Kingfish Ceviche Recipe

Prepare fish

Place the kingfish fillet on a clean cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, trim any skin, bloodline or connective tissue. Pat the fillet dry with paper towels. Slice the fish into 1/4-inch dice (bite-size cubes) and transfer to a non-reactive bowl (glass or stainless steel).

Make citrus marinade

In a separate bowl, combine the fresh lime juice and lemon juice with the sea salt, granulated sugar and black pepper. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Taste and adjust seasoning — the marinade should be bright and slightly salty.

Marinate fish

Pour the citrus marinade over the diced kingfish, making sure the fish is mostly submerged. Gently toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15–25 minutes, tossing gently once or twice. Fish should become opaque and firm at the edges but still slightly translucent in the center; total 'cooking' time will vary by the size of dice and freshness.

Prepare vegetables and aromatics

While fish marinates, thinly slice the red onion into half-moons and place in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften and reduce bite, then drain and pat dry. Deseed the jalapeño and finely dice (keep seeds if you want more heat). Halve and quarter the cherry tomatoes, and peel, halve, seed and dice the English cucumber into small matchsticks or 1/4-inch pieces. Finely chop the cilantro.

Combine and finish ceviche

After the fish has marinated to your liking, drain off about half of the marinade (reserve a little to toss later if desired). Add the drained red onion, diced jalapeño, tomatoes, cucumber and chopped cilantro to the fish. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the mixture and gently fold to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper or a splash of reserved marinade. If needed, let the combined ceviche rest in the refrigerator for 5–10 minutes to marry flavors.

Add avocado

Just before serving, dice the avocado into 1/2-inch pieces and gently fold into the ceviche to avoid browning and keep texture creamy.

Spoon the kingfish ceviche into bowls or onto chilled plates. Garnish with microgreens or additional cilantro and arrange lime wedges on the side. If using radish, fan thin slices atop for crunch and color.

Serve immediately with tortilla chips or tostadas for scooping. Leftover ceviche can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, but texture is best the same day.