In this post, I show you how to make your own, homemade ceviche recipe with white fish such as tilapia, citrus juice, chilli and pineapple for a little sweet twist. You’ll see that this popular Peruvian dish is not just just for the fancy restaurant menus and is very easy to make. Ceviche is also super healthy and is gluten-free, paleo, Whole30-friendly.
I am excited to share this easy ceviche recipe with you guys because it’s one of my favourite dishes and I think it’s something everyone should try. With its vibrant, zesty, and tangy flavours, fish ceviche is easy to make and can be enjoyed as an appetizer or starter or a light main.
What is ceviche?
If you’ve never had ceviche, the best way to think of it is as a South and Central American version of sashimi or tuna tataki. Made with raw fish or seafood that’s briefly marinated (cooked) in citrus juices and other flavourings, ceviche is one hell of a healthy dish. Boasting protein, essential fatty acids and minerals and tonnes of zing and flavour, it’s one of my favourite things to make.
Ceviche is originally from Peru, although there are now many adaptations of this dish around the Latin American region and the world.
How to make ceviche
Ceviche is typically made from raw fish (usually sliced or diced) cured or marinated in citrus juice (lemon or lime), chilli and other ingredients like finely sliced onions, salt, and herbs.
The acid in the citrus-based mixture denatures the proteins in the fish or seafood, which means that it softens the texture and briefly ‘cooks’ the protein. In some authentic ceviche recipes, the fish is marinated for a few hours but many modern versions are prepared fresh and the curing process takes minutes.
Mine is a tilapia ceviche recipe but this dish can be made with many types of fish and seafood. Historically, it was made with sea bass or Corvina white fish, but these days you can use anything from tilapia and halibut to salmon and tuna. Shrimp or prawns, scallops and crab meat are also often prepared as ceviche.
How long does ceviche last?
Ceviche is a dish that’s not cooked with heat but is rather ‘marinated-cooked’ with juices, so it should be prepared and consumed fresh to minimise the risk of food poisoning. You should also use the freshest fish possible as it will result in the best flavour.
It can be marinated for a few hours and overnight, so you can make ceviche ahead of time.
What to serve with ceviche
There are many ways to enjoy ceviche. It often comes with side dishes that complement those sour, tangy flavour notes, such as cooked sweet potato or sweet potato chips, diced avocado, cooked or roasted corn, tortilla chips, plantain chips, beetroot or carrot chips, lettuce leaves or shredded lettuce, rice crackers or prawn rice crackers, and so on.
For my recipe, I made roasted yam chips (or sweet potato) which are lovely and sweet. If serving this as an appetizer, you can present ceviche in small ramekins, cocktails glasses or shot glasses. Otherwise, you can serve it in a communal bowl or platter with a big basket of corn chips.
MORE FISH RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Cured Lomi-lomi Salmon With Avocado
Cajun Grilled Salmon & Kale Salad
Spiced Mexican Tuna Steak With Avocado & Warm Peppers
Macadamia Crusted Fish Fingers & Tarragon Slaw
Description
Freshly marinated tilapia fish ceviche with lime and orange juice, pinepple, red onions, chili, radish and coriander. Served with roasted yams (sweet potato) chips.
For ceviche
For yam chips
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Peel and slice the yams and mix with spices, salt and olive oil in a bowl until well coated. Layer the chips on a baking paper covered flat roasting tray and bake for 25 minutes, turning over halfway through.
- Place radishes, pineapple, lime and orange zest, sliced onion, chili and coriander powder a bowl. Add lime juice, orange juice, salt, honey and fish sauce. Mix through.
- Cut fish into small cubes or thin slices, add to the bowl with juices, sprinkle with some black pepper and toss through using your hands. Add fresh coriander and mix through again. Leave for 10-15 minutes, stir a couple of times to make sure the fish is coated through evenly.
- Serve in bowls with any leftover juices with yam chips on the side.
Notes
- Serving: 2 if served as a main dish and 4 is served as a starter. Nutritional breakdown is per serving, based on 2 servings.
- You can make ceviche with white fish (tilapia, snapper, ling), salmon, tuna, prawns or scallops but the key is that your chosen seafood is super fresh. I recommend asking your fishmonger about the freshest seafood that day and go from there.
- I used purple skin yams for the chips as the sweetness of root vegetables offsets the acidity and saltiness of the ceviche perfectly. You can use red or purple sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin or beets instead. Even white potato will do, although it’s lacking the sweetness we’re after.
