultra-fresh seafood – awesome if you have some that you or a family member caught in the last day or so.
If that’s not an option, look for a reputable fishmonger and, if possible, buy a whole fish and have them fillet it for you.
I find buying whole fish makes it easier to determine its freshness.
- Look into the fish’s eyes. If they’re clear and colorful, it’s fresh. It’s been out of the water too long if they’re cloudy or sunken.
- The skin should be firm and fresh with a soft glisten, without being slimy.
- The gills should be bright red. If they’re darker brown or stick together, it indicates it’s old.
If you can’t buy the whole fish, look critically at the fillets for these signs:
- Too wet can be a sign that it’s been frozen and thawed.
- If the fillets look dry, it may have been sitting around for a while.
- You can also ask for a whiff. Fresh seafood should smell clean and light, like the ocean. If it has a fishy aroma, skip it.
A 2-2½ pound fish will yield about 1 pound of meat.
Storage:
- It’s best to enjoy this dish immediately after it’s made. However, you can store the ceviche in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day.
- Do not freeze fish ceviche as it will degrade the quality of the seafood, and the vegetables will leak their juices and not retain their original taste and texture.
More fresh seafood recipes to try:
- Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Olive Relish
- Pesto Salmon
- Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Glaze
- Pan Seared Scallops over Spinach Pesto Pasta
- Calamari, Avocado and Grapefruit Bruschetta
Fresh Fish Ceviche
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper ¼” dice
- ½ cup hothouse cucumber or regular cucumber peeled, seeded and ¼” dice
- 1 jalapeño minced
- 6 limes
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup fresh pineapple ¼” dice
- ¾ pound yellowtail snapper fillets or other white fish 1½” dice
- 1 haas avocado peeled, seeded, ½” dice
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- hot sauce optional
- tortilla chips for serving
DIRECTIONS:
- Juice the 1 lemon and 6 limes until you have about 1 cup of fresh juice.
- Place the diced ¾ pound yellowtail snapper fillets or other white fish in a small glass bowl and pour the fresh juice over the fish. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the fish is firmer and opaque.
- In a large bowl, combine ½ cup red onion, 1 red bell pepper, ½ cup hothouse cucumber or regular cucumber, 1 jalapeño, ½ cup fresh pineapple and ⅓ cup cilantro.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour the fish into the strainer. Transfer the fish to the vegetable mixture.
- Spoon out 3-4 tablespoons of the citrus juices and add them back to the fish ceviche, so that it’s seasoned but not swimming in the citrus.
- Add 1 haas avocado (diced) just before serving and gently toss the mixture together to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and hot sauce (if using) to taste. Great with tortilla chips for serving or plantain chips, cassava chips or just served in a footed glass for a seafood cocktail. Delicious with chilled white wine or a cold cerveza.
NUTRITION:
Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!
I had the honor to try Lisa’s Fish Ceviche and it was EXCELLENT!!! mind you, I’m not crazy of fish, but all the ingredients made it very tasty. Thank you, Lisa
Recipe absolutely slaps. Whole family is loving it. Went with fresh Red Snapper and chipotle Tabasco
Fantastic! Great for a potluck or large gathering. Absolutely loved the flavours!
Glad you enjoyed it Teresa! The key is fresh snapper!
The recipe and flavor combinations were excellent! My only problem with the cooking directions is that 3-4 hours is a bit too long to let the fish “cook” in the citrus. In my experience, a wait time of 45-60 minutes will get the fish to that desired opacity, while still leaving the flesh tender and not at all rubbery. Other than that, this ceviche is fantastic!
Thank you for the tip — I’ll try it that way the next time. Glad you liked the flavors!
So excited to try this Costa Rica-inspired recipe – I loved eating my way through that country and lately, I’ve been looking for more healthy high-protein recipes to add to my weekly meal prep!
Let me know how you like it, Rebecca!
Mmmm, this sounds amazing, especially with those freshly fried tortilla chips you mentioned! It’s probably a good thing I don’t have routine access to those, ha! I’d have to run 8 miles a day to offset the damage!
There’s that…
This looks so refreshing! It is amazing how the acid can transform the proteins like that. Ceviche is so lovely and tangy and great for a hot summer day.
I feel the same way about ceviche! Ideal for this steamy weather.
Never tried ceviche but looking at your pics I think I am going to give it a go! What an interesting dish!
Ceviche is a “thing” in these parts.
Wonderful recipe Lisa! I’m crazy for ceviche, nothing beats fish cooked in lemon in my opinion, such a refreshing dish with the addition of pineapple and all the goodies. Will make your recipe a.s.a.p. 🙂
I’m still waiting on the crawdad boil recipe. Although all you dishes look amazing!
You’re too funny! I’ve scheduled the crawfish tentatively for the 18th! Thanks for following my page!
Beautiful pics! This recipe is making me so hungry right now!!
Thank you! I love ceviche!