Traditional Ecuadorian Ceviche Recipe

Ceviche is a seafood dish that is commonly made in the coastal regions of Latin America. Each country and region has its own style of ceviche. This particular family recipe is from the Manabi region of  Ecuador. It differs from the popular Peruvian recipe, because the seafood is usually cooked, where in Peru it is usually eaten raw.

Follow this recipe step-by-step to make Virginia Intriago Velez’s delicious family ceviche. Virginia is the grandmother of our Travel Specialist Melina Viteri Medranda. She grew up cooking in Portoviejo , Manabi located on the coast of Ecuador. She has mastered the art of ceviche and continues to cook it today for her family using fresh Ecuadorian ingredients. Make it yourself and taste this delicious and healthy family secret.

Ingredients:

3 ½ lbs of fish (tuna-emperor -swordfish) Remove all the bones
3 medium red onions
2 medium green peppers
4 medium tomatoes
12 limes
1 tablespoon Mustard
1 tablespoon Ketchup
A portion of Cilantro
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation:

1. Cut the fish into small squares
2. Boil water
3. Pour the boiling water over the fish and let it sit for 10 minutes
4. If fish is not cooked, repeat the process
5. Cut the onion, peppers and tomatoes very thin and mix in a bowl
6. Juice 10 limes into a bowl
7. Add the lime juice to the bowl with the vegetables
8. Add salt, pepper, mustard, and ketchup into the vegetable bowl
9. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow for seasoning
10. Remove the water level of the fish bowl until the water is just covering the top of the fish by 1 cm
11. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and add the juice from two limes into the bowl with the fish
12. Mix the fish and the vegetable bowls together
13. Lastly, add cilantro and olive oil

Notes:

-Add fresh squeezed tomato juice if you want to thin the ceviche
-Ceviche can be mixed with plantain chips “chifles”, toasted corn, and popcorn

To make with shrimp:

-Follow the same process, but boil the shrimp until red, before beginning
-Add the juice from one orange for taste

Want to try ceviche in Ecuador? View our Ecuador adventures here!