Ceviche De Camaron Recipe

Prepare shrimp

Rinse the peeled and deveined shrimp under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut larger shrimp into 1/2" pieces so they will cure evenly; leave small shrimp whole.

Cure shrimp in citrus

Place the shrimp in a nonreactive bowl (glass or stainless). Pour the 1 cup fresh lime juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice over the shrimp so they are fully submerged. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until shrimp are opaque and firm (shrimp should be opaque throughout — if pieces are still translucent, add another 5–10 minutes).

Prep vegetables

While the shrimp cures, dice the cucumber, jicama, and tomato into uniform 1/4" pieces. Thinly slice the red onion, then place the slices in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to mellow the bite; drain and pat dry. Finely mince the jalapeño or serrano (remove seeds for less heat). Chop the cilantro and set all vegetables aside in the refrigerator until shrimp are ready.

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro for garnish; fold the rest into the ceviche when combining.

Make the broth

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup tomato juice (or strained canned tomatoes), 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoons additional lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be bright, slightly tangy, and balanced between citrus and tomato.

If the broth is too thick, thin with up to 2 tablespoons cold water. Chill briefly if needed.

Drain shrimp and combine

When the shrimp are opaque and firm (20–40 minutes total), drain off about half of the citrus marinade (reserve a tablespoon if you like extra citrus). Add the marinated shrimp to the bowl with the diced cucumber, jicama, tomato, red onion, and minced chile.

Add tomato broth and cilantro

Pour the tomato salsa broth over the shrimp-vegetable mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Add the chopped cilantro (except the reserved garnish) and fold once more. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.

If using avocado, gently fold in the diced avocado last to avoid mashing. Let the ceviche rest in the refrigerator 5–10 minutes to marry flavors (do not exceed 30 minutes or the avocado will brown and vegetables will soften).

Spoon the ceviche into chilled bowls or onto tostadas. Garnish with reserved cilantro leaves and lime wedges. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or warm tostadas.

Leftovers: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours for best texture and safety. The shrimp will continue to firm and the vegetables soften over time.