Difficulty Level: easy
Whether you want to call it aguachile or ceviche’s cousin (we’re sticking with the first one), this recipe turns out a plate of food that’s bright, spicy, and chilled. Every bite is like a slap in the face, but in a good way.
We prefer to call this aguachile because this dish has its own thing going on. It’s faster, sharper, and the jalapeño-lime mix is the star, not a secondary taste.
The main thing to know is that the shrimp doesn’t need long. It’s done in minutes. Another important fact is that if you’re going to cook this, you need very fresh shrimp and always cut your onions super thin. These three elements are vital for it to taste clean. When right, it can be restaurant quality, without an eye-watering cost.
If a cool spicy Mexican shrimp dish interests you, check out the ingredients and cooking steps below.
Aguachile Ingredients
- 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
- 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Tortilla chips for serving
Aguachile Instructions
- Butterfly the shrimp so they’re thinner and cook evenly in the lime juice.
- Put the shrimp in a glass bowl.
- Blend lime juice, peppers, cilantro, and salt until smooth. Taste carefully as the heat can sneak up on you.
- Pour the green mixture over the shrimp. Toss gently so everything is coated.
- Add cucumber and red onion, then stir again.
- Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes, until the shrimp turn opaque.
- Taste and adjust the salt to taste.
- Drizzle a little olive oil if you want a smoother texture.
- Serve cold with tostadas or tortilla chips and top with avocado slices.