Simple, healthy Shrimp Ceviche could become your new go-to easy dinner option. It’s a snap to prepare, and has a wonderful fresh flavor that will make the whole family happy!
Quick, Healthy Shrimp Ceviche with Frozen Shrimp!
Yesterday was my son’s birthday. That means I am recovering from a cake coma, so I decided to make something simple but healthy to help bring everything in my body back in balance. Ceviche is just about the simplest thing you can make, and it is fresh, healthy, and super simple to prepare. Plus, there are virtually no dirty dishes involved!
Are you scared of the thought of making ceviche? Don’t be! It is one of the easiest recipes out there – it’s just seafood, citrus juice, and veggies. I promise, it’s that easy! And to make my ceviche even simpler, I use already cooked and frozen shrimp. Prep takes about five minutes, and then you just let the ceviche marinate for one hour in the fridge.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Shrimp Ceviche
- Healthy: Fresh shrimp, fresh veggies, fresh lime juice, and olive oil? This is one healthy dish, packed with lean protein, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fat.
- Fresh: I especially love to serve this in summer – it’s a super refreshing cold meal.
- Flavorful: With hot sauce, onion, lime, and cilantro, there’s plenty of mouthwatering flavor in this recipe.
- Easy: This dish is fool-proof! Seriously, to make shrimp ceviche all you have to do is combine your ingredients, let them marinate, and enjoy. The hands-on time is only five minutes!
What Is Shrimp Ceviche Made Of?
I’ve touched on the ingredients a bit so far, but let’s dive in and talk about each one in a little more detail. (Remember, the printable recipe card with ingredient amounts is available at the bottom of this post.)
- Shrimp: Frozen cooked shrimp, the kind that are peeled and deveined with the tails removed. I used the small size.
- Onion: White onion, chopped. If you don’t have a white onion, you can use a red or yellow onion, or a sweet Vidalia onion.
- Cilantro: You will want to chop some for the ceviche, and have a few additional sprigs for garnish.
- Tomato: Chopped, or pureed if you prefer.
- Hot Sauce: You can use your favorite hot sauce. My favorite right now is Frank’s.
- Lime Juice: Freshly-squeezed.
- Olive Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is the most flavorful, but you can use whatever you like.
- Cucumber: Peel and dice the cucumber.
- Avocado: Peel the avocado, remove the pit, and cube it up.
- Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- Lime Slices: Fresh lime slices, for garnish.
How to Make Shrimp Ceviche
Typically, you need to marinate the shrimp in citrus juice so that it can “cook” the shrimp. But for my recipe, the marinating time just adds a super fresh, zesty flavor. This is great for anyone who doesn’t feel confident about using raw seafood! To make this recipe, all you have to do is…
Mix Everything Together. Add all of the ingredients except the lime slices in a medium-sized bowl, and stir gently to coat everything.
Chill. Cover the bowl, and place the ceviche in the refrigerator for 1 hour to marinate.
Enjoy! Serve the ceviche with lime slices and your favorite sides or main course.
Is It Okay to Eat Raw Shrimp in Ceviche?
It is totally fine to use raw shrimp if you are making ceviche, too. The citrus juice “cooks” the shrimp. The acid in the lime juice denatures the protein in the shrimp, similar to heat in the cooking process.
However, you should keep in mind that lime juice may not be powerful enough to kill harmful bacteria, so be sure to use very high-quality shrimp or other seafood from a reputable source, and handle it with care – the same as if you were making sushi, tartare, or other raw dishes.
Recipe Notes
I hope you feel inspired to try this easy recipe. It truly is one of the best summertime dishes you can make. If you do decide to try it, be sure to check out these helpful tips!
- Add Heat: Want to make this dish a little bit spicy? all you have to do is add some finely diced chilies of your choice. jalapenos are great, or if you want to go a little bit hotter, add some serrano chili. (Use gloves as needed. make sure not to touch your eyes or face while you are handling chilies. Wash your hands afterwards, thoroughly.)
- Lemon Juice: You don’t have to use lime for this recipe – you could change it to lemon, or use key limes if they are available. I don’t recommend using other citrus or vinegar for ceviche, however.
- Additional Seafood: Feel free to add other cooked fish to this recipe, from flaked cod to sea scallops, or even calamari.
- Additional Veggies: Additional veggies are also a good idea! you could do finely diced radish, celery, fennel, or any other crisp-tender salad vegetable that you like. Since you’ll be marinating these vegetables, avoid delicate ones like fresh lettuce.
Serving Suggestions
So what did you say with shrimp ceviche? I like to enjoy mine with a garden salad. It’s also great with garlic bread, pasta, and other simple sides. Here are some recipes for inspiration:
- Watermelon Salad: Easy, breezy Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Feta and Mint is the ultimate summer salad. Served with freshly-made ceviche, this is one beautiful meal.
- Toast with Toppings: Toast for the win! There’s nothing easier than topping a piece of artisan bread with your favorite healthy ingredients. Why not pair your ceviche with a slice of Strawberry Mascarpone Mint Toast? It’s colorful, creamy, and scrumptious.
- Crostini: You could go with almost any crostini – this creamy Fava Bean and Manchego Crostini would be amazing with ceviche!
How to Store Shrimp Ceviche
Leftover ceviche can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. However, it is best when it is freshly made. I really recommend making it right before you want to serve it, for the best results. If you do store any leftovers, be sure to cover them tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.
Can I Freeze This?
I do not recommend freezing ceviche, because of all the fresh veggies. They will turn mushy and watery after freezing and thawing. If you feel like this will be too much ceviche for you to finish, try halving the recipe, so you can enjoy it fresh.
Simple Shrimp Ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp cooked, peeled and deveined, with tails removed – I used small size
- 1/2 cup white onion chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, plus several sprigs for garnish
- 1/2 cup tomato chopped or pureed
- 1 – 2 tablespoons hot sauce I used Frank's
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup cucumber peeled and diced
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Several lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except lime slices to a medium-sized bowl and stir to coat. Cover,and place in refrigerator for 1 hour to marinate.
- Remove, serve with lime slices, and enjoy.
Notes
