Ceviche is the best seafood appetizer for summer entertaining! It’s light and fresh, vibrant and tangy, and perfectly scoopable with tortilla chips.
Why You’ll Love This Ceviche Recipe
Whenever I see ceviche on a menu, it’s a guarantee that I’ll order it. My friends jokingly say that ceviche is my love language—and they’re not wrong. I’ve enjoyed plenty of ceviche on trips to Mexico (you can catch a snippet in the video below). And while there are countless ways to make ceviche, I have a soft spot for this classic ceviche de pescado (fish ceviche). It’s the one appetizer that always gets me excited for summer entertaining, especially for 4th of July parties! Here’s why you’ll love my recipe too:
- It’s light, fresh, and healthy. This dish highlights everything I love about Mexican coastal food: lime-marinated white fish, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, red onion, creamy avocado, and plenty of cilantro.
- It’s easy yet impressive. Seafood on the table always makes a good impression, but this recipe couldn’t be simpler. Just marinate the fish, chop the veggies, and toss them together. That’s it!
Ceviche Ingredients
- White Fish: I’m using fresh halibut for this recipe, but you can reference the section below for other firm white fish options. You can also use shrimp in this recipe, but take note of the shrimp tips in my citrus shrimp ceviche recipe.
- Ceviche Marinade: A lime and lemon juice mixture will “cook” and tenderize the fish.
- Vegetables: You’ll need tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, avocados, and jalapeño or serrano pepper. It’s all my favorite Mexican toppings in one bowl!
- Fresh Cilantro: You can’t do ceviche without cilantro, in my opinion (but I’m also a cilantro lover).
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How To Make Ceviche
Marinate the fish. In a glass (non-reactive) bowl, stir together the fish, lime juice, and lemon juice. Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes (and up to 2 hours or so). You’ll notice the fish go opaque as the lime juice “cooks” the fish. The longer you marinate the fish, the more it will cook. See below for more information.
Stir it together and serve. Remove the fish from the fridge (no need to drain it) and add the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, red onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and salt. Gently stir to combine. Serve the ceviche on a plate, with tortilla chips, or in individual glasses (this is perfect for a party!).
How Long to Marinate Fish for Ceviche?
The “cook time” for ceviche depends on how tender you want the fish to be and how big the pieces are. But the general rule is to marinate for at least 20 to 30 minutes and no more than 4 hours. If you marinate for…
- 30 Minutes: The fish will be mostly opaque and a bit more “cooked” yet still tender.
- 1 Hour: The fish will be opaque, like “medium-cooked” meat.
- 2+ Hours: The fish will be completely opaque, like “well-done” meat. After 4 hours, the fish will toughen up and won’t be as tasty.
Peruvian vs Mexican Ceviche
While I’m making a Mexican ceviche today, I’d like to give a warm shout-out to my Peruvian followers and their national dish—ceviche! Their version is often a simpler preparation with citrus-marinated raw fish, sliced onions, and a sprinkle of cilantro. It really lets the fish shine! And for the full plated experience, you’ll typically find Peruvian ceviche served with sweet potatoes, toasted corn, or plantain chips.
On the other hand, my ceviche recipe is influenced by all my travels to Mexico. Mexican ceviche also uses citrus-marinated fish, but it’s tossed with other ingredients like tomatoes, cucumber, onion, jalapeño, avocado, and more. With everything diced up in uniform pieces, it’s the perfect appetizer to serve with tortilla chips!
Common Questions
The options are numerous—you can use shellfish like shrimp, crab, scallops, or squid. And then there’s white fish (my favorite) like sea bass, snapper, halibut, cod, mahi mahi, and more. In Mexico, sea bass is often used, though I’m using halibut today as it’s easy for me to find in Southern California (it’s also what I used in my mango halibut ceviche).
Whichever you decide, I can’t emphasize enough that the quality of your fish matters. If you have access to a local fish market with freshly caught fish of the day, I’d consider that your first option. If not, you can grab frozen fish or let the fishmonger know you’re using raw fish for ceviche. This will give them a better idea of which pieces are best suited for you.
Yes, ceviche is safe, as long as it’s made properly. And it’s important to use very fresh, high-quality fish. Ideally, you want to go for sushi-grade or previously frozen fish (which helps kill harmful bacteria).
Anything fresh, like ceviche, is always best enjoyed right away. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Just keep in mind that the acidic marinade will continue to “cook” the fish and break down its protein structure over time. This can make the texture a bit tougher, especially with shrimp (in my experience, it affects shrimp more than white fish). But I’ve certainly enjoyed the leftovers of this recipe the next day!
More Mexican Appetizers
- Best Guacamole: A must-make appetizer for any party.
- Pico De Gallo: So fresh and easy!
- Best Salsa: The best blended salsa.
- Mango Salsa: A favorite for mango season.
- Mandarin Orange Salsa: A fun citrus twist.
- Or browse through my list of Mexican recipes for more ideas!
If you make this ceviche recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh firm white fish (like sea bass, snapper, or halibut – see tips above), skinned, deboned and diced into small pieces
- ½ cup fresh lime juice, from about 5 to 6 limes
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 avocado, peeled, deseeded and diced
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a glass (non-reactive) bowl, stir together the fish, lime juice, and lemon juice, Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 4 hours. You'll notice the fish go opaque as the lime juice "cooks" the fish. The longer you marinate the fish, the more it will cook. See above in the blog post for more information.
