Low-Calorie Shrimp Ceviche Recipe

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This low-calorie shrimp ceviche combines cooked jumbo shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and red onion for a fresh and healthy salad or appetizer.

About This Shrimp Ceviche Recipe

Ceviche is a popular dish throughout Latin America, and this Costa Rican version is no exception. In general, a ceviche recipe will use a type of raw seafood (fish, shrimp, scallops, etc). The seafood is marinated in lime juice and “cooked” through. This shrimp ceviche recipe uses precooked shrimp to speed up the marinating process.

When you visit Costa Rica there will be an abundance of seafood dishes. Ceviche is the one that you don’t want to miss. Ceviche is a Costa Rican appetizer found on almost any menu.

You can also find street food vendors selling ceviche- just be careful of temperature and ask them if it was made on that same day. That’s because, in Costa Rica, raw fish or raw shrimp is used to prepare the dish. Then the lime is left to marinate the fish until it is “cooked.”

So, when you are in Costa Rica and looking to eat ceviche, definitely follow your gut and your nose. While there are so many great places to eat delicious and fresh ceviche, there is also an opportunity for “bad ceviche.”

I can also promise you- every Costa Rican has a “rotten ceviche” story too.  Definitely make sure to smell the ceviche first, and if anything tastes off just don’t eat it.

Or even better- skip all that nonsense and make shrimp ceviche at home! I created this recipe when my husband was missing ceviche from home. Now this recipe has become a legend among our Costa Rican ex-pat friends.

We have one friend that thought my Costa Rican ceviche was so good. He couldn’t resist and ate 3 pounds of it in one sitting. He ended up getting sick for the rest of the following day (that’s a LOT of lime juice!)

RELATED POST: Authentic Costa Rican Chimichurri Recipe

Costa Rican Shrimp Ceviche Recipe

Ingredients: 

(printable recipe below)

• 1 lb cooked shrimp (tail off)   
• 1 tomato cubed  
• 1 bunch of cilantro stems removed   
• 1/2 red onion 
• 1 cup fresh lime juice  
• 1/2 tbsp salt  

Instructions:

Slice each fresh shrimp into 3-4 pieces. Finely chop the cilantro leaves and red onion. Add the shrimp and other ingredients to a large glass bowl and combine.

Sprinkle with salt to taste. Pour the lime juice or citrus juice over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving to let the flavors blend.

Related recipe: Costa Rican Chifrijo Recipe

Substitutions

You can use lemon juice in place of lime. You can use the lime juice in the jar (like Real Lime).

You can substitute raw shrimp for the cooked, just leave it overnight to “cook” the shrimp. If you are using frozen shrimp, just make sure to defrost it.

Costa Ricans generally will use yellow onion instead of red. If you want a Mexican-style ceviche, you can seed and devein a jalapeño, finely chop it, and add it to the mix.

RELATED: Costa Rican Fish Ceviche

Variations

As mentioned before, you could use a variety of seafood in addition to the shrimp. This can include sea bass or even white fish. 

I will often finely chop one jalapeno and add it to this recipe- gives it a nice kick. Unconditionally NOT traditional Costa Rican food though.

There are vegetarian and vegan versions using green plantain, yuca, green mango, and even banana peels. 

RELATED: Green Banana Ceviche Costa Rica

Serving Suggestions

This shrimp ceviche recipe stores well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days. Costa Rican shrimp ceviche must be kept cold. 

I love ceviche because it is packed with flavor and protein but also very low in calories. Costa Ricans will generally eat it accompanied by fresh tortilla chips and will squeeze ketchup and mayonnaise on top.

I like to eat it on top of greens with a bit of ranch dressing. This makes a quick and easy salad for lunch. I also am known to top mine with guacamole … the possibilities are endless!

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