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Aguachile is raw shrimp cured in lime juice and a spicy salsa of blended serranos and cilantro, then tossed with red onion, cucumber, and avocado. It’s Sinaloa’s answer to ceviche, and it’s ready in about an hour with no cooking at all.
The Best Aguachile Verde I’ve Ever Had
Aguachile is one of those Mexican dishes that I crave every summer, right alongside my family’s Mexican ceviche. It’s so bright and refreshing, it reminds me of lying by the beach with an ice-cold chelada. Truly the best feeling.
You’ll also see it called aguachile de camarón, which just means shrimp aguachile. This one is the classic green version. Serranos and cilantro get blended with lime juice into a bright salsa, then poured over shrimp that’s already been curing in more lime. It barely takes any effort. You prep everything, let the fridge do the work, and it’s ready in about an hour.
If you want the smokier, spicier take on it, try my aguachile rojo made with toasted dried red chiles.
What Is Aguachile?
Aguachile means “chile water,” and it’s a seafood dish from Sinaloa in northern Mexico. It’s essentially a spicier kind of ceviche. Both cure raw seafood in lime juice, but aguachile goes a step further with a blended chile salsa, so it comes out hotter and simpler than a ceviche loaded up with tomato and onion.
If you want the milder version, try my shrimp ceviche or my Mexican ceviche made with a spicy tomato sauce.
Here, raw shrimp cures in lime juice until it turns pink and firms up, then gets tossed with that salsa along with red onion, cucumber, and avocado. Nothing is cooked. The lime does all the work, and the green color comes from the serranos and cilantro.
Shrimp is the most common, but aguachile is also made with scallops or thinly sliced raw fish like tuna. There’s also aguachile negro, built on soy sauce and Jugo Maggi for a saltier, more savory version.
Aguachile Ingredients
- Raw shrimp: I use medium shrimp that’s peeled and deveined, but any size works. Since you’re eating it raw, buy the best you can and ask for the freshest at the seafood counter. You can also swap in raw scallops, sliced about a quarter inch thick, or use half shrimp and half scallops the way a lot of marisquerías do.
- Lime juice: Using plump fresh limes will give you the most juice. To check if your limes are ripe, make sure they are slightly heavy and not very firm.
- Serrano peppers: Aguachile is typically prepared with serrano peppers, but you can also use jalapeños.
- Red onion: The sharp flavor of red onions compliments the spice and citrus in aguachile. It also gives the dish a beautiful pop of color
- Cucumber: Adds a refreshing, cooling flavor and crunchy texture.
- Avocado: Adds creaminess and helps balance the spiciness of the peppers.
How to Make Aguachile Verde
Prepare the shrimp. Place them in a shallow bowl or baking dish and pour 1 cup of lime juice and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt on top. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. The shrimp should be bright and pink, which is how you will know they are no longer raw.
Make the marinade while the shrimp cures by blending serrano peppers, cilantro, and the remaining lime juice until its smooth.
Marinate the shrimp. Once the shrimp has finished curing, pour the spicy marinade on top of the shrimp dish. Gently toss to combine, cover, and refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes.
Garnish and serve. Add red onion, cucumber, and avocados into the bowl and gently toss to combine. Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Recipe Tips
- Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise. It makes them easier to eat and they cure faster and more evenly.
- Use a glass or ceramic dish, not metal. Metal reacts with all that lime juice and can give the shrimp an off, tinny taste.
- Adjust the spice based on your preference. Use jalapeños instead of serranos if you want it milder, or leave the seeds in for more heat.
What to Serve with Aguachile
Aguachile is traditionally served as a main dish or appetizer with tostadas or tortilla chips. It pairs well with light and refreshing drinks like a frozen margarita, agua de pepino, or a michelada!
More Mexican Recipes
Aguachile Recipe (Aguachile de Camarón)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail-off, and sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 ½ cups lime juice, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
- ½ cup cilantro, tightly packed
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup cucumber, peeled and diced
- ½ avocado, diced
Instructions
- Place the cleaned shrimp in a shallow bowl or baking dish with 1 cup of lime juice and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix together to combine and cover. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure the shrimp is evenly coated.
- Make the salsa marinade by adding the serrano peppers, cilantro, and the remaining ½ cup lime juice to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the marinade through a fine mesh strainer and into the bowl of shrimp. Stir to combine. Place back in the refrigerator and marinate for an additional 30 minutes.
- Add the red onion, cucumber, and avocado into the bowl of shrimp and lightly toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve aguachiles with tostadas or tortilla chips.
Notes
- How to store. Aguachile is best the day you make it. The shrimp keeps curing in the lime the whole time it sits, so it goes from firm to rubbery fast. I wouldn’t keep it longer than about 6 hours.
- Make it ahead. You can blend the salsa marinade a day in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Don’t start curing the shrimp until about an hour before you’re serving.
- Adjust the spice level. Use jalapeños instead of serranos if you want it milder, or leave the seeds in for more heat.
- Using quality shrimp. You’re eating it raw, so this is worth being picky about. Frozen shrimp that’s been fully thawed works great too.
- Using cooked shrimp. If raw shrimp isn’t your thing, use cooked shrimp and cut both marinating times in half. It won’t be traditional aguachile, but it’ll give you a good idea of how it tastes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
Wow! I’d never had Aguachile prior to making it for dinner tonight! Absolutely delicious, fresh, and flavorful. I used both chiles Serrano and it was perfect, just the right amount of bite. Both my husband and I loved it!
Absolutely terrific!! Will definitely make again. Had with the homemade tortilla chips.
Love the freshness of this dish! My family also loved it. This is an easy recipe that anyone can make. The longest part is cooking the shrimp in the lime juice. Thank you for another yummy recipe.