Low-Carb Mexican Shrimp Ceviche

Ceviche is the perfect summer dish and it's naturally low in carbs so it will keep your blood sugar low and stable.

In this Mexican-inspired ceviche we added a spicy kick and flavor by using jalapeños. It's light and won't weigh you down on a hot day. But there isn't just one way to make ceviche. If you like a bit of sweetness, try this Low-Carb Shrimp and Mango Ceviche. It's a great way to enjoy mango when you are low-carb or even keto.

Is Raw Ceviche Safe to Eat?

Ceviche can be made with raw or cooked fish or seafood. However, due to the risk of food poisoning, you should only be using raw shrimp if you know it's very fresh and from reliable sources. Unlike the heat of cooking, acid marinades will not kill bacteria or parasitic worms.

How To Serve Ceviche

If you're low-carb or keto, you'll need to replace all those high-carb sides like tostadas, chips, crackers or sweet potatoes, and instead opt for low-carb alternatives such as keto tortilla chips which you can make from my Keto Tortillas and cut into tortilla chips like I did here. For simplicity you can serve this ceviche in some lettuce leaves like I did here.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    10 minutes
Overall:     1 hour 10 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, about 225 g/ 8 oz)

Total Carbs	8.3	grams
Fiber	4	grams
Net Carbs	4.3	grams

Protein	12.6	grams
Fat	15.9	grams
of which Saturated	2.5	grams

Energy	217	kcal

Magnesium	41	mg (10% RDA)
Potassium	504	mg (25% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (8%), protein (24%), fat (68%)

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

450 g large raw shrimp, deveined (1 lb)
fresh juice of 4 limes or lemons (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
1 small red onion, diced (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
2 to 3 medium tomatoes, diced (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
2 medium avocados, diced (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
2 jalapeño peppers, diced (28 g/ 1 oz)
¹/₂ cup chopped cilantro (30 g/ 1.1 oz), or to taste
sea salt and pepper, to taste
¹/₄ cup extra virgin olive oil (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)

Instructions

To poach the shrimp, fill a medium saucepan with water, add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. The shrimp will turn pink and opaque. Once done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Note: Only if you are using very fresh shrimp from reliable sources, you can skip the poaching and let it "cook" in the lime juice (see tips in the post above).
Place the shrimp in a bowl and add juice of 3 to 4 limes. (You'll only be consuming a small portion of the juice as most will be discarded after marinating.) Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Stir once or twice to make sure all of the shrimp is marinated. Once ready, drain and chop each shrimp into 3-4 pieces. Discard the marinating lime juice.
Chop the tomatoes. Dice the red onion. Peel and dice the cucumber and the avocado. Halve the jalapeños and remove the seeds. Finely dice the jalapeños. Chop the fresh cilantro. Place everything into a large mixing bowl.
Add the chopped shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the diced avocado.
Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a day. Serve as an appetizer or a light dish with keto tortilla chips or simply use crunchy lettuce leaves like I did here.