- Pineapple can be replaced with mango, while radish can be replaced with red peppers, jicama root or cucumbers. If coriander (cilantro) is not your thing, you can use parsley, chives or basil instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fish fillet worth with half the yam chips
- Calories: 421
- Sugar: 20.1 g
- Sodium: 2922 mg
- Fat: 16.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.1 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 27.9 g
- Cholesterol: 58 mg
SAVE THIS EASY CEVICHE RECIPE TO PINTEREST
Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip
My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip was a Denny family favorite long before anyone heard of Ranch Dressing! And this family favorite Ranch Dip is a delicious low-carb and keto dip recipe and in my family this makes an appearance at every holiday gathering!
PIN Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip to try it later!
My Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is one of my favorite memories from childhood! As early as I can remember, my Grandma Denny made a fantastic dip that she served with carrots and celery as an appetizer at every family gathering. In those days we called Grandma’s homemade ranch dip just *Vegetable Dip* as if there was only one kind of dip that could possibly be served with veggies.
This was long before the introduction of Ranch Dressing to the American culinary scene, and obviously my Grandma Denny was ahead of her time, because now people all over the country are eating Ranch Dip with veggies. And in my own extended family, there would never be a holiday gathering without this delicious homemade Ranch Dip on the table.
Of course there’s nothing wrong with making Ranch-Style Vegetable Dip using a package mix if that time-saver works for you. But my grandma’s Homemade Ranch Dip is a bit fresher tasting as well as being low in carbs, and if you usually use the mix but don’t have a package on hand I bet you’ll love my Grandma’s recipe.
Grandma Denny always used full-fat mayo and sour cream, but for anyone wanting lower fat you can obviously make this with reduced-fat products if you prefer. Or if you don’t like mayo, you might prefer the variation below for Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, made with Greek yogurt and blended cottage cheese for a higher protein, lower-fat dip.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
Can you make this dip with onion powder?
I love the flavor the grated onion gives to my Grandma Denny’s homemade ranch dip. But if you prefer or want to save time, just use 1 tsp. onion powder.
Can you make this homemade ranch dip with Greek Yogurt?
I sometimes make a variation of this that I call Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip that’s lower in fat and higher in protein. For that variation follow this recipe but replace the sour cream with one cup of cottage that’s blended in the food processor until it’s nearly smooth and replace the mayo with one cup fat-free Greek Yogurt. (This is the version I would make when I was strictly following the original South Beach Diet.)
Want a version of ranch dip with more texture?
You can make a variation of this homemade ranch dip recipe with a little chopped red onion, finely diced cucumber, and finely diced red pepper if you’d like a chunkier dip. I would use about 2 T of each.
How to Make Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning Salt as the secret seasoning in her vegetable dip, but it’s no longer being made (sob!) If you still have Bon Appetit, use it, but now I use Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link). If you’re in Europe you can also use Trocomare Seasoning. (affiliate link)
- Grate a small amount of raw onion into a bowl. (I use the large side of a box grater; don’t use a microplane grater which just turns the onion to liquid.)
- Add mayo and sour cream to bowl.
- Then add Beau Monde Seasoning and dried dill weed (affiliate link).
- Mix all ingredients together well with a whisk. You can use a food processor as well, but the whisk is quicker.
- Let the dip chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two for best flavor.
- Serve with raw vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, bell pepper strips, jicama, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- This is also good with carrots or as a dip for baked sweet potato fries for those who don’t mind more carbs.
- I tested this out on my friend Robin and she gave it two thumbs up!
More Tasty Vegetable Dips You Might Like:
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream (see notes)
- 1 cup mayo (see notes)
- 1 tsp. grated onion
- 2 tsp. dried dill weed
- 2 tsp. Beau Monde Seasoning (see notes)
Instructions
- Grate onion into a bowl, using the large side of a box grater or flat grater (not a microplane grater.)
- Add all other ingredients to the bowl and stir together with a whisk (or you can use a food processor, but it’s not necessary.)
- Chill an hour or so before serving.
Notes
I only use Daisy full-fat sour cream and full-fat mayo for this recipe but if you prefer to make a lower-fat version of the recipe you can definitely use reduced fat sour cream and mayo.
My Grandma always used Bon Appetit Seasoning for this. When that was discontinued I started making it with Beau Monde Seasoning (affiliate link), which is almost identical in flavor.
This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Nutritional information doesn’t include vegetables and is calculated on 1/4 cup serving size.
Recipe from my Grandma Denny, who was a wonderful cook!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 245Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grandma Denny’s Homemade Ranch Dip is great for low-carb diets.Eat with low-carb vegetables like celery, sugar snap peas, jicama, bell pepper strips, radishes, broccoli, or cauliflower for low-carb diets. If you’re making this for the original South Beach Diet the Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip variation above is better for South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Kalyn was making this dip recipe long before the existence of the internet, and it was first posted on this site in 2005 (probably without a single photo in those days.) The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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