Snapper and Pineapple Ceviche
When we were in Costa Rica earlier this year, the one thing that we had plenty of was ceviche. First night at a restaurant? Ceviche. Drinks and snacks by the pool? Ceviche. Catch of the day from the guys’ fishing charter? Ceviche. As a result, I got ceviche’d-out.
No more. Three months later and I’m craving it, again. When I saw this gorgeous snapper at my local fishmonger, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it! You guessed it — ceviche!
For the uninitiated, ceviche is raw seafood (fish, shrimp, calamari, etc.) that’s “cooked” in fresh citrus juices. It takes a lot of citrus to do it, too. For this version I primarily used limes, but also added a lemon for a bit more sharpness.
If you don’t believe that citrus juice can cook fish, just take a look at the before and after above. See how the fillets turn opaque in the citric acid? Cooked!
Get my latest recipes, helpful kitchen tips and more good things each week in your inbox.
Ceviche has lots of crunch from fresh vegetables. I like red onion and bell pepper with bits of cucumber, too. And you know it’s got to have some heat!
Finely diced sweet, fresh pineapple (remember where pineapples come from???) and cilantro add sweetness and herbaciousness — really rounding out the flavors.
You can plate this on a bed of lettuce or in a chilled bowl with fried plantain strips, but I like mine with crispy tortilla chips. In Costa Rica, the locals eschewed bagged tortilla chips for the freshly fried version at every turn. In truth – they were much better, phenomenal really. But a good bagged variety won’t dampen the flavors of this bright and tangy dish. Believe me, you want this.
Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and review.
Your comments and shares are invaluable to me and the thousands of readers who use this site daily. If you've made the recipe, leave a star rating and review. We want to hear how you liked it.
We'd love it if you shared the recipe with your friends on social media!
Table of Contents
Snapper and Pineapple Ceviche
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper 1/4″ dice
- ½ cup hothouse cucumber or regular cucumber peeled, seeded and 1/4″ dice
- 1 jalapeño minced
- 6 limes
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup fresh pineapple 1/4″ dice
- ¾ pound yellowtail snapper fillets or other ocean white fish 1/2″ dice
- 1 haas avocado peeled, seeded, 1/2″ dice
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- hot sauce optional
- tortilla chips for serving
DIRECTIONS:
- Juice the lemon and limes until you have about 1 cup of fresh juice.
- Place the diced snapper in a small glass bowl and pour in the fresh juice to cover the fish. Swish the fish around in the juice so that every piece floats in the liquid. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate 3-4 hours until the fish is “cooked” and opaque.
- In a large bowl, combine the red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, jalapeño, pineapple and 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 to the fish mixture. Add the diced avocado just before serving and gently toss the mixture together to combine. Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce (if using) to taste.
- Serve with tortilla chips and a cold cerveza.
NUTRITION:
More Seafood Favorites:
Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!
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!