The enticing green hue of Aguachile de Camarón (Shrimp Aguachile) comes from the fresh blend of green chile peppers, cilantro, and lime. Dive into this zesty, refreshing Mexican delight filled with vibrant flavors in every bite!
If you love refreshing dishes like Ceviche de Pescado (Fish Ceviche) or Shrimp Ceviche but also love a little spiciness in your dishes, this Camarón de Aguachile recipe is for you!
Enjoy this elegant dish as an appetizer or light meal served with a side of tostadas.
What is Aguachile?
The term “aguachile” directly translates to “chile water” and serves as the marinade in which these delectable shrimp are steeped.
The “chili water” marinade is made of simple ingredients. Combine fresh cilantro, zesty lime juice, and fiery chili peppers (usually jalapeños or serranos), into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the chili-infused liquid marinade over the raw shrimp for a brief moment before enjoying.
A superb appetizer that’s perfect for busy moments when time is short, yet you want to serve something truly exceptional.
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Reasons to Love this Recipe
- Bold Flavors – Aguachile is known for its vibrant and intense flavors, combining the freshness of shrimp with the zing of lime and the kick of chili peppers.
- Refreshing and Light – This dish is perfect for warm weather as it’s served cold, making it a refreshing and light option. However, in Latin culture, this dish is enjoyed any time of the year.
- Simple and Few Ingredients – Easy to find, everyday ingredients make this dish a stress-free trip to the grocery store.
- Quick Preparation – Aguachile is a very quick dish to make, ideal for when you want a delicious appetizer or light meal without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Customizable Heat – You can adjust the level of spiciness, making it suitable for those who enjoy mild spice flavors as well as spice enthusiasts.
Ingredients
- Shrimp – use fresh large shrimp.
- Jalapeños – if you love spicy dishes, use a combination of jalapeño and serrano peppers, or for true spice enthusiasts, use habanero peppers!
- Fresh Cilantro – use fresh cilantro, never use dry cilantro for this dish. This dish is all about fresh ingredients!
- Limes – use freshly squeezed limes.
- Red Onion – thinly sliced is best and adds visual appeal.
- Cucumbers – cut them to your liking but I prefer them thinly sliced and skin on for extra green visual appeal and crunchiness.
- Avocado – cut into cubes or sliced.
- Tostadas or Tortilla Chips – perfect for serving with this spicy dish as it adds a nice contrast.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Instructions
Step 1: Add the jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
Step 2: Peel and devien shrimp and rinse under cold water. Using a knife, cut the shrimp lengthwise to butterfly.
Step 3: Add the shrimp to a large casserole and top with the aguachile sauce. Sprinkle salt and pepper.
Step 4: Add the onions, cucumbers and avocado slices. Allow the shrimp to marinate for 6-10 minutes and immediately serve with tostadas or chips.
Tips for the Best Aguachile de Camarón
- Quality – Always use the freshest or commercially frozen shrimp from a trusted fish monger.
- Mandoline – Use a mandoline to slice the onions and cucumbers evenly.
- Consume – For the tastiest aguachile, consume immediately after preparation.
- Size – Although you can use jumbo shrimp for this recipe, I find large shrimp to be the best.
- Leftovers – Although you may be tempted, do not consume this dish after 2 days.
Recipe FAQs
Although these two dishes share similarities, they are not the same. Differences include marinade, texture and color.
Although aguachile is meant to be consumed immediately after preparation, any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 24 hours. Maximum storage is two days from time of preparation. Note: Shrimp will be chewy from sitting in the acidic marinade.
After large shrimp have sat in the marinade longer than a few hours, the shrimp will become chewy. To enjoy this on the second day, finely chop shrimp and serve on tostadas or tortilla chips.
Yes, commercially caught shrimp is frozen immediately which not only preserves its freshness but helps to kill parasites. As always eating any kind of raw fish (such as sushi) and shellfish comes with some risk.
Other Seafood Dishes You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Aguachile de Camaron
Ingredients
- 1 pound large raw shrimp
- 1 jalapeño rinsed
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro rinsed
- 6 limes juiced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 small cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 avocado sliced or cubed
- 2 tablespoon water
- salt and pepper to taste
- tostadas or tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Add the jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
- Peel and devien shrimp and rinse under cold water. Using a knife, cut the shrimp lengthwise to butterfly.
- Add the shrimp to a large casserole and top with the aguachile sauce.Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the onions, cucumbers and avocado slices. Allow the shrimp to marinate for 6-10 minutes and immediately serve with tostadas or chips.
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