Mexican Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado

Mexican Shrimp Ceviche is full of avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and tossed in a lemon and lime citrus sauce.  This quick, easy, low-carb, and Whole30 dip recipe can be served with tortilla chips, on top of your favorite chicken dish, or eat it by the spoonful for lunch or dinner!  

Looking for other easy Mexican dip recipes?  You might also enjoy this Homemade Guacamole, Black Bean and Corn Dip, and this Fresh Tomato Salsa.

Mexican Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado

For some reason, every time we eat out at a fancier Mexican restaurant and ceviche is on the menu, I just HAVE to order it!

Whether it’s bass, sole, or shrimp ceviche with avocado… you better believe I am going to have an order of this light, refreshing, and low-carb dish.

While nothing can beat the authentic and incredibly fresh ceviche we had while visiting Costa Rica this past summer, this homemade version is a really close second!

You can serve it as an appetizer or dip for a Cinco de Mayo party, or meal prep it for the week and eat it for a few days!

It also would taste great served on top of a grilled chicken breast or as a surf and turf with a Filet Mignon.

Ingredients

It does take a little bit of time to finely dice all of the ingredients, but trust me!  It’s SO worth the effort.

Just pop on your favorite music or TV show, and you’ll be done chopping before you know it.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• • Shrimp – White or pink shrimp can be used in this recipe.  Read more below about fresh vs. frozen, and wild versus farm-raised shrimp.
  • Citrus – A blend of lime, lemon, and orange juice is mixed together to make the ceviche sauce.  Definitely use FRESH citrus juice for the best taste and flavor in this recipe.
  • Onion – A red onion is used for color, but you can also use a sweet or white onion instead.
  • Tomato – Any type of tomato will work in this recipe.  You can use vine-ripened tomatoes, seeds removed, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes.
  • Cucumber – An English seedless cucumber is the best kind to use when making ceviche.  You can choose to leave the skin on or peel it before dicing.
  • Avocado – Mixed in at the very end, this creamy addition helps to balance the crunch of the cucumbers and onion.  Don’t leave this out!
  • Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is finely chopped and adds a wonderfully fresh herbal flavor which is typical in authentic Mexican ceviche recipes.
  • Jalapeno – Completely optional if you do not like your ceviche to be spicy.  You can also substitute it with a serrano pepper or use two jalapenos to bump up the spice level.

Type of Shrimp

Fresh shrimp, not previously frozen, will definitely taste the best.

Wild, and not farm-raised, are healthier for you and are in season in the Spring and Fall.

If you can’t find WILD and FRESH shrimp, you can always use previously frozen and/or farm-raised instead.f

Any size shrimp will work, but just note the boiling time is for medium-sized shrimp, about 20/24 count per pound.  If you have larger or smaller shrimp you will want to adjust the cook time accordingly.

Is the Shrimp Raw?

While most ceviche recipes start with raw fish and then the citrus juices “cook” the seafood, this recipe actually instructs you to boil the shrimp for 1-2 minutes before making the ceviche.

I take this extra step of cooking the shrimp first to ensure the shrimp are cooked all of the way through and any potentially bad bacteria has been killed.

If you do not live in a coastal town or have easy access to fresh and high-quality seafood, I would encourage you to cook your shrimp, too.

Boiling Shrimp

We’ll be cooking the shrimp for this recipe by boiling it in a large pot.

Before you do this step, make sure your shrimp have been peeled, deveined, and the tails removed.

To boil the shrimp:

• Bring a medium to large pot of water to a boil.
• Add shrimp carefully to the pot and boil for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove the shrimp immediately once they turn pink and begin to curl.
• Cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces once they are cool enough to touch.

Cook’s Tip: Make sure you do not over cook the shrimp.  They can become rubbery instead of soft and delicate if cooked too long.

How to Make

While your shrimp are cooked and cooled to room temperature, it’s time to start assembling the ceviche.

Here are the step-by-step instructions you will want to follow:

1. Juice the limes, lemons, and oranges.
2. Combine lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add shrimp and marinade in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
4. While the shrimp are marinading, finely dice the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and jalapeno.
5. Mix vegetables in with the shrimp.
6. Marinade in refrigerator for at least another 20 minutes.
7. Stir in avocado and cilantro just before serving.
8. Serve with homemade tortilla chips or over chicken and enjoy!

Serving

While shrimp ceviche is classically served as a dish with baked corn tortilla chips, there are a few other ways you can enjoy this low-carb recipe.

Keep it Paleo by grabbing a bag of Siete grain-free chips.

Turn it into a surf ‘n turf and serve it on top of a filet mignon or grilled chicken breast.

Or just grab a spoon and dig in.  Eating it by itself is probably my favorite way to enjoy this dish!

Storing

What’s the best way to store leftovers?

If you have remaining shrimp ceviche, place it in an airtight container, cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator.

The plastic wrap helps the avocado to not contact air, thus keeping it from turning brown.

How long will shrimp ceviche last?

If stored properly, it will last for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

How many calories are in a serving?

Besides being gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and low-carb, this Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado is also low in calories!

Coming in at only 133 calories/serving, this simple appetizer or main dish is loaded with veggies and seafood, making it an awesome low-calorie recipe.

Want more healthy dip recipes?

Easy Homemade Guacamole Recipe

Pineapple Pico de Gallo

Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

Black Bean & Corn Salsa Dip

4 from 25 votes

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Mexican Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado

Mexican Shrimp Ceviche is full of avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and tossed in a lemon and lime citrus sauce.  This quick, easy, low-carb, and Whole30 dip recipe can be served with tortilla chips, on top of your favorite chicken dish, or eat it by the spoonful for dinner!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Mexican, Seafood

Keyword mexican shrimp ceviche, shrimp ceviche with avocado

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 133 kcal

Author London

Ingredients

• 1 lb. shrimp* 20/24 count, peeled, deveined,
• ½ cup lime juice fresh
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice fresh
• ¼ cup orange juice fresh
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup red onion finely diced
• 1 jalapeno* seeded, finely diced
• 1 cup tomatoes finely diced
• 1 cup seedless cucumber finely diced
• 1 cup avocado finely diced
• ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
• ½ tsp. salt to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Add shrimp to boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp turn a light pink color and are cooked through.
3. Immediately remove shrimp so they stop cooking. Once shrimp are cool enough to touch, cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

4. Combine lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, shrimp and salt in a large bowl. Marinade in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

5. While the shrimp are marinading, finely dice the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and jalapeno.

6. Mix vegetables in with the shrimp. Marinade in refrigerator for at least another 20 minutes.

7. Just before serving, stir in avocado and cilantro. Serve with baked tortilla chips or over chicken and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• You can also use smaller or larger shrimp as long as you adjust the boil time accordingly.
• You can use 2 jalapenos if you would like a spicier ceviche recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado

Amount Per Serving

Calories 133 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 142mg47%

Sodium 563mg24%

Potassium 241mg7%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 305IU6%

Vitamin C 19.5mg24%

Calcium 91mg9%

Iron 1.4mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.