Ceviche Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 10, 2025 
My classic ceviche recipe is bursting with zesty, fresh flavors, and it’s my go-to-bite whenever I want something light and refreshing. Made with grouper, limes, tomato and avocado, it’s especially delicious scooped onto crunchy tortilla chips or crispy, chilled cucumber slices.
This classic ceviche recipe is perfect for warmer days when you’re craving a simple, light and refreshing bite. But honestly, it’s SO delicious, that I eat it year round! I make it with thick chunks of raw white fish, creamy avocado, diced tomatoes and shallots, that all get tossed in an acidic lime juice. That tangy and bright citrus sauce ends up sort of cooking the fish over time, so you can feel adventurous eating “raw fish” without any of the worry! Like my shrimp ceviche recipe, this is one of those dishes that any curious eater will adore! If you’ve never had ceviche, think of it like a salsa in texture, except packed with tons of fresh protein. And scooped onto a bed of tortilla chips? Now that is the quintessential party snack!
Beth – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I am so happy to have found this recipe! I recently went gluten-free and am now on the lookout for easy tasty recipes! I will be eating this as a main dish as it looks fresh and flavorful!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
No-Cooking Required – One of the reasons why I absolutely love this ceviche recipe, is that you don’t actually need to cook anything. All you need to do is slice, dice, chop and mix, and in a matter of minutes, you have a delicious snack that’s packed with bold and fresh flavors.
The Perfect Seafood App – When I’m entertaining guests, I’m all about serving elegant, impressive and easy dishes. So when it comes to the perfect seafood party appetizer, this ceviche recipe along with my classic conch salad, are a huge hit. I like to serve this ceviche in a large bowl alongside some crisp tortilla chips, that make for the perfect scoop-able bite.
Totally Customizable – You can totally customize and change up this recipe based on your preferences. Do you like spicy? Add in some cayenne pepper. Looking for a creamier bite? Go big with the avocado chunks! The options are truly endless.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Fish – For the base of this delicious ceviche, I like to use grouper because it’s mild in flavor and the meat is tender. Alternatively, you can use any other white fish like halibut, cod or snapper!
- Limes – Fresh lime helps “cook” the fish and it keeps the avocado from browning. Plus, it just adds tons of fresh, bold flavors.
- Tomato – For a fun pop of color, I use plump tomatoes that I dice up into coarse pieces. They add just the right touch of sweetness and some extra acidity.
- Avocado – There’s nothing better in a ceviche than creamy chunks of avocado! It balances out all of the tangy and spicy flavors. When you’re shopping for avocados, choose ones that are ripe but firm enough to hold their shape once they’re cut up.
- Shallot – For some bright onion flavor, I like to mix in diced shallots. They’re strong in taste but the harshness mellows out with all of that lime.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is the perfect herby addition to ceviche. It’s refreshing and it compliments all of the flavors really well.
- Chili garlic paste – For that exceptional spicy and tangy goodness, I always add a pinch of some chili garlic paste. It adds a subtle note of heat and just the right amount of garlic flavors.
- Olive oil – A good quality olive oil marries all of these flavors together beautifully. Plus, it helps to balance out all of that tangy acidity from the limes.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Chop and marinate – To kick off the super simple recipe, I chop up the fish fillets and I toss them into a bowl with almost all of the lime juice that I’ll need. I reserve some of the juice for later on. Then, I cover up the bowl with some saran wrap, and I pop that mixture into the fridge for at least an hour so that it chills and marinates.
Mix – Then, I grab another mixing bowl and I add in the chopped avocado, diced tomatoes, minced shallots and the rest of the lime juice. Finally, I strain off the lime juice from the chilled fish, and I add the fish into the veggie mixture. I mix that all up and add some fresh cilantro. Then, I drizzle in a generous amount of olive oil and some of that chili garlic sauce.
Season and serve – Before I serve up this bold seafood appetizer, I season it with some salt and pepper! This is chef’s kiss delicious!
