White Fish Ceviche
This is the summer dish I can never keep in the bowl long enough to photograph. Grouper or snapper turns silky and citrusy in a squeeze of fresh lime, a little serrano brings the heat, and it all comes together in under an hour, tasting like the Florida coast in a bowl.
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Citrus Juicer
- Serving Bowl (glass or ceramic)
Ingredients
SEAFOOD
- 1 lb. White Fish grouper or snapper, fresh caught or flash frozen, cut into 1/2" cubes
CITRUS
- 12 Limes halved and freshly squeezed
- 1 Navel Orange juiced
MIX-INS
- ⅓ c. Red Onion diced 1/2" to match the fish
- ⅓ c. Red Pepper diced 1/2"
- ⅓ c. English Cucumber diced 1/2"
- ¼ c. Cilantro finely chopped
- 1 clove Garlic finely chopped
- ½ Serrano Pepper deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 Avocado diced (fold in just before serving)
TO SEASON
- Salt to taste
- Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Save this recipe!
Enter your email and we'll send it directly to you.
Instructions
Juice the Citrus
- Roll the limes firmly on the counter to loosen the juice, then squeeze all twelve (room-temperature Persian limes are the juiciest) along with the orange. You want about 1 1/2 c. of fresh lime juice, plus the orange.
Cut The Fish
- Cut the fish into even 1/2" cubes. Keeping the pieces small and uniform lets the citrus firm every one at the same rate.
Marinate The Fish
- Add the cubes to a glass or ceramic bowl (never metal, the acid reacts), pour all of the lime and orange juice over the top, and refrigerate 30 to 45 minutes, until the fish turns opaque.
Prep The Veggies
- While the fish marinates, dice the red onion, red pepper, and cucumber to match the fish, then finely chop the cilantro, garlic, and serrano.
Fold It Together
- Add the veggies straight into the bowl with the fish and its citrus and gently fold to combine.
Marinate Once More
- Cover and chill another 10 to 15 minutes so the veggies drink up the citrus too.
Season, Top, And Serve
- Salt generously with a pinch of red pepper flakes, then taste and adjust (you will want more than you think). Pour off the excess juice and save it as leche de tigre, fold in the diced avocado, add a dot of hot sauce, and serve cold with tortilla chips or tostadas.
Notes
Fish Quality Is Everything. Fresh or flash-frozen, sushi- or sashimi-grade fish is so important here, a total non-negotiable. See the sourcing section above for where I buy the best, inland or at the coast.
Frozen Ingredient Prep. Thaw slowly in the fridge overnight, drain the thaw liquid, and pat dry twice on paper towels before cubing. Watery fish dilutes the lime.
Size Matters For Timing. For 1/2" cubes, 30 to 45 minutes is the sweet spot. Need to speed things up? Chop into smaller cubes.
Make-Ahead. Chop the fish, veggies (all but the cilantro — cilantro does best being chopped fresh), and juice the limes and oranges up to a day ahead and store them separately. Prep and marinate as outlined above an hour before you are ready to serve.
Salt and Avocado Go Last. Salt added early draws water out of the fish, and avocado folded in early gets bashed up. Both go in at the very end.
Heat Control. Deseed the serrano for mild, leave the seeds in for a real kick, and adjust the red pepper flakes to taste.
Variations. Fold in diced avocado, mango, or pineapple just before serving. Swap the red pepper for tomatillos for a verde version, or add a splash of Clamato for a Sinaloa style.
Softer Finish. A drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil, or a tiny pinch of honey (about 1/2 tsp.), softens overly sharp limes.
Storage. Best the day of, but keeps tightly covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Drain off the juice before storing so the fish does not keep firming up.
Serving. Just before serving, drain off the excess juice and set it aside as leche de tigre. It keeps the ceviche from getting soupy on the plate.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g, Calories: 338kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 398mg, Potassium: 1374mg, Fiber: 18g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 7132IU, Vitamin C: 91mg, Calcium: 183mg, Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.