This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Mexican ceviche is made with fresh shrimp marinated and cooked in citrus, then tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, avocado, and a spicy tomato base. Serve it with tostadas or tortilla chips in under 45 minutes!
A Note from Isabel
The Best Mexican Ceviche!
At every birthday party or backyard asada growing up, there was always a big bowl of Mexican ceviche on the table – the kind you just pile onto thick homemade tortilla chips or tostada shells yourself. What I loved about it was how saucy it was, and how light and fresh it tasted on a hot day when you didn’t want anything heavy. That flavor stuck with me, and this is my attempt to recreate it at home.
What took me a few tries to nail was the tomato juice and hot sauce balance. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it drowns everything out. That’s also why I prefer a spicy hot V8 tomato juice over Clamato. I think the flavor is more concentrated, and it doesn’t water down the ceviche the way Clamato can. And the hot sauce isn’t optional in my opinion. I like Valentina, but Tabasco or the Tabasco with chipotle version both work great. Add enough that you actually taste it.
If you’ve only had the plain citrus-and-herb style shrimp ceviche, this is going to taste noticeably different – saucier, bolder, with more going on. That’s the whole point!
What Makes This Mexican Ceviche Different
A lot of Mexican ceviche recipes out there are pretty similar to each other. Here’s what sets this one apart:
- Lemon and lime juice, not just lime. Most recipes use lime only. Using both gives the marinade a slightly different brightness. The lemon adds a rounder, softer citrus note that balances the sharpness of the lime.
- Spicy V8, not Clamato. Both work, but they’re not the same. Spicy V8 is tomato-forward and more concentrated, which gives the ceviche a bolder base without watering it down. Clamato has a briny, slightly sweet flavor from the clam juice. It’s great in a Michelada, but can make ceviche taste a bit thin.
- Straining and reserving the citrus liquid. After the shrimp marinates, you strain it and set the citrus liquid aside. Then you add a splash back at the end to adjust the flavor. This keeps the ceviche from getting too sour or too diluted, and gives you a lot more control over the final taste.
- Garlic. Small addition, real difference. Just one clove adds a subtle depth that most recipes skip entirely.
Ingredients You’ll Need
| Ingredient | Why It Works / Notes |
|---|---|
| Raw medium shrimp | This “cooks” in the citrus marinade. No heat needed. I like using medium-sized shrimp because they make better bite-sized pieces, but you could use larger shrimp. Just make sure to dice them into bite-sized chunks. |
| Lime and lemon juice | This cooks the shrimp and the combo of lemon and lime gives a more balanced citrus flavor than lime alone. |
| Roma tomatoes | These are firmer than other tomato varieties as well as lower-moisture, which means it won’t water down the mix. |
| Cucumber | Adds a beautiful crunch and a cool contrast to the heat. You can use regular or English cucumber varieties. |
| Red onion | Adds a nice little sharp bite that mellows slightly as it sits. |
| Cilantro | Adds a nice fresh herb flavor. If you’re someone who doesn’t like cilantro, you can omit it altogether. |
| Jalapeño pepper | I usually go with a jalapeño pepper, but if you want more heat, grab a serrano pepper instead. It’s all personal preference. |
| Garlic | Just one clove adds a little depth without being overpowering. |
| Avocado | Add this right before serving. The creaminess balances the acid and heat. |
| Spicy hot V8 tomato juice | Adds a tomato-forward and flavorful saucy base that I just can’t get enough of. You can also do Clamato if you prefer, but I personally love a spicy tomato juice. |
| Hot sauce | I recommend using a hot sauce like Valentina or Tabasco. Add this to taste. It really ties the whole thing together. |
How to Make Mexican Ceviche
- Dice your raw shrimp into roughly 1 1/2-inch pieces and add them to a large non-reactive bowl. Glass or food-grade plastic works best. Pour in the lemon and lime juice, toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 25–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through. You’re looking for the shrimp to turn bright pink and fully opaque all the way through.
