Cooked Shrimp Ceviche
I’m so excited to share this dish with you! This easy shrimp ceviche recipe comes from my mom, who has been making it for over 20 years, most often as a Christmas appetizer. Her version of ceviche uses cooked shrimp, so if you’re not a fan of raw fish, no problem! This cooked shrimp ceviche recipe is the perfect appetizer for special occasions where you want a touch of elegance, not just Christmas. Valentine’s Day, baby showers, maybe even a wedding rehearsal or reception—it’s great any time.
Since this recipe is typically eaten as an appetizer or a side, you may be wondering what to serve with shrimp ceviche. Ceviche originally comes from Peru, so you may want to take your tastebuds south of the border with Mexican Street Corn Casserole and Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas or Chicken Fajitas. I find the bright flavors of this light and tangy shrimp dish also pairs well alongside rich and creamy dishes like Boursin Pasta or Fettucine Alfredo.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy and elegant appetizer. While this recipe does require some time to let ingredients sit in the refrigerator, it’s truly easy to make. And the end result is fancy enough to serve for a romantic Valentine’s dinner, big family Christmas dinner, or even a wedding rehearsal.
- Best shrimp ceviche recipe. I may be biased since this is my mom’s recipe, but I really think this is the best recipe for shrimp ceviche! I love everything about it, and while I know it isn’t traditional, I love that the shrimp is cooked so I don’t have to worry about potentially eating raw shrimp.
- Simple ingredients, fantastic flavor. The main flavor components in this simple shrimp ceviche recipe are the citrus flavor from fresh lime juice and lemon juice, thinly sliced red onions, plus some ketchup, tabasco, and of course, salt. It doesn’t seem like they would produce anything special, but one bite and I promise you will be wowed!
Ingredient Notes
- Red onion: We’re going to lightly pickle some thinly sliced red onions as the base of this ceviche recipe. I love these onions, but my husband doesn’t. If you don’t love onions, I would still recommend you leave them in the recipe for the flavor, and just eat around them.
- Fresh lemon juice and lime juice: The bulk of the work for this recipe comes from squeezing all those lemons and limes. I definitely suggest using a juicer for this, I like this one. Do not cheat and use lemon and lime juice from a bottle. You can really taste the difference with this recipe, and fresh citrus juice makes the best ceviche!
- Salt: A critical component for pickling, and also used to adjust the final taste to your liking. Throw a little black pepper in at the end as well if you want.
- Raw shrimp: Traditional ceviche relies on citrus juice to do the “cooking,” but we’re going to go ahead and boil the shrimp with tails on.
- Shrimp water: Once you’ve boiled the shrimp, don’t just throw away the water! We’re going to keep 2 cups of “shrimp water” to use in this recipe.
- Ketchup: Probably the least traditional ingredient in this shrimp ceviche recipe, but ketchup adds a hint of sweetness that complements the other ingredients well.
- Tabasco: Add this hot sauce or your favorite hot sauce for just a little heat.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Juice lemons and limes. Juice enough lemons and limes to make 2½ cups of fresh juice. I find that 10 limes and 6 lemons makes the right amount.
- Thinly slice onion. Slice 1 large red onion into thin half moons.
- Pickle onions. Add lemon and lime juice to a large bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the thinly sliced onions and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Cook and peel shrimp. Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add 2 tsp of kosher salt to the water and 1½ lbs large, raw, tail-on shrimp. Cook shrimp until pink (about 3-4 minutes) and fully cooked. Reserve 2 cups of the “shrimp water” before draining the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp with cool water, then remove the tail and shell from the shrimp. If necessary, cut shrimp into small pieces. Think bite-size.
- Make sauce. Pull your bowl of pickled onions out of the fridge and remove the onions (don’t throw them away!) using a slotted spoon. To the citrus juice mixture, add in the 2 cups of reserved shrimp water, ½ cup of vegetable oil, ½ cup of ketchup, and Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine.
