Cinco de Mayo will be here soon. It’s a fun celebration and the best part is the food and beverages. Mexican cuisine is so popular. I have it in my dinner rotation often (usually burritos, nachos, or tacos). There are more Mexican restaurants near my home than any other ethnic cuisine. There was one that had this amazing shrimp and avocado ceviche. Sadly that restaurant closed. I’ve missed the ceviche very much and finally decided to make it.
Ceviche is basically seafood marinated in citrus juices. Lime juice is the the most commonly used. You can also use lemon and grapefruit. Some information I ran across on ceviche noted the seafood is not technically cooked by the juice. The protein structure is changed in the marinating process and that is why it looks cooked. It’s why most shrimp ceviche recipes call for cooking the shrimp briefly before marinating for food safety purposes. I’m not a food scientist so I cannot verify. I only wanted to be safe so I went with a cooking then marinating method.
How does the shrimp and avocado ceviche taste? Totally hands down exactly what I wanted. I would say it is better than the one I had in the restaurant. The combination of shrimp, citrus juices, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro is a fresh burst from the first bite to the last. It is light, refreshing, and can be an appetizer or a main course. Substitute parsley if you are not a cilantro fan. Some folks think cilantro tastes like soap. Not me, I love the fresh herb.
Are you ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? I am and I’m celebrating it with some very talented and wonderful food bloggers. We are throwing another Holiday Food Party and our host is Jen of Jen’s Favorite Cookies. There are 15 recipes and it is quite a Mexican fiesta:
- Alfajores from Roxana’s Home Baking
- Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Yogurt Sauce from Crumb Blog
- Classic Flan from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Dulce de Leche Milkshake with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream from Chocolate Moosey
- Lime Margarita Bars from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from Magnolia Days
- Tropical Fiesta Cocktail from Hungry Couple NYC
- Paletas – Mexican Popsicles from Pineapple and Coconut
- Bizcochitos Cookies from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Gotta Get Baked
- Vegan Taco Salad from What Smells So Good?
- Gluten-Free Tres Leches Cake from Kelly Bakes
- Spicy Queso Blanco from The Messy Baker
- Gorditas with Picadillo from Juanita’s Cocina
- Strawberry Margarita Slurpee from Chocolate Chocolate and More
What a fabulous spread! I’m know I will enjoy these recipes even well past Cinco de Mayo. Any night can be a Mexican night. I need a change up from my usual too. How about you?
Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche
A recipe for shrimp and avocado ceviche. Shrimp is cooked and marinated with fresh lime and lemon juices and then combined with avocado, onion, peppers, tomato, and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- Salt for cooking water
- 1 cup fresh lime juice from about 8 limes
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from about 3 lemons
- 1 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 serrano chile ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tomato seeded and chopped
- 2 avocados peeled and seed removed, cut into chunks
Instructions
-
Fill a large bowl with ice and water to make an ice water bath. Set aside.
-
Bring a large pot of water (at least 4 quarts or water) to a boil. Add salt (about 1 tablespoon), stir, and bring back to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes (2 minutes maximum). Drain the shrimp and add them to the ice water bath and let set for a few minutes to stop the cooking process and cool.
-
Drain the shrimp and cut each one in half. Place the shrimp in a large non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic). Add the lime and lemon juices to the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
-
Add the onions, serrano chile, and jalapeno pepper to the bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.
-
Add the cilanto, tomato, and avocado to the bowl. Stir gently to combine. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.
Recipe Notes
A recipe for shrimp and avocado ceviche. Shrimp is cooked and marinated with fresh lime and lemon juices and then combined with avocado, onion, peppers, tomato, and cilantro.
Recipe adapted from one on the Simply Recipes website.
Nicole @ Daily Dish Recipes says
Renee, that looks AMAZING. It has two of my favorite things – shrimp and avocado… what’s not to love?
Perfection in a bowl!
Renee says
Thank you so much Nicole!
Anita at Hungry Couple says
Sadly I am allergic to seafood but this dish looks so fresh and light and perfect for warm weather. Brian will happily eat my portion, though. 🙂
Renee says
Sorry you have the seafood allergy. I’m the same with watermelon.
DB-The Foodie Stuntman says
I love a good ceviche too! Probably the best explanation I’ve found from a science standpoint is on wikipedia, believe it or not. There are health risks but none more than sushi so it doesn’t bother me too much. All in all, a great dish!
Renee says
True about the health risks being similar to sushi. If I was closer to getting fresh shrimp then I might not cook it first.
Liz says
LOVE this, Renee! You’ve paired two of my favorite ingredients…what a perfect warm weather dish! Bring on summer!!!
Renee says
Thanks Liz! And yes, bring on summer!!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Mmm…I haven’t had ceviche in a loooong time, Renee, or at least not a GOOD one. This looks fabulous – so fresh, light and flavourful. I hated cilantro as a kid but now I can’t get enough of it. If it’ll work in a dish, I’m putting it in. Ever since I got a bad case of food poisoning about five years ago, I’ve been super vigilant (read: paranoid) about uncooked food so I would’ve gone the cooking first route too 🙂
Renee says
I think if you got fresh shrimp straight from the water it would be fine to not cook it. All I can get is what was previously frozen so I don’t think it is “sushi” grade (okay to eat raw).
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says
Who doesn’t like cilantro?! This ceviche looks delicious, Renee!
Renee says
Thanks Jen and I know a few people who don’t like it. I love it and growing some this summer.
kelly @ kellybakes says
Ceviche is one of my favorite ways to eat seafood, especially shrimp and scallops. This looks light, lovely and easy to make–all three things I love! Thanks for sharing, Renee!
Renee says
Oh…scallop ceviche. I have to make that next time. Thanks for that idea.
Jen @JuanitasCocina says
Lip smacking…seriously.
Renee says
Thanks Jen!
Isabelle @ Crumb says
I’ll be honest, I’m a little jealous I didn’t think of ceviche first… it’s one of my favourite summertime dishes, and I must have eaten literally tons of the stuff when I visited Mexico a couple of years ago.
There’s nothing better than a big plate of ceviche and a cold beer on a hot day! Love the idea of throwing some avocado in there for a little extra oomph.
Renee says
I am jealous that you got to eat ceviche in Mexico. I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been there.
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
I have never tried ceviche. I kind of feel like I’ve been living under a rock. Your ceviche looks amazing, Renee!
Renee says
You must try ceviche Jennie. I know you would love it.
Zach says
Your photos are stunning and your recipes sound delectable. We would love for you to share them at thefeastingeye.com. The Feasting Eye is still a bit new, but I think you will like what you see :-).
Renee says
Thank you very much Zach and I will check out Feasting Eye.
Susan says
So refreshing and you have so gorgeous looking shrimp Renee! Really just want to dive into that bowl.
Renee says
Thanks Susan!
Sarah Reid, RHNC (@jo_jo_ba) says
I always wondered about ceviche, had it once at a restaurant but never dared do it at home!
Renee says
It’s so easy you must give it a try.
Carla says
I’ve never had ceviche but I hear about it all the time on the cooking competition shows. I love shrimp, so I’ll have to give this a try!
Kim Bee says
Hey lady, I left a comment in the midst of a computer malfunction so no idea if it went through. So wanted to stop by again to make sure I told you how yummy this looks.
Renee says
Thanks so much for coming back by. You are such a sweetie. I hope your computer problems are resolved.