Recipe Variations
- Tropical – Add in some chopped mango, pineapple or papaya for a sweet and tropical twist. All of these fruits pair really well with the avocado and citrus lime dressing.
- Cucumber – For some added crunch and texture, mix in some chopped or diced cucumber!
- Extra creamy – If you’re an avocado lover like me, double up the portion of those avocado chunks!
- Seafood medley – You can also stir in some cut up raw scallops and shrimp for a seafood medley version of this ceviche.
- Coconut – To make this dish even sweeter, add in a splash of coconut cream. It makes the final result creamier and the coconut is a wonderful compliment to lime.
How To Serve
I always serve this fresh and scrumptious ceviche cold because the fish is tender and the veggies and crisp. Whether I’m making this as a single-serve snack for myself, a quick and healthy lunch or serving it up for guests, here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this ceviche:
- Served alongside a big bowl of salty and crunchy tortilla chips. That combo of textures is exquisite!
- You can also add a scoop of this ceviche over crispy butter lettuce for a fresh and lighter snack.
- Serve some over thick and freshly made tostadas with a drizzle of hot sauce.
- For a more filling meal, pair the ceviche with a bed of your favorite rice, whether it’s plain basmati or a more flavor-packed cilantro rice or coconut rice.
Storing
This classic ceviche recipe is definitely best enjoyed immediately after it’s prepared. However, if you do have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 day. The longer the fish marinates in the lime juice, the tougher it becomes, and the veggies tend to get soggy. Hence, why I recommend eating this as soon as possible!
Throw away any ceviche that’s been left out at room temperature for over an hour, because it becomes a risk for parasites and harmful bacteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Most frozen fish is frozen within 12 hours of catching it, so it will still taste pretty fresh when you thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight. However, if you have fresh fish available to you, buy a fresh white fish variety.
This recipe does not have a clear beginning, but many claim it started in Peru or Ecuador. The cooking technique came from Spain, and it became a way of “cooking” the beautiful fish that they would catch without actually having to use heat. Once the method was introduced to South Americans, ceviche quickly became the national dish of Peru.
This kind of recipe is great when you are experimenting with eating raw fish for the first time. The high acidity levels will lightly cook the fish if you allow it to marinade for long enough. So it seems raw but is technically “cooked” by the acidity of the lime juice.
Yes, when you marinate the fish in the lime juice makes a big difference. Depending on the size you cut the fish, the time could vary. The most common time for “cooking” or marinating the fish is 1 hour.
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Looking for More Seafood Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
Ceviche Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound grouper fillets or swai, diced
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 shallot diced (or 1/4 cup red onion)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon chili garlic paste
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the diced fish in a bowl and cover with 3/4 of the lime juice. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to proceed, strain off the lime juice.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the veggies with the remaining lime juice. Stir in the fish and cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil and add chili garlic sauce. Gently toss.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips or a salad.
Swai is farm raised – usually from Vietnam. Water quality is poor and overcrowded. Antibiotics are used heavily, high levels of mercury are common too. I would avoid eating swai, especially in ceviche. Swai is a bottom feeder ( catfish) not the best choice to feed your family. Do some research on Swai farms- and fish recommendations for ceviche.
I never thought that I would be able to eat something like this, but this recipe makes me feel better about eating “raw” fish, especially since I know that it is in fact not raw!
This sounds like the perfect appetizer for a hot summer day! Thanks for sharing!
I am so happy to have found this recipe! I recently went gluten-free and am now on the lookout for easy tasty recipes! I will be eating this as a main dish as it looks fresh and flavorful!
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Ceviche is so easy and can be surprisingly refreshing. I’ve not had fish ceviche before, only shrimp and it was in a cold tomato broth (I’m not a huge fan of cold tomato broth). Huge fan of your recipe. Very glad it’s not in a cold tomato broth. :)
This is fresh and light and just perfect!
I really had no idea about the swai. You insight is definitely helpful when choosing a type of seafood to buy! We love a good ceviche!
This is so good and really easy to make!
That looks like a delicious and fun recipe, very tempted to try!
One of the best ceviche recipes I have seen!