- Add onions and shrimp to sauce. Add the onions and the shrimp to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Marinate. Cover the bowl of shrimp ceviche then place it in the fridge to marinate for several hours, or overnight.
- Serve cold. When ready to serve, remove the bowl of shrimp ceviche from the fridge. We typically eat this as an appetizer. If you choose to do so, portion a small amount out into individual bowls, with the sauce. You may also allow people to serve themselves. If you don’t have bowls to hold the sauce, use a slotted spoon to serve this onto plates so it doesn’t make a mess.
- Enjoy! Eat as is with a fork or spoon, or scoop up bites of ceviche with chips. It’s delicious either way!
Recipe Tips
Make it your own with tasty additions! While I love this shrimp ceviche recipe as is, there are tons of things you can add that I think would be tasty. Chopped cilantro, creamy avocado, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumber, maybe some jalapeno or garlic for a little kick. I’ve even seen people add chopped mango or pineapple for a sweet twist, or use orange juice in the marinade.
You can use frozen shrimp with this recipe. Either let it thaw completely or cook according to package directions.
Not a fan of Tabasco? Use your favorite hot sauce instead!
My family typically eats this as an appetizer or a side dish, but adding additional vegetables or even spooning it into taco shells can make it more of a light meal. I think it would be the perfect light lunch on a hot summer day.
Drain and rinse your shrimp in cold water right away to keep it from overcooking and becoming tough!
Use a glass or other non-reactive bowl to marinate your onions and shrimp. You may notice from the photos that I use glass and wooden bowls. Stainless steel, ceramic, and even plastic all work great, too. Aluminum and copper bowls can react with citrus and give the dish a metallic taste, which we definitely don’t want!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Make Ahead: Cooked shrimp ceviche is actually best when it’s made the night before you plan to serve it. It only keeps for a couple of days, so I wouldn’t make it much farther in advance than that.
Storing: Store leftover ceviche in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.
Freezing: Do not freeze this dish.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, ceviche is “cooked” by the acidic marinade. The acid in citrus juice breaks down protein in shrimp and turns it opaque and pink, which is typically seen as cooked. For safety reasons, we go ahead and cook the shrimp for this ceviche in addition to marinating it in citrus juice, so it is definitely safe to consume.
No. The onions will become soggy once thawed, as will any other vegetables you choose to add.
Shrimp ceviche is best when it’s first made, in this case, after it marinates for several hours or overnight. It can be kept in the refrigerator for two days.
More Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp Ceviche
Ingredients
Onion Soak
- 1 large red onion - thinly sliced into half moons
- 2 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice - about 10 limes and 6 lemons (I linked the citrus juicer I use in my "equipment section" it's a big time saver!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Ceviche
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp - raw, tail on
- 2 cups RESERVED shrimp water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil - or canola oil
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- Tabasco sauce - to taste
- salt and pepper - to taste
Equipment
Instructions
Onion Soak
- Stir the salt into the bowl with the fresh lemon and lime juice. Add the thinly sliced onions, stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight.
Cook the shrimp
- Bring a pot of water to boil, add 2 tsp of kosher salt to the boiling water then add the shrimp. Cook until shrimp is fully cooked and pink in color (about 3-4 mins). Before draining the shrimp, RESERVE 2 CUPS OF THE SHRIMP WATER and set aside. Drain the shrimp in a colander, and run under cold water. Once cool take the shell and tail off each shrimp. If the shrimp is large, cut in half or thirds so they are bite size.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the lemon/lime juice (place the onions in a medium size bowl… we will add the onions back into the juice in just a moment). To the lemon lime juice whisk in 2 cups of reserved shrimp water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup ketchup, tabasco sauce, salt and pepper (to taste).
- Once combined stir the onions back into the sauce along with the shrimp. Cover, place in the refrigerator and let marinate for several hours, or overnight. Serve cold!
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