Ceviche Recipe
Tender lime-cured fish meets crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes, and fresh cilantro in this vibrant chilled ceviche, finished with a gentle touch of chili heat.
Equipment
- Garlic Press
- Blender
- Glass Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Ceviche
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced, with the grain
- 1-1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt start with 1, add more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (4-6 limes) freshly squeezed (try to use ripe limes)
- 1-2 cloves garlic very finely minced (use a garlic press)
- 1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chili pepper seeded and very finely chopped. Start conservatively, more to taste.
- 1 pound fresh fish sea bass, red snapper, corvina, halibut, dorado, escolar, mahi-mahi, tilapia, or hamachi, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced or cut in half (or 1 cup diced tomatoes)
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
- 1 semi-firm Avocado optional, diced, or make the Avocado Sauce
Optional Avocado sauce
- 2/3 cup Avocado
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- 2/3 cup water plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic
- cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
Ceviche Preparation
- Place the sliced red onion in a chilled glass or ceramic bowl, then coat it with the kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh lime juice. Let the onion strands soften slightly while remaining crisp and brightly colored.
- Add the diced fish, minced garlic, and chopped serrano or jalapeño, then fold gently until the lime juice reaches every cube. The fish should remain intact, with each piece evenly coated rather than broken up.
- Stir in the tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, and optional olive oil, then refrigerate the ceviche for at least 30 minutes before serving. After 45 to 60 minutes, the fish should look milky white and feel firm yet tender when pressed gently with a fork.
- Taste the chilled ceviche and adjust the salt and chili to suit your preference, then fold in the optional avocado just before serving. The avocado should stay in distinct creamy pieces, and the final mixture should taste lively rather than overly salty or aggressively sour.
Optional Avocado Sauce
- Blend all of the avocado sauce ingredients until completely smooth, adding more water or olive oil only as needed to help the blender move. The finished sauce should pour easily and look pale green with flecks of cilantro.
Notes
Curing cue: The fish is ready when the center turns from translucent to milky opaque and feels gently springy. Avoid curing past 90 minutes to prevent a dry or chalky texture.
Flavor balance: If the citrus tastes overly sharp, fold in diced avocado or extra cucumber to soften the acidity without dulling freshness.
Storage: Keep leftover ceviche refrigerated in an airtight glass container. The fish will continue firming in the citrus as it sits.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.