This light and refreshing Salmon Ceviche is the perfect stand-alone appetizer or lunch for summer. Fresh salmon is marinated in lime juice and lemon juice (this cooks the fish without added heat), then tossed with raw onion, tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, and fresh herbs. It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t involve turning on the oven or grill. We love it, especially served on top of homemade tostadas!
What is ceviche? Ceviche is a Peruvian staple that highlights fresh seafood — you can use anything from shrimp, scallops, or octopus to halibut, sea bass, or flounder; we’re featuring high quality fresh raw salmon! Instead of cooking the fish with heat, the fresh seafood marinates in citric acid from fresh limes and lemons until the structure of the proteins change. Both the appearance and texture will look cooked without any heat involved.
Here’s why we love salmon ceviche so much:
- Bright, vibrant, citrusy flavor!
- Light and fresh! This is not only easy to make, but a perfect light lunch or appetizer.
- Quick prep time! Ceviche takes about 15 minutes of prep time, then marinates for up to 30 minutes. An easy and quick appetizer, lunch, or dinner!
If you’ve never tried a ceviche recipe at home before, let this be the one!! You’re going to love it! Be sure to try our Shrimp Ceviche recipe next, or check out all our easy seafood recipes.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh salmon, skin removed: We always recommend using the freshest salmon possible for the best flavor, particularly when no heat is involved in preparing the fish. If you can, find salmon that is sushi-grade. This is Atlantic salmon, though you can check out our salmon guide for more information on the different species.
- Citrus juice: Use a combination of lime and lemon juice for the best flavor. The citrus juice will “cook” the salmon, so it’s important to use fresh juice.
- Red onion: The red onion adds a slight bite to the ceviche. If you don’t like the heat in raw onion, you can substitute with thinly sliced shallots or scallions.
- Jalapeño: To add spice! If you’re not a fan of the added heat, you can omit the jalapeño or simply use the pepper without the seeds and the ribs (that’s where all the heat lies).
- Avocados: These add a bit of creamy texture to the ceviche. Feel free to use mango or papaya instead (or in addition to).
- Tomatoes: To add sweetness and a little acidity.
- Cilantro: A classic herb pairing with ceviche! Be sure to use fresh cilantro. Parsley works in a pinch, but won’t have the same flavor.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: To season the salmon and other ingredients
If you plan to serve these as tostadas de ceviche (which we highly recommend!), you’ll want to grab a package of small corn or flour tortillas to bake until crispy. Instructions below!
How To Make Ceviche
- ‘Cook‘ the fish. Cut the fresh salmon into ½” cubes, then place in a medium stainless steel or glass mixing bowl with thinly sliced onion, fresh lime juice, and fresh lemon juice. Stir to mix well (there should be enough liquid that the fish is mostly submerged), then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Add chopped jalapeño, diced avocados, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped cilantro, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir well, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve with tostadas. If using, make homemade tostadas (see below) or serve immediately with tortilla chips.
To make homemade tostadas: Preheat an oven to 400F. Place corn or flour tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet, then drizzle lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until crispy. Sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt, then serve immediately.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- It all starts with high quality, fresh raw fish. Use sushi-grade if you can find it. Pro tip: have the fish monger remove the skin for you!
- Taste as the fish marinates! Fish that are lean and firm will ‘cook’ in the lime juice marinade quicker than salmon. We recommend tasting the salmon ceviche every 5 minutes or so, beginning at 15 minutes, until the desired doneness is achieved. For us, that’s between 30 and 40 minutes marinating.
- Want it extra spicy? Use a 2nd jalapeño including the seeds!
- Use a sharp knife! For clean, beautiful cubes of fish, you’ll want to slice the fillet with single cuts. This is best achieved with a sharp knife!
- Don’t just mix it all together. Allow the salmon (or other fish) to marinate with fresh lime juice and red onion before adding in the tomatoes and avocado. They’ll hold their shape better if mixed in at the end.
Serving Suggestions
Salmon ceviche can be served on its own, or with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables. It is also a great addition to a taco or burrito bowl.
My favorite way to enjoy ceviche, however, is on homemade tostadas. They’re really easy to make! Place flour or corn tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet, then spray with cooking spray or drizzle with oil. Bake for 5 minutes per side at 400F until crispy. That’s it! You can spoon the ceviche right on top, then dig in.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Fish: instead of salmon, use shrimp, halibut, octopus, striped bass, flounder, or sea bass to make ceviche.
- Citrus and fresh fruit: try added segmented orange or grapefruit! Diced mango would be delicious as well.
- Fresh juice: In place of lemon juice or lime juice, consider using all or part orange juice.
- Red onion: If preferred, use thinly sliced or finely chopped white or sweet onion. Green onion or chives work well too.
- For added crunch, consider adding diced cucumbers.
- Jalapeño: Feel free to substitute with any type of pepper, such as serrano or fresno peppers.
Make-Ahead
When using very fresh fish, ceviche will keep for up to 2 days. However, the citric acid will continue to cook the fish the longer it sits. So if you don’t eat it all at once, the fish will continue to firm up as it marinates. I recommend draining the marinating liquid once desired doneness is achieved so the ceviche is not too tangy when ready to eat. Be sure to seal in an airtight container!
One bite of this fresh, citrusy tostadas de ceviche and you’ll be transported to a warmer place with (hopefully) a cold glass of rosé or beer not far away. It’s a light, refreshing dish, and one of our favorite ways to enjoy salmon!
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Light, Refreshing Peruvian-Style Salmon Ceviche
Equipment
Ingredients
For salmon ceviche
- 1 lb salmon fillet skin removed
- ¾ cup fresh lime juice about 6 limes
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced, about ½ cup
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 2 avocados peeled and cubed
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For homemade tostadas (optional)
- 1 package small corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- 'Cook' the fish. Cut the salmon into ½" cubes, then place in a medium stainless steel or glass mixing bowl with thinly sliced onion, ¾ cup lime juice, and ¼ cup lemon juice. Stir to mix well (there should be enough liquid that the fish is mostly submerged), then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Add 1 chopped jalapeño, 2 diced avocados, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Stir well, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve with tostadas. If using, make homemade tostadas (see below) or serve immediately with tortilla chips.
- Optional: To make homemade tostadas, preheat an oven to 400F. Place corn or flour tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet, then drizzle lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until crispy. Sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include tostadas.
- Because the salmon is not being cooked with heat, we recommend sushi-grade salmon for this recipe.
- Leftovers: If using extremely fresh salmon, leftover ceviche will keep for up to 2 days. However, we recommend draining off any additional liquid, as the fresh lime and lemon juices will continue to cook the salmon, giving it a firmer texture the longer it sits. If possible, plan to enjoy this the same day you make it.
Let us know your thoughts!