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A side angle shot of finished shrimp ceviche with avocado fills a large white ceramic serving bowl. A gold serving spoon rests inside the bowl and the shrimp ceviche has been garnished with slices of fresh lime and cilantro. The bowl sits atop a yellow surface surrounded by yellow corn tortilla chips in a bowl, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt, a beer bottle and a beer bottle cap, and lime wedges.

Simple, Citrusy Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Inactive Chilling: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Appetizer Recipes, Snacks, Seafood Recipes
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: South American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

On a hot peak summer day – the kind of day that’s way too warm to think about cooking or even eating a big meal for that matter! – all I want at dinnertime is something snacky, light, & cold. Shrimp avocado ceviche is the perfect solution. It’s super fresh, totally feel-good, & there’s zero heat involved! 

The magic of ceviche happens through a killer ceviche marinade. I like using a combination of freshly squeezed orange juice & lime juice for bright, rounded flavor that’s not too harsh or tart. Since there’s a bit of juicing involved, it’s really handy to use an electric citrus juicer like the one linked below. (Be sure to read through the blog post, above, to learn more about ceviche!)

The shrimp “cooks” in the marinade in about an hour, at which point I like to fold a few add-ins into the mix: cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeños, & cilantro. While they’re not all traditionally found in ceviche, I appreciate how they bulk up this particular recipe, stretching out a pretty humble amount of shrimp into a really satisfying & colorful dish. 

Just before serving, fold in the avocado, & enjoy with tortilla chips or plantain chips for a beautiful light & cold summer dinner. Refer to the blog post, above, for some other serving suggestions!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound extra large shrimp (U/26-30), peeled & deveined (see Recipe Notes)
  • 1 teaspoon each orange zest & lime zest
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice (approx. 5 juicy limes)
  • 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (approx. 1 juicy orange)
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 1/2 medium red onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1/2 medium bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 2 large jalapeños, deseeded as desired & diced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup cilantro leaves & tender stems, finely chopped (approx. 1/4 cup chopped)
  • 1 avocado, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
  • for serving, as desired: tortilla chips, plantain chips, etc.

Instructions

  1. Prepare the shrimp: If present, remove the tails from the shrimp. Slice each shrimp in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 4-5 small bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped shrimp in a large bowl. Add in the lime zest & orange zest & season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Carefully stir in the lime juice & orange juice, coating the shrimp in the citrus well. Cover & transfer to the refrigerator to chill until the shrimp are opaque, at least 1 hour.Raw shrimp cut into bite-sized pieces fills a clear glass mixing bowl along with lime zest, orange zest, and kosher salt. A silver serving spoon used for mixing rests inside of the mixing bowl while the bowl sits atop a yellow surface. The mixing bowl is surrounded by whole and halved limes and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt.
  2. Assemble the ceviche: Once the shrimp are opaque, remove from the refrigerator & assemble the ceviche. Gently fold in the cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeño & cilantro. Taste & season with additional salt as needed. Cover & transfer to the refrigerator, just until chilled or up to overnight.A close up shot of shrimp ceviche made with quartered cherry tomatoes, diced bell pepper, diced red onion, diced jalapeño, finely chopped cilantro and raw shrimp cut into bite-sized pieces tossed together inside of a large glass mixing bowl. A silver serving spoon rests inside of the mixing bowl and the bowl sits atop a yellow surface surrounded by limes and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt.
  3. Serving shrimp ceviche: Just before serving, remove from the refrigerator. Gently fold in the avocado. Taste & season with additional salt as needed. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or plantain chips as desired. Enjoy!A side angle shot of finished shrimp ceviche with avocado fills a large white ceramic serving bowl. A gold serving spoon rests inside the bowl and the shrimp ceviche has been garnished with slices of fresh lime and cilantro. The bowl sits atop a yellow surface surrounded by yellow corn tortilla chips in a bowl, a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt, a beer bottle and a beer bottle cap, and lime wedges.

Equipment

Notes

  • Raw vs cooked shrimp: Traditional ceviche makes use of raw fish or seafood, cooking it in an acidic marinade through a process called denaturation. (Refer to the blog post, above, to learn more!) I like to stick with tradition here, especially since the shrimp retains a beautiful tender texture for the ceviche. If you prefer to make ceviche with cooked shrimp, you definitely can. Grab pre-cooked shrimp from the store or gently cook it yourself via a quick poach. To poach, simply bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the shrimp, then immediately cover & remove from the heat. Let the pot stand for 3 minutes, at which point the shrimp should be cooked through. Transfer the poached shrimp to an ice bath to chill, then proceed with the Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Rather than letting the shrimp soak in the marinade for an hour before adding the remaining ingredients, skip right ahead to assembly in Step 2. 
  • Storage: Once assembled (through Step 3), this shrimp ceviche is best enjoyed fresh. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days – the color & texture of the avocado may change some, but the ceviche will still be perfectly edible.
  • 15-Minute Meal Prep: Most of the active work involved in prepping this shrimp ceviche recipe comes from chopping the veggies. Prep them in advance – slice the tomatoes, dice the onion & peppers – & store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to assemble the ceviche, simply fold them all in – easy! (approx. 15 minutes active)

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/shrimp-ceviche-with-avocado/