This prawn ceviche recipe (ceviche de camaron) is a refreshing, tropical appetizer, perfect for parties and get-togethers, or even a light lunch. I recommend enjoying it alongside a refreshing beer or loquat margaritas!
The inspiration for this prawn ceviche (ceviche de camaron) comes from my love of both South American and Thai food! I got the idea while enjoying a bowl of my favorite soup, Tom Kha, which gets its unique flavor from a combination of coconut, lime, and shrimp.
My mom has a great recipe for Tom Kha Gai, which is a variation that uses chicken instead of shrimp! While shrimp and lime are essential for ceviche de camaron, they are also staples in many Thai dishes, which made me think of another ingredient that is often used in both cuisines: coconut!
That realization gave me the idea to create a unique ceviche that embodies the tastes of both cuisines! The subtle flavor of coconut milk perfectly compliments the acidity of the lime to make a delicious and balanced dish.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Coconut, shrimp, and lime are a winning combination across many cuisines and make for a tropical ceviche camaron that is light, flavorful, and ever so slightly sweet!
- This easy shrimp ceviche recipe doesn't require any cooking! The acidity of the lime juice is actually what "cooks" the shrimp while they're marinating!
- Prawn ceviche is a sophisticated appetizer that is as impressive as it is simple!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Prawns: Frozen or fresh shrimp or langoustine tails make great alternatives! Alternatively, you can use white fish such as halibut, bass, or even scallops and octopus! Fish will need longer to "cook."
- Serrano chile: I use 2 serranos because I like a bit of heat, but you can use 1 for a more mild flavor, or a jalapeno instead. If you don't want any spice you can omit or use red bell pepper.
- Limes: Feel free to use a combination of lime & lemon juice, but make sure it's freshly squeezed!
- Radish: Jicama makes a great substitute.
- Tortilla chips: Or whatever you prefer to scoop the prawn ceviche with! It could also work well served on tostadas.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card.
🦐 How To Make Ceviche de Camaron
Step 1: Chop prawns into bite-sized pieces after removing shells and devein, if necessary. Place them in a small, non-reactive bowl and submerge in ¾ cup lime juice, and refrigerate for 1 hour or until opaque, stirring halfway through.
Pro Tip: It's easiest to get a clean cut when using a sharp knife on shrimp that are still mostly frozen.
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Step 2: Remove shrimp from the fridge, drain, and discard lime juice. Dice cucumber, tomato (seeded), red onion, radish, serranos, and cilantro, then add to a bowl with the shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine.
Step 3: Mix ¼ cup lime juice with coconut milk and orange juice and pour into the bottom of a bowl. Top with the prawn ceviche mixture, then add diced avocados just before serving, along with a pinch of orange zest.
Pro Tip: You may need to whisk the coconut milk well if it has solidified in the can!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Serve ceviche de camaron as an appetizer with smoked carne asada, Instant Pot Mexican rice, or this yummy Mexican casserole. Then finish off your Mexican feast with some Tamarind Margaritas!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Shrimp ceviche, or ceviche camaron, is typically made of shrimp that's been marinated in citrus juices, along with vegetables such as tomato, red onion, cilantro, peppers, and avocado. The base is usually clamato juice, but my recipe uses coconut milk instead!
Yes! While the shrimp used in ceviche is "cooked" in lime juice, it is still technically raw seafood as it isn't cooked using any heat. Just make sure the shrimp you're using is opaque, pink, and no longer blue!
When the shrimp has turned from a clear blue to opaque white and pink, it's ready! This usually takes between 40-60 minutes of soaking in citrus. Once the shrimp is ready, all you need to do is combine it with your other ingredients.
White fish such as sea bass, halibut, and snapper all work really well in ceviche, but you'll need to marinate them much longer. While the shrimp only need an hour or so to "cook" in the acidic marinade, the fish will need closer to 4 hours before it loses its raw texture.
If you're looking for more tasty Mexican appetizers, check out this queso fundedo recipe! It's warm, comforting, and cheesy!
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- You can add additional orange juice if you want your shrimp ceviche sweeter.
- The coconut flavor in this ceviche de camaron recipe is very subtle, but if you don't like coconut you can use clamato juice or a combination of orange and lime juice.
- If you prefer to use cooked shrimp, rather than raw shrimp, you can!
- Store your ceviche de camaron in the fridge for up to an hour before eating. I don't recommend storing leftovers as they won't stay fresh for long!
- Need another shrimp recipe to use up leftovers? Try this crispy panko shrimp!
🥒 More Mexican Recipes
If you love this ceviche de camaron recipe, check out these other great recipes!
📖 Recipe
Ceviche de Camaron (Prawn Ceviche)
Ingredients
- 8 oz prawns
- 1 cup lime juice, divided (about 8 medium)
- ½ cup Persian cucumber
- ½ cup tomato
- ¼ cup red onion
- 1 radish
- 2 serranos
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoon orange juice (fresh)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 avocado
Instructions
- Chop prawns into bite-sized pieces after removing shells and veins, if necessary. Place them in a small, non-reactive bowl and submerge in ¾ cup lime juice and refrigerate for 1 hour or until opaque, stirring halfway through.
- Remove shrimp from fridge, drain and discard lime juice. Dice cucumber, tomato (seeded), red onion, radish, serranos, and cilantro, then add to a bowl with the shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine.
- Mix ¼ cup lime juice with coconut milk and orange juice and pour into the bottom of your serving bowl. Top with the prawn ceviche mixture, then add diced avocados just before serving, along with a pinch of orange zest.
Notes
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- It's easiest to get a clean cut when using a sharp knife on shrimp that are still mostly frozen.
- You may need to whisk the coconut milk well if it has solidified in the can!
-
- You can add additional orange juice if you want your ceviche sweeter.
-
- The coconut flavor is very subtle, but if you don't like coconut you can use clamato juice or a combination of orange and lime juice.
-
- If you prefer to use cooked shrimp, rather than raw shrimp, you can!
- Store in the fridge for up to an hour before eating. I don't recommend storing leftovers as they won't stay fresh for long!
-
- Need another shrimp recipe to use up leftovers? Try this crispy panko shrimp!
Ken says
How many prawns?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Ken,
You'll need 8 ounces of prawns for this recipe. The amount will vary based on the size of the prawns.