This Mexican albacore tuna ceviche recipe is my very favorite! It's an easy recipe and addicting appetizer. Fresh citrus juices, firm, fresh fish, bright lime and fragrant cilantro gets seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper for the best ceviche you'll ever taste. Then you get to scoop it up with tortilla chips. (GF and DF) Ready?
I love Mexican food. The bright fresh flavors bring me back to the beach and sunshine. Find more of my recipes here for a Mexican feast. Start with Mexican style shrimp cocktail , then try Easy Tilapia Fish Tacos With Crema And Cabbage Slaw and definitely make my Homemade Margaritas to go with all of them. (For a similar recipe, try Peruvian Cod Ceviche With Lime and Jalapeño.
Together these make fabulous, fresh and healthy appetizers that are often made in the summer but I think they are equally welcome in the winter when much of the food is heavy and many people welcome a healthy choice.
And for some full meal inspiration, check out What To Serve With Ceviche, with over 25 traditional side dishes and main course recipes. Top 20+ Authentic Mexican Soup Recipes are some great main course soups to serve too.
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Ingredients
- Tuna - Sushi grade albacore tuna is what I've used here, though ahi tuna is just as tasty. A boneless, skinless, tuna steak or tuna loin both work equally well in this ceviche recipe. Tuna is usually frozen at sea at a temperature colder than most home freezers. This makes it a great, safe fish for enjoying raw. If you are making this with fresh seafood, be sure to buy the freshest fish you can find.
- Lime Juice - Fresh lime juice is by far the best for the tastiest ahi tuna ceviche. Fresh, tangy lime juice is more flavorful with a less harsh acidic flavor than bottled lime juice.
- Cilantro - Fresh cilantro brings authentic Mexican flavor.
- Jalapeno - Spicy jalapeños add just the right amount of spice to a classic ceviche. If you like yours spicier, you can use other hot peppers like Serrano pepper or other spicy chili peppers. In a pinch, you can substitute hot sauce, though you won't get the fresh pepper flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Just a few minutes of chopping and a half hour for the lime juice to "cook" the raw tuna and you'll have this Mexican ahi tuna ceviche on the table!
1. Start by combining onion and salt and let it macerate (soften and release juices) while preparing other ingredients.
2. Cut tuna into ¼" cubes, finely mince the jalapeno and juice the limes.
3. Add tuna and jalapeno to the onion and salt, toss gently.
4. Pour over lime juice, stir and marinate in fridge for a minimum of ½ hour and up to 4 hours.
5. When ready to serve, add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Substitutions
- Fish - This ceviche recipe works really well with many kinds of seafood. If you don't have tuna, try raw salmon, halibut or snapper.
- Fresh Lime Juice - If you need to, you can swap an equal amount of lemon juice for the lime juice or use bottled lime juice.
- Cilantro - I love fresh cilantro but if you don't, try using a mixture of fresh mint and parsley for the bright herbal flavor.
Variations
This is an easy, healthy and delicious recipe that you can dress up or down. It travels well as a potluck dish too, just be sure to keep it cold on an ice pack in your cooler.
Try adding a ¼ cup of one of the ingredients below to the recipe!
- Fresh corn cut off the cob
- Finely diced cucumber
- Chopped peaches
- Mango finely diced
- Fresh diced tomato
- Diced avocado
Or try this Asian Tuna Ceviche - For a fun twist on this Mexican ceviche, take it to Japan with soy sauce and sesame seeds! Swap out the cilantro for chopped green onions and follow the recipe adding one teaspoon each of soy sauce and sesame oil to the lime marinade. Serve up with crispy pieces of nori, crispy sesame crackers or over sticky rice.
What To Eat With Ceviche
Crispy tortilla chips are probably the most popular with this albacore tuna ceviche. In some restaurants, I've been offered saltines to scoop up the raw seafood and at others I've gotten plantain chips. Tostadas are a great crunchy base for this Mexican albacore tuna ceviche and creamy avocado makes a great side to help cool your mouth from the bite of spicy jalapeños.
Expert Tips
Use lots of lime and season generously with salt. Both of these ingredients are key to the bold flavor and proper "cooking" of the fish in the acid.
Add your cilantro close to serving time so that it stays fresh and bright flavored.
FAQ's
Yes, traditionally it is made with raw fish that "cooks" in the acid of the lime juice. If you don't have access to sushi grade fish, cooked shrimp is a fantastic substitute.
Ceviche is really healthy and this recipe has just 95 calories per serving. Additionally it has 14 grams of protein, low in fat and contains lots of other vitamins and minerals.
Yes. Ceviche is really healthy with lots of lean protein, vitamins and minerals. This is made with no additional fat besides what is in the tuna and it contains only a small amount of natural sugar from the fruits and vegetables.
Frozen At Sea Tuna For The Win
BC frozen-at-sea tuna is perfect for ceviche for a few reasons. It is almost always flash frozen to a very low temperature at sea keeping it fresh tasting year round and making it sashimi grade which is great for food safety when serving seafood raw.
Albacore tuna is some of the mildest flavored tuna species and is quite lean. Ahi tuna while slightly less lean, has a lovely texture and mild flavor too.
The fish will "cook" in the lime juice so you could simply use any really fresh fish but I prefer the added safety of sashimi grade seafood when serving company.
Love tuna like I do? Check out my Nicoise salad with fresh tuna here.
Related Recipes
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.
Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Mexican Albacore Tuna Ceviche Recipe With Cilantro
Ingredients
- ½ c Red Onion, Finely Diced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 12 oz Sushi Grade Albacore Tuna, ¼" Diced ¾ lb or 2 cups once cubed
- 1-2 Jalapeno(s), Very Finely Diced
- 2 Limes, Juiced Minimum ½ c juice, use more limes if needed
- ½ c Cilantro, Chopped
- Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the red onion and salt. Let the onion macerate (soften) while preparing the tuna and jalapeño.
- Add cubed tuna, jalapeños and lime juice, toss gently and marinate in fridge ½ hour or up to 4 hours.
- Just before serving, add cilantro and season to taste with extra salt and black pepper.
- Serve with tortilla chips or other crispy bites to scoop up the chunky and delicious tuna ceviche.
Notes
Nutrition
Colleen
We traditionally have shrimp cocktail as a Christmas dinner appetizer, but I'm thinking this ceviche would make a great change up. Looks delicious and fresh! Thanks for sharing!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
I think it is a great dish any time of the year! It looks wonderful and that guacamole too sounds incredible. I like that the tuna is flash frozen!!
Ayngelina
Thank you so much for featuring a sustainable fish like albacore tuna. So many people use bluefin which is on the brink of extinction and I think we owe it to readers to provide delicious options that are also sustainable.
SabCurrie
I totally agree Ayngelina! So important to make sustainable choices, plus it’s fished by Canadian fisherman 🎣 💙
Denise from Urb’n’Spice
I am so pleased to see your recipe for tuna ceviche, Sabrina. We just came back from Mexico where ceviche was offered daily but my husband’s seafood allergy prevented him from being able to try it. I will definitely try your recipe. And of course, we are now missing our daily feast of fresh guacamole, so I welcome your recipe for that, as well! Many thanks for sharing! Happy Holidays to you as well!
SabCurrie
That’s wonderful! That is the the best part of making your own-knowing what’s going in it. Enjoy and happy holidays Denise!
Terri
I love this 'lighter' option for this festive time of the year! This would be a perfect addition to my New Year's spread 🙂
SabCurrie
Yes!!! I hope you post some pictures! Happy holidays Terri 🎄