Ceviche

Name: Ceviche
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 plates
Cuisine: peruvian
Ingredients: 500 g Firm white fish, sushi-quality, skinned, cubed; 8 piece Lime, juiced just before mixing; 1 small Red onion, very thinly sliced, rinsed in cold water; 1 piece Fresh chilli, seeded if you want less heat, finely chopped; 1 handful Coriander, chopped; 400 g Sweet potato, boiled until just tender, sliced; 200 g Corn, boiled; 1 tsp Salt; 5 g Ginger, tiny grate, optional

Peruvian lime-cured fish with chilli, red onion and coriander. Your fishmonger matters more than your knife skills.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Ceviche.

0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 40 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium heat
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Source photograph of Ceviche. Not official I Want Some Food pixel artwork. — Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Manuel González Olaechea assumed (based on copyright claims). via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 3.0. Source

About

Ceviche is acid, chilli, onion and very fresh fish. The lime 'cooks' the surface; the centre stays tender if you do not drown it for an hour. Classic Lima style (ceviche limeño) is short-cured, served with sweet potato and corn. This is not a dump-and-wait leftover salad. If you cannot get fish you would eat raw, make something else tonight.

Ingredients

Servings

Firm white fish, sushi-quality, skinned, cubed500 g
Lime, juiced just before mixing8
Red onion, very thinly sliced, rinsed in cold water1 small
Fresh chilli, seeded if you want less heat, finely chopped1
Coriander, chopped1 handful
Sweet potato, boiled until just tender, sliced400 g
Corn, boiled200 g
Salt4.9 ml
Ginger, tiny grate, optional5 g

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Boil sweet potato and corn. Cool. Cube the fish and keep it cold.
15 min
Watch: Use fish you would eat raw. When unsure, skip this recipe.
Step 2
Salt the fish. Add chilli, a tiny bit of ginger if using, and most of the onion. Pour over lime juice and toss. The fish should sit 5–10 minutes until the outside turns opaque. Do not walk away for an hour.
10 min
Step 3
Taste the leche de tigre (the juices). More salt or chilli as needed. Add coriander.
2 min
Step 4
Serve immediately with sweet potato, corn and remaining onion. The sides are not garnish — they are how you eat the heat and acid.

Adapt this recipe

The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.

Substitutions

White fish → Very fresh scallops
Different, still acid-cured. Same freshness rules. Shellfish allergen.

Tips

Juice limes to order. Bottled lime is a different, sadder acid.
Pregnant people, anyone immunocompromised, and anyone without a trusted fishmonger should choose a cooked recipe. This is not medical advice; it is kitchen realism.

History & culture

Coastal Peru treats ceviche as identity. There are inland and Amazonian relatives. Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei cooking also lives in Lima's seafood culture. Street cevicherías serve it for lunch, not as a midnight experiment.

Acid-cured fish on the Pacific coast is old; lime and onion versions are more colonial and modern. The current restaurant style is a living craft, not a museum piece.

Regional variation — Lima-style short cure. Ají limo or amarillo if you can find them; otherwise a fresh red chilli and a little yellow pepper.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Photograph: No machine-readable author provided. Manuel González Olaechea assumed (based on copyright claims). via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceviche%20del%20Per%C3%BA.jpg

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.

How long does Ceviche take?

40 min all in — 25 min prep, 15 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Medium heat.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Fish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Pescatarian, Dairy-free, Gluten-free.

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Mixing bowl, Chef's knife, Saucepan.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.

What can I use instead?

White fish → Very fresh scallops. Different, still acid-cured. Same freshness rules. Shellfish allergen.

What should I watch for?

Use fish you would eat raw. When unsure, skip this recipe.

Any tips from this recipe?

Juice limes to order. Bottled lime is a different, sadder acid. Pregnant people, anyone immunocompromised, and anyone without a trusted fishmonger should choose a cooked recipe. This is not medical advice; it is kitchen realism.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.