Aguachile Rojo

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Prep Time20

Marinating Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat

Servings: servings

1 ½ pounds medium or large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail-off, and butterflied (or diced into 1-inch pieces)
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 9-10 limes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 árbol chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried pequín chiles, or chiltepín for more heat
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Jugo Maggi Seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup fresh water
1 cucumber, peeled, seeds and pulp removed, and thinly sliced
1 mango, diced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Combine the shrimp, lime juice, salt, and black pepper in a large shallow bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure the shrimp is evenly coated.
While the shrimp is “cooking”, heat a large cast-iron skillet or comal over medium heat. Add the guajillo, árbol, and pequín chiles and toast for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chiles are puffed and fragrant. They will darken in color, but make sure not to burn them completely.
Transfer the chiles to a small saucepan. Add enough water to cover them completely and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let them soak for 10 minutes.
Transfer the softened chiles to a small blender using a slotted spoon. Add the garlic, Jugo Maggi, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh water. Blend until completely smooth.
Pour the chile sauce into the dish with the shrimp and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes.
Stir in the cucumber, mango, red onion, and cilantro until combined. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Serve immediately with tostadas, chips, or saltine crackers.

How to store. Aguachile is best the day you make it, and I'd eat it within about 6 hours. The shrimp keeps curing in the lime the whole time it sits, so leftovers go from firm to rubbery fast. This isn't one to save for tomorrow.
Knowing when the shrimp is ready. After the first 30 minutes in lime, the shrimp should look opaque and pink around the edges instead of gray and translucent. That's your sign the lime has done its job.
Make it ahead. You can toast and blend the chile salsa up to 2 days 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 fewer árbol chiles or leave out the pequín entirely for a milder version. The guajillos are mild, so they're not where the heat comes from.
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.