- The shrimp is cooked through, strain it, and set the citrus liquid aside in a small bowl. You’ll use some of it at the end to adjust the flavor.
- Add the shrimp back to the bowl. Fold in the diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and garlic. Season with a pinch of kosher salt, add a splash of the reserved citrus liquid, ½ cup of spicy V8, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Taste and adjust — more citrus if it needs brightness, more V8 for body, more hot sauce if you want more heat.
- Right before serving, fold in the diced avocado or use avocado slices when serving it on tostadas or with tortilla chips.
A Note on the V8
The spicy hot V8 tomato and vegetable juice is what pushes this into Mexican ceviche territory. It adds a tomato base that makes the whole thing feel saucier and more substantial, not just citrus and herbs like a classic shrimp ceviche. If you can’t find the spicy version, regular V8 works, just add a little more hot sauce to compensate.
Some recipes use Clamato instead, which has more of a briny, seafood-forward flavor. It’s a solid option, but the flavor profile is different – lighter and slightly sweet rather than bold and tomato-forward.
What’s the Best Way to Serve It?
Piled onto tostada shells is the classic move. Sturdy tortilla chips work great for scooping if you’re serving it as a starter. Some people also serve it with saltine crackers. It’s very Mexican and very underrated in my opinion.
Using Cooked Shrimp Instead
If you’re starting with pre-cooked shrimp, skip the citrus marinating step. Toss everything together (hold off on the salt and avocado), and let it sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes so the flavors can come together. Add the salt and avocado right before serving.
How to Store It
Mexican ceviche is best eaten the day you make it. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 24 hours. The acid keeps working on the shrimp as it sits, which can make the texture rubbery over time. Don’t freeze it. The shrimp and vegetables don’t hold up well.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. They’re different dishes. Ceviche uses raw shrimp that gets “cooked” in citrus juice through a process called denaturation. Cóctel de camaron uses boiled shrimp. The ingredients can look similar, but the preparation and texture are completely different.
The acid in the lemon and lime juice denatures the proteins in the shrimp the same way heat does, turning it pink and opaque. After 25–40 minutes it should be cooked through. If you still see grey or translucent spots, give it a few more minutes. That said, it’s not heat-cooked, so use the freshest shrimp you can find.
25–40 minutes is all you need. Some recipes call for 3 hours or overnight, but I’ve never found that necessary and can actually make the shrimp rubbery. Check it at 25 minutes and go from there.
You can prep the vegetables ahead of time, but once everything is mixed together it’s best eaten within a few hours. Add avocado right before serving.
Depends on your pepper and how much hot sauce you use. Jalapeño is milder; serrano turns up the heat. Both are seeded and deveined here, so you get flavor without too much burn, but you can dial it up or down with the hot sauce.
Yes, just make sure it’s fully thawed and patted dry before you start. Excess water will dilute the marinade.
More Seafood Recipes
Mexican Ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
- ½ cup lime juice (about 4 limes)
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
- ½ large red onion, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 avocado, diced
- ½ – 1 cup spicy hot V8 vegetable juice (or Clamato)
- Hot sauce, to taste (Valentina or Tabasco are great options)
- Tostadas or tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Dice the raw shrimp into small 1-inch bite-sized pieces and add them to a large non-reactive bowl like glass or food-grade plastic bowls.
- Add the lemon juice, lime juice, and toss it together with the shrimp to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for 25-40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the shrimp is bright pink and opaque to ensure it’s fully cooked through.
- Strain the shrimp and reserve the liquid in a small bowl.
- Add the shrimp back to the large bowl and stir in the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, a pinch of salt, a splash of the reserved citrus liquid, ½ cup spicy hot V8 juice, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Taste and add more salt, reserved citrus juice, or V8 juice as needed.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips or on tostadas.
Notes
- Using cooked shrimp? Skip the citrus marinating step. Toss all ingredients together (hold off on the salt and avocado), and let it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes. Add salt and avocado right before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
