Ceviche Peruano is a citrus-infused raw seafood dish popularised in Peru but found in many coastal areas of Latin America. Super fresh finish marinated in lime juice and served with thinly sliced red onion and sweet potato. The freshest ingredients make all the difference in this fish ceviche classic. Learn how to make Peruvian ceviche and enjoy the most famous dish of South American’s most exciting culinary destination.
This is one of Peru’s signature dishes and a must-try for anyone interested in the local Peruvian cuisine. And don’t miss ceviche in the city of Lima, one of the best places in the world to eat this classic fish dish. Here’s our version of the best ceviche recipe. In this recipe, we use Mahi Mahi fish and lemon juice mixed with the typical lime juice, the magic ingredient that cooks the delicate fish.
Ají or chili peppers are added to boost flavor. White fish such as Mahi Mahi, Sea Bass, Tilapia, and Halibut are the best fish for ceviche but other types can be considered.
Ceviche – The Essential Peruvian Fish Dish
Ingredients
For the Ceviche
- 1 kg white fish fillet Mahi-Mahi
- ½ kg lemon
- ½ kg lime
- 1 small purple onion
- 3 medium red peppers
- ½ cup fresh coriander
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- Salt to taste
For accompaniment (optional)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 cup yellow corn
- Plantain chips
Instructions
- Wash and dry the fish. Cut into cubes of approximately 2 cm. Remove any remaining skin, scales or spines. It is important that you only have cubes of lean meat similar in size. Put the fish to the side.
- Wash the lemons and limes. Squeeze them into a large bowl. Strain the juice to remove any seeds.
- This lime juice will serve to cook the fish by the marination process. Put the fish cubes into the juice marinade. Make sure that all the flesh is covered by the juice. Cover the container and store in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes. From time to time check that the fish is “cooking” and turn gently so that each piece gets plenty of contact with the lime juice.
- While the fish cooks, prepare the garnish. Wash the sweet potatoes with a brush and place in a steamer for about 30 minutes, until they are tender. When the potatoes are soft, remove from the steamer, remove the skin and cut into large pieces.
- Peel the plantain and cut in half, crosswise. Take each half of the plantain, and with the help of a potato peeler cut the plantain into very thin slices. Place the plantain chips in a pan with enough oil to deep fry them. Make sure they don’t touch. With a wooden pallet, stir from time to time. Carefully remove the plantain from the oil and place them on a plate covered with absorbent paper.
- Wash the red peppers and onion. Open the peppers, remove the seeds and veins and cut into small squares. Peel the onion and cut it into thin strips. Finely cut the coriander.
- Remove the ceviche from the refrigerator – the meat should already look cooked (the flesh should be opaque and about to fall apart). Add onion, chili and coriander, ginger, a pinch of salt and stir. Cover the ceviche again and leave it in the fridge for about 10 more minutes.
- Remove the ceviche from the refrigerator and place in cups or small plates. Serve with the plantain chips, and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with some coriander and chili pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out our Tilapia Ceviche recipe for an alternative to the classic Peruvian ceviche.
Marissa
How long can this keep in the refrigerator/be consumed?
Eat Peru
In theory, you could keep the ceviche refrigerated for a few days as the lime juice will preserve it. But it won’t taste as good as when it’s consumed fresh. The fish will also start to fall apart if left for too long. Ideally, ceviche should be eaten right away. This is a dish to enjoy fresh.
Steve Macc
Stupid question for US Measurement conversion. I’m fine on the weights for the mass (fish, produce, etc.). However, trying to figure out the conversion of the lemon and lime juice. Your (super yummy sounding) recipe says 1/2 kg lemon and 1/2 kg lime. If I try to convert that to cups or oz or ml, it seems like such a way too high volume (think was getting around 2 cups of each – which would be 4 cups in total – which would think would end up drowning the fish!)
For 2 lbs of fish, I have used around 1/2 cup of lemon and 1/2 cup of lime juice in the past with other ceviches I’ve made.
Any thoughts / help would be greatly appreciated!