Aguachile (Aguachile de Camarón)

Attention seafood lovers! This one is for you. She’s beautiful, she’s bold, she’s herbaceous, and for those who love spice… this one packs a punch. Consider aguachile a distant cousin to ceviche, a similar concept, but different. Aguachile comes to the table with big, bold, fresh flavor with minimal effort. A restaurant-quality dish made in the comfort of your kitchen.

What is Aguachile?

Similar to ceviche, aguachile (in this case aguachile verde) is a fresh and vibrant dish originating from the Sinaloa region on the northwestern coast of Mexico that “cooks” shrimp in plenty of lime juice. However, unlike ceviche, this dish takes things a step further by blending cilantro, chiles, and garlic into a flavorful sauce. The final dish combines tangy shrimp with crunchy fresh ingredients making it a delicious and healthy recipe. While shrimp is the most popular seafood used in aguachile, it can also be made with scallops or fish.

The best part is that while it takes some time for the shrimp to cure, the dish requires minimal prep and effort to put together. If you are a fan of ceviche with a ton of flavor, this is for you.

Is Aguachile Ceviche?

I mention this a few times, but aguachile is not ceviche. While both dishes use citrus to cure raw seafood, the preparation and final dish are different. Ceviche is tossed with ingredients like onions, cilantro and chilies, while aguachile is served with a chile sauce and topped with ingredients like red onion, tomatoes, and cucumber. It delivers on heat and flavor. If heat isn’t your thing, you can easily adjust it to your preference—just see the note in the recipe card.

What You’ll Need For Aguachile

• Raw Shrimp – High quality shrimp, fresh or frozen can both work.
• Lime Juice – Fresh lime juice only! You’ll need 1 cup for this recipe, which can be a bit of a hassle—it’s about 10–13 limes, depending on how juicy they are. Fun fact: limes have different acidity levels. The softer and more ripe the lime, the less acidic it will be. When buying limes, look for ones that have a slight give when you squeeze them.
• Cilantro
• Jalapeño – Want a more spicy jalapeño , look for one with white ‘stretch’ marks on the outside. These are typically more mature peppers which will be spicier. The opposite is also true is you are looking for a less mild. Prep your jalapeño accordingly. Remove the stem, seeds a pith before adding it to the blender.
  • Substitute: I originally created this recipe over the summer using Hatch chiles, which are less spicy than jalapeños and have a lovely flavor profile that pairs beautifully with the flavors of this aguachile. If you’re a fan of Hatch chiles and they’re in season, substitute 2 small Hatch chiles for the 1 jalapeño.
• Garlic – Fresh only, only 1 small clove.
• Red Onion – Sliced thin.
• Cucumbers – Small Persian cucumbers work best for this.
• Cherry Tomatoes – Optional, but they do add a great flavor.
• Tortilla Chips or Tostadas – Either behicle works, if you are on the hunt for tostadas (or whole corn tortillas) take a look dowon the international aisle, they are often sold there.
• Avocado – * Optional

Tools Needed

• Blender – The lime-cilantro-chile sauce used to top the aguachile should be blended until smooth. A blender works better than a food processor for achieving the ideal consistency.

How To Make Aguachile

1. Prep the Shrimp – Remove the shell and tail from the shrimp. If the shrimp haven’t been cleaned, use a knife to devein them by making a shallow cut along the top and rinsing under cold water to remove the dark vein. Once all the shrimp are cleaned, transfer them to a cutting board and slice them in half lengthwise. To ensure the shrimp “cook” within 1–2 hours, they need to be thin. Then, chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

Squeeze enough limes to yield 1 cup of fresh lime juice. Place the prepared shrimp in a bowl and pour the lime juice over them, ensuring every piece is fully submerged. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Stir the shrimp every 15–20 minutes to ensure even “cooking.” The shrimp are ready when they are opaque throughout.

You CAN eat this dish before the shrimp are completely “cooked” through. If you’ve purchased high-quality shrimp; however, I personally don’t recommend it. The process typically takes 1–2 hours, but the shrimp can be prepared up to a day in advance if you’re concerned about ensuring they’re fully cooked. If the idea of cooking shrimp with lime juice doesn’t appeal to you, you can skip that step and instead poach the chopped shrimp in salted water.

2. Make the Sauce – Once the shrimp are fully “cooked,” measure out 1/2 cup of the liquid they marinated in and pour it into a blender. Add 1 small garlic clove, a handful of cilantro, and a roughly chopped jalapeño. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, and season with salt to taste.

3. Plate + Serve – Place the shrimp single layer in the desired shallow bowl and pour a generous amount of the lime cilantro chile mixture over them. Layer in the cucumber slices, tomatoes, and red onion.

How to Serve Aguachile

This is one of those rare moments where I’m not going to provide a pairing for the dish. This isn’t a side dish; it’s an appetizer or light lunch. Aguachile deserves to be served, enjoyed, and appreciated as is. A mild-flavored tortilla chip is recommended, and if you want to round out the spread, you can serve it with guacamole or a fresh salsa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing/Reheating

Store aguachile in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days max. This can be prepped ahead of time the night before