- Remove the fish from the fridge (no need to drain it) and add the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, red onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and salt. Gently stir to combine.
- Serve it up in individual glasses, on a plate, or with tortilla chips.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published May 2023, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
This sounds wonderful. Can I use raw shrimp and scallops instead of fish? Thanks.
Hi Debra – Yes, that should be fine!
AMAZING!!! I made this with sea bass and large scallops. The lemon lime combo is brilliant and the fresh cilantro makes this dish scream VACATION!!!! The cucumber, tomatoes and avocado created great contrasting textures. Thank you!
Omg, the combination of sea bass and scallops sounds amazing for this ceviche! That’s a true vacation combo, Eva.
Home run! This was our first time making ceviche. Watched your video on YouTube and knew we had to try! Thanks for sharing, it is fantastic and we have plans to make it again and again.
Wonderful! Glad your first time making ceviche was a success, Vanessa.
Yummy! So fresh and lovely on a hot summer day.
I’m happy you loved it, Christina. And I agree, ceviche is always my go-to recipe on a hot day. It’s so light and fresh!
If I use shrimp, I don’t need to cook first?
Hi Whitney – You’ll still need to parboil your shrimp before adding it into the mix!
Thank you for the tip! I tripled your recipe with halibut and shrimp for a party of 16. There wasn’t a bite left!! Guests said it was the BEST ceviche they have ever had and all asked for the recipe. Thank you!!
Amazing! Glad the tip worked and that this ceviche was such a hit, Whitney!
I have been searching for the perfect ceviche for 28 years. THIS IS IT.. I used scallops and sea bass and halved the recipe as I was just making it for myself. Suffice it to say….no leftovers. Great texture, flavor and presentation. THANK YOU. This will be a summer standard with variation in the starring fish.
Amazing to hear you’ve found the perfect ceviche recipe, Eva! This should definitely be in your summer rotation.
Caught Spanish mackerel in the Gulf, used this recipe tonight: Amazing! So light and flavorful. Also was delicious with a bit of cocktail sauce, or salsa mixed in (separately.) Thank you!
I’m sure this tasted amazing with freshly caught mackerel, Bryan. Enjoy!
Definitely going to try this Recipe Great Info and easy to Follow Thanks
I hope you enjoy this refreshing ceviche recipe!
Hi! Can I make it with cod fish? Thanks
Hi Raquel – Yes, that’s fine!
Yummy!! I used tilapia and was worried it wouldn’t work but wow it was delicious. I marinated it for an hour and drained it before mixing it and it was perfect. I was worried the tilapia would get bitter if I left in the juices? Best ceviche I’ve ever had. Thanks much
Glad your ceviche turned out perfectly with tilpia, Anne!
Made this with scallops for a gathering and was delicious. Will definitely make again!
I’m sure this ceviche with fresh scallops tasted amazing! Glad it was a hit, Karen.
Made this ceviche for an appetiser for friends on Saturday, it was a total hit with everyone. Not a lot of them had ever tried ceviche are were a bit worried at first. It went down a treat with my homemade tortilla toasts. Thank you.
Hi Elaine – Thrilled to hear this ceviche was a hit!
Yes, this really is the best ceviche recipe ever! Delicious, nutritious, great taste and texture. I squeeze the lemons and limes myself. It takes a bit longer than using bottled juice, but I think it’s worth it.
Hi Dona – I’m so glad you’re loving this ceviche recipe!
Wondering if this recipe would also work for scallops? Also, for a party trying to
decide how to serve (don’t like individual disposable plastic but seems like a better idea than one large bowl). Thx!
Yes, it works for scallops as well! Enjoy!
Ok so I have to ask…. the marinade cooks the fish??? IS the fish really raw? I do not understand how the marinade COOKS the fish….. I’m new to this idea, it looks delicious. I want to try but I prefer cooked meats :) can you explain a little…. Thanks
The acid from the lime juice forms a low pH condition to denature the fish’s protein network, the same as heating would! This results in the fish becoming opaque and more firm in texture. Hope that helps!
I cant find where you say to use the salt.
You’ll find the salt in step two.
Best ceviche ever! I make some really good ceviche and am always ready to try a new one. Rarely do I think one is better than my favorite 2 tried-and-true….but this one IS🙌🏼
So glad you loved this ceviche recipe Wendy!
This was super easy and so yummy! I used halibut for mine and I thought the leftovers tasted just as good as night one. Was great to have now that the weather is getting warmer.
This is definitely a summer staple! Glad this worked out great with halibut.
So easy and delicious. Just because my red onion was potent and the jalapeno not-so-much, I tasted and adjusted the amounts.
This was so easy and tasty. I couldn’t believe the fish actually turned opaque. Anyway, I should have read Lisa’s notes on leftovers and how the fish keeps cooking before making it. Definitely half the recipe if you are only serving 1 or 2 as it’s best on the fist day :)
So happy you loved the ceviche, Anna!
I am going to make this for dinner this week! Looks simple and deliicous!
Awesome! Let us know how it turns out. :)
Love this recipe! It’s so simple and healthy and perfect for summer. Thanks Lisa!
Yay, happy you loved this ceviche recipe, Kaye!
I would love to make this Ceviche recipe but cucumber gives me heartburn. Could I substitute Jicama?
Yes, no problem. :)