Shrimp Ceviche

Fresh, healthy and easy! This Shrimp Ceviche recipe will wow as a restaurant-quality party appetizer that is so simple to make at home.

It’s National Ceviche Day! I think this may only be a food holiday in Peru, but let’s just pretend I’m in South America for the day, not Detroit. Cool?

Does lime juice cook shrimp?

Ceviche is one of those things that allow me to appreciate the chemistry of cooking.

The conventional wisdom is that the acid of the citrus juice “cooks” the seafood, but upon some further research, I’ve discovered that the citric acid in the lemon and lime juice causes the proteins in the seafood to become denatured, which means that the seafood looks like it is cooked (it will become more opaque and firm).

The same thing happens to meat if you leave it in buttermilk chicken marinade or flat iron steak marinade too long. It’s not really “cooked,” but it does get firmer, which makes it tough when you grill it.

Start with the freshest seafood for Shrimp Ceviche

The very fact that citrus juice can do this at all is pretty amazing to me. However, it is still a raw fish dish – if you like sushi, you’ll probably like ceviche.

If you’re pregnant or your immune system has issues, you may want to skip it, because the acid in the lime juice will not be able to kill any stray bacteria or parasites the way that heat does (treat yourself with some fully-cooked shrimp fajitas or shrimp wonton soup instead).

I probably don’t need to tell you this, but it’s important to start with the freshest, best-quality seafood you can find. Use this as an excuse to head to a great fish market in your area (and pick up some Chilean sea bass while you’re there, for another great meal!).

You don’t need to cook the shrimp for ceviche!

Invite your friends over for a ceviche party, and wow them with the chemistry experiment. Although be prepared for detailed explanations to skeptical diners.

I wrote a similar shrimp ceviche recipe for a publishing company I work for. It was published in a grocery store magazine, and shortly after it hit newsstands the publishing company received a voicemail from a very confused lady that thought we had accidentally forgotten the step where you cook the shrimp.

We returned her call and tried to explain how ceviche works, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t trust us. Oh well, her loss, right? She’ll miss out on the spicy, tangy, fresh summer delight that is ceviche!

The ingredients for shrimp ceviche are simple and fresh:

• shrimp
• lemon juice and zest
• lime juice and zest
• olive oil
• sugar
• paprika
• salt
• tomato
• cilantro
• cucumber
• green onions
• jalapeño

How to make shrimp ceviche:

First, combine shrimp with lemon and lime juice. Simple! Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight.

Next, make the dressing for the ceviche using olive oil, sugar, paprika, salt, lemon juice and zest and lime juice and zest.

Right before you’re ready to serve, remove the shrimp from the juice and place it in a bowl. Add tomato, cilantro, cucumber, onion, jalapeño and the dressing and toss it all to combine. Serve as is or with chips!

How long does shrimp ceviche last?

I would recommend keeping it in the refrigerator for no longer than 2 days. Eat it up as soon as possible (preferably with a tequila mojito or Strawberry moscow mule in hand) for the freshest flavor!

Other great shrimp recipes:

• Roasted Shrimp with Grapefruit & Fennel Salad – perfect for when grapefruit is at it’s peak!
• Grilled Shrimp with Vanilla Beurre Blanc – fancy yet totally do-able at home.
• Roasted Lemon Shrimp Cocktail – I make this every Thanksgiving!
• Baked Coconut Shrimp – one of my favorite weeknight dinners.
• Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta – a reader favorite!
• Cajun Shrimp & Rice Skillet from Creme de la Crumb
• Shrimp Fajitas from Natasha’s Kitchen