Description
Aguachile is a spicy, citrus-marinated Mexican seafood dish made with raw shrimp ‘cooked’ in lime juice and blended with fresh chiles, herbs, and vegetables. It’s refreshing, bold, and perfect served cold on hot days.
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
- 1 cup fresh lime juice (plus more for sauce)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 2–3 serrano or jalapeño chiles (adjust to taste)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup cold water or a few ice cubes (optional, for thinning the sauce)
Instructions
- Slice shrimp in half lengthwise and place in a bowl. Cover with 1 cup lime juice and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate for 15–20 minutes until opaque.
- In a blender, combine additional lime juice (about 1/4 cup), chiles, cilantro, garlic, and salt. Blend until smooth. Add a splash of cold water or ice to thin if needed.
- Slice cucumber, red onion, and avocado.
- Drain most of the lime juice from the shrimp and pour the blended chile sauce over them. Toss to coat evenly.
- Add cucumber, onion, and avocado to the shrimp mixture or layer them on a platter and spoon aguachile on top.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 5–10 minutes before serving. Serve cold with tortilla chips or tostadas.
Notes
- Use high-quality shrimp, ideally sashimi-grade, for food safety.
- Adjust chile quantity to control spiciness.
- Make the sauce and prep vegetables in advance, but assemble just before serving.
- Best consumed fresh; shrimp texture can change after prolonged marination.
- Serve with chilled drinks and crunchy tostadas for a complete experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
