Baja Style Ceviche Recipe

Prepare shrimp

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Cut shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces if large (or leave halved if medium). Place shrimp in a nonreactive bowl.

Pour 1 cup fresh lime juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice over the shrimp, making sure shrimp are fully submerged. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar, stir gently to combine.

Refrigerate and allow the shrimp to 'cook' in the citrus for 20–30 minutes, stirring once after 10 minutes. Shrimp are done when opaque and firm. Drain most of the citrus leaving about 2 tablespoons to keep the mixture moist.

While the shrimp are marinating, make the aguachile. In a blender, combine 3 serrano chilies (seed if you want less heat), 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, 1/2 cup peeled and seeded cucumber, 1/4 cup cold water, 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Blend on high until completely smooth and bright green, about 30–45 seconds. Taste and adjust heat or salt; if too spicy, add 1–2 tablespoons water or an extra 1/4 cup cucumber and blend again.

Strain the marinade through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any large solids for a silky aguachile, pressing with a spoon. Discard solids.

Take about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the aguachile marinade and toss with the drained, citrus-'cooked' shrimp until evenly coated. Refrigerate shrimp in marinade while you prepare the mix-ins, but do not marinate longer than 30 minutes total after the citrus step to preserve texture.

Thinly slice or small-dice 3/4 cup English cucumber and place in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion (rinse under cold water and drain to remove excess bite), 1/2 cup seeded diced roma tomatoes, and 1 diced ripe avocado.

Gently fold the marinated shrimp into the vegetable mixture. Add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1/2 teaspoon additional salt or a squeeze of lime if needed.

If you want extra brightness, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of the reserved strained aguachile to taste.

Arrange corn tostadas on a platter. Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of the ceviche mixture onto each tostada (or serve family style in a bowl with tostadas on the side).

Garnish each tostada with diced avocado (if not mixed in), a few micro cilantro leaves or a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, and a thin radish slice if using. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Serve immediately — tostadas will become soggy if ceviche sits on them more than 10–15 minutes. Leftover ceviche (without tostadas) keeps covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours; texture softens with time.