Lemon and lime juice are two of the key ingredients in this recipe, as they add that signature citrus note ceviche is known for and brighten the flavors. For this reason, it’s better to freshly squeeze the juice at home from ripe lemons and limes. If you’re short on time, you can purchase lemon and lime juice from your local grocery store, but these premade options tend to be oversweet and lacking in freshness.
Take the time to choose a perfectly ripe avocado to bring an irresistibly creamy texture to the final dish. You need to check that it’s ripe enough to eat, but not overripe, so it holds its structure when being mixed in with the other ingredients.
The art to a shrimp ceviche is to prepare all of the individual ingredients carefully. Try dicing the various elements into similar sizes, both for an appealing presentation and an inviting end texture for the dish.
How to Choose and Prep Shrimp
Opt for medium shrimp in this recipe, which offer a helpful balance of size and texture for ease of preparation while cooking them. If using fresh shrimp, you’ll need to peel and devein them yourself, but you can use frozen shrimp if easier, as these are usually prepped prior to freezing. You’ll simply need to factor in more prep time to ensure the shrimp has fully thawed prior to cooking.
If you’re wondering how to cook shrimp for ceviche, in traditional Peruvian dishes, the shrimp or fish is typically “cooked” using the juices of the citrus fruit in the recipe. The citrus juices denature the protein, giving it a cooked texture. For more reliable food safety, you can briefly poach the shrimp first, as in our recipe above, to mitigate any potential food-borne illnesses. And you can find all the cooking inspiration you need in our useful guide to six ways to cook with shrimp, once you’ve had your fill of this ceviche.
Serving Ideas and Presentation
This shrimp ceviche recipe can be enjoyed simply on its own, with a sprinkle of cilantro leaves on top. A helping of tasty tortilla chips also adds an appealing crunch. For a playful, Latin-inspired start to a meal, serve this shrimp ceviche alongside a fresh batch of spicy margaritas. Ceviche is a classic sharing recipe, so it’s ideal plated in a large serving bowl for guests to help themselves and enjoy the vibrant visual appeal of the dish.
