Aguachile Recipe (Mexican Shrimp Ceviche)

Aguachile Verde Recipe

We're cooking up a fresh bowl of Shrimp Aguachile in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. You are in for something wonderful.

What is Aguachile?

Aguachile is a Mexican seafood dish that is essentially a ceviche made with either shrimp or scallops, or both, that are marinated in lime juice and served in a chili-lime marinade, usually garnished with cucumber.

As with ceviche, the acidic lime juice cooks the shrimp and imparts its tart, addictive flavor.

The dish comes from Sinaloa in northern Mexico, and has gained popularity not only in Mexico as a Mexican appetizer, but in the United States as well. 

You'll find variations depending on the cook and the ingredients used, with versions of aguachile verde and aguachile rojo and recipes in between.

This particular recipe includes shrimp (aguachile de camaron), though you can easily sub the shrimp in whole or in part with scallops or other white fish. It is meant to be a fresh, bright dish, best served cold, with a good level of spice and heat. 

You can easily dial back on the heat if you'd like, though you'll then be missing a component of the dish that makes it so popular.

Let's talk about how to make aguachile, shall we?

Aguachile Ingredients

The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• FOR THE SHRIMP
• Raw Shrimp
• Lime Juice - Enough to cover the shrimp and cook them.
• Salt
• FOR THE RED ONION
• Sliced Red Onion
• Vinegar - I'm using simple white vinegar, though you can use others.
• Water - Enough to cover the onions
• FOR THE AGUACHILE MARINADE
• Lime Juice - Reserve some of the lime juice from marinating the shrimp, or use fresh if you'd like.
• Jugo Maggi - or use Soy Sauce
• Produce - Garlic, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers
• Salt
• AGUACHILE GARNISH
• Sliced cucumber, radish, serrano, chopped cilantro, spicy chili flakes

How to Make Aguachile - the Recipe Method

First you'll marinate the shrimp in fresh lime juice. The acidic lime juice "cooks" the shrimp through, which takes about 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

Soak the red onion in water as well to take the bit out of it.

Next, we make the aguachile marinade. Process 1/2 cup reserved lime juice from cooking the shrimp, jugo maggi (or soy sauce), garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, serrano, and salt to taste to a blender or food processor.

Add the shrimp with remaining lime juice to a serving bowl. Pour the chili-lime marinade over it.

Top with sliced cucumber and onion, chili peppers, and radish. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to chill.

Top with fresh herbs. Sprinkle with red chili flakes.

Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips. 

Boom! Done! Your aguachile is ready to serve. Looks incredible, doesn't it? Look at that vibrant green color and textures. I could eat this all day long.

Make Ahead Aguachile

If you want to make your aguachile ahead of time, you can make the marinade the day before. Two hours before you'd like to serve, cover the raw shrimp in freshly squeezed lime juice to cook through, then assemble and complete your dish.

It is best enjoyed within 2-3 hours.

You can also prepare aguachile with pre-cooked shrimp in the same way.

Serving Aguachile

Serve your aguachile as an appetizer with crispy tortilla chips. Top the bowl with your favorite toppings, like thinly sliced cucumber, sliced radishes, sliced chilies, and fresh chopped herbs.

I enjoy a nice sprinkling of red chili flakes over the top.

Storage and Leftovers

Store any leftover aguachile in the refrigerator with the juices in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my aguachile recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how you made it your own.

Want More Recipes?

If you love aguachile, you'll enjoy this Shrimp Ceviche, which is a South American spin on the dish. Peruvian Tiradito is another you'll certainly enjoy, and one of my favorites.

For shrimp dishes with Mexican flavors, you can't beat Camarones a la Diabla (Diablo Shrimp) for a fiery kick, Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Coctel de Camarones) for a classic dish, and Mexican Garlic Shrimp (Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo) for mild heat but big garlic flavor.

Shrimp lovers everywhere will enjoy these American dishes as well - Firecracker Shrimp (zesty heat!), Bang Bang Shrimp (just like the restaurant!), Blackened Shrimp (so easy, and you'll love the technique), and Shrimp Etouffee (the famous Cajun/Creole dish everyone loves).

I especially hope you'll try my Shrimp Marinade, which everyone raves about for delivering big flavor to grilled shrimp.