My first time making ceviche, it came out better than any restaurant I’ve tried it at. Granted, I don’t order it too often in restaurants because I’m allergic to avocados, but I digress. When I served it at my tropical food-cation, it was a hit! My friends even wanted to take some home (which I gracefully allowed).
This ceviche recipe was adopted from The Forked Spoon. Of course I made it my own – added a few ingredients, and took away a few. But I have to shout her out as the ceviche queen because hers was by far the most helpful recipe I found on the internet when looking.
What kind of fish do you use for ceviche?
I made this ceviche with snapper, but really the options are endless. The biggest thing is to make sure that you use the freshest fish your market has in stock. Don’t be afraid to ask them what they recommend either. The guys at Central Market are always super helpful when it comes to my questions. Oh, and don’t be afraid to buy fish that’s on sale either. Sometimes it’s priced that way simply because they have so much of it!
Here are some of the fish I’ve seen people make it with. Just know that the options are endless and if it’s a firm, white fish then you’ll probably be alright! Remember that making ceviche is way less intimidating than it seems.
- snapper
- shrimp
- scallops
- sea bass
- flounder
- mahi mahi
- halibut
Is it raw?
I mean, I have to say yes, but like also it’s more complicated than that. According to my friend (in my head) Alton Brown, it is raw. But!!!! But the citrus that you marinate the fish in should kill most of the surface bacteria due to the acidity. As he puts it, there’s no way to ensure the safety of the dish. But in my OPINION (please don’t sue me) you’re good.
When you eat it (depending on how long you marinade it for, it won’t taste or feel like raw fish. In fact, over time it turns that white color that cooked fish is! I’ve never had any issues after eating ceviche (but I’ve also never had any issues from eating some good sushi either.)
Does it have veggies?
What kind of veggies do you put in ceviche? Honestly, this part is kind of up to you. Just ask yourself if you like a little crunch, or do you prefer it smooth. Do you like it spicy, or can you not handle the heat? Are you looking for something sweet, or a little more savory? Here are some things I’ve seen it made with. Now as for this recipe, its a little spicy, a little crunchy, and definitely savory.
- avocado
- bell pepper
- red pepper
- yellow pepper
- onion
- pineapple
- mango
- apple
- garlic
- cilantro
- parsley
- tomato
- jalapeno
- serrano
- shallot
Do you soak ceviche in a bag or in a bowl?
Personally, I like to use a covered bowl so that i can easily stir my ceviche around every few hours. Plus I don’t really trust that a bag won’t leak.
That being said, if you want to use a bag, that’s totally fine too! I’d just recommend you set it on a plate or something so that if it does leak, it doesn’t get fish juice all over your refrigerator.
Red Snapper Ceviche
Making ceviche for the first time can be intimidating, but trust me when I say it's as easy as making a salad! It just takes a few hours longer. haha
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of fish (I used red snapper, but any white fish will do)
- 1 serrano pepper, diced super small
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 2 tomatoes, pitted and diced
- 15 large limes, juiced
- 1 grapefruit, juiced
- 1 orange, juiced
- 2 lemons, juiced
- Separately:
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 avocados, diced
Instructions
- Filet your snapper (take it off the bone) and cut it in to bite-size, even pieces.
- Add the snapper to a bowl.
- Make sure that all of the veggies are cut to bite size pieces. The garlic and serrano should be cut pretty small so you dont accidentally eat a huge chunk.
- Add all of the veggies (except for the shallots) and the juice from all of the fruits to the bowl of snapper. Make sure that the juice covers all of the ingredients completely. If it isn't covered, you can add more of whichever juice you choose. I'd try adding a bit more orange or grapefruit just to switch up the flavor a little. Season it lightly with salt.
- Cover the bowl and set it in the fridge to "cook" for 2-6 hours. The longer you let it sit in the fridge, the more "done" it will be.
- While that's marinating, put the shallots and some hot water and a couple pinches of salt in a separate bowl. You'll mix these all together at the end but you don't want the shallot to over power the flavor.
- When the ceviche is done marinating to your likeness, do this. Drain the shallots and throw them in the ceviche. If you're using avocado, you can add that in now too. Taste it and season with more salt if necessary. Voila!
Notes
You can either serve the ceviche with with chips, as a taco, or on a tostada! I really love them on toasted Siete tortillas. It's basically like eating a crunchy ceviche pizza!
For more ceviche tips, head to my post on How To Make Ceviche!
Ceviche is so easy to make and so dang good once it’s done. In fact, I ate on this stuff for probably three days and it just got better and better!
Have you made ceviche before or will this be your first time? Let me know and tag me in all of your ceviche pics! I want to see what you come up with and learn from you how I can make mine even better.
If you plan to make this in the future, save it for later on Pinterest! Just pin the picture pelow.
