This delicious seafood recipe is so quick and gives you a million options for a flavorful brunch, appetizer or main dish. Using the freshest ingredients, you’ll have a healthy dish that everyone will love!
Ceviche is a pescatarian staple. Super flavorful and fresh, your favorite seafood is tossed with fresh citrus juice and veggies to produce a dreamy, healthy dish.
For this classic Mexican Crab Ceviche, we make the process even simpler by grabbing surimi in the grocery store, so our seafood doesn’t even require “cooking” in the lime juice. It’s fast and flavorful and the perfect addition to your Taco Tuesday lineup or weekend backyard party.
What you’ll need to make this easy crab ceviche recipe:
- Imitation crab
- Cherry tomatoes
- English cucumber
- Red onion
- Jalapeno
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Fresh avocado
- For serving:
- Corn chips or tostada rounds
- Spicy aioli sauce
Full measurements and directions included in printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions for this easy seafood dish:
Combine diced cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeno in a medium glass bowl.
Shred or chop your imitation crab meat and add to the other ingredients.
In a separate small bowl, combine fresh squeezed lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir or whisk to combine.
Pour dressing over the ceviche ingredients. Toss to combine. Let the ceviche marinate for 15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning.
Right before serving, dice the avocado and add to the ceviche, tossing very gently to combine without breaking down the avocado. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro.
Serve with tortilla chips for dipping, or over tostadas for a light meal or delicious appetizer.
FAQ’s and Serving Suggestions:
I use imitation crab sticks because it’s the only way I’e seen it served in Mexican restaurants, and frankly, it’s pretty spectacular. But if you’ve got a pound of lump crab meat or blue crab meat in your fridge and you’re looking for an excellent recipe, this is your sign! I do strongly recommend that you avoid canned crab in this recipe. Both the flavor and texture make for a poor fit in this recipe.
I’ve made it with shrimp and also with shrimp and surimi for a lovely crab and shrimp ceviche – I loved the textures and flavors of the combination of seafood! Delicious served with crispy corn tortillas or on tostadas.
Jaiba crab ceviche (or the shrimp version of this recipe) is a lovely main dish when served with Mexican red rice, Refried Beans and Pickled Onions. I also love serving this dish as an appetizer before brunch or before a Spicy and Sweet Mexican Shrimp dinner. If serving as a Mexican food appetizer, it would be fun to dish out into martini glasses for a beautiful Mexican crab cocktail.
The jalapeno is the only spicy element in the dish, so you can adjust the heat level by adding more jalapeno, or serrano peppers, to the mix, or by eliminating the jalapeno peppers. If you like the idea of peppers but don’t want to wrestle the heat of chili peppers, substitute the mild flavor of green or red bell peppers in the Mexican style ceviche.
Flake style and chunk style (or leg style) surimi are the most popular kinds of surimi sold in the US. I prefer to use the chunk crab meat and cut it into smaller chunks (if sold in sticks) and then flake it. But any type of surimi will work in this recipe.
To store, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Print
Quick & Easy Jaiba Ceviche Recipe (Crab Ceviche)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
2 cups shredded surimi (imitation crab meat)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1 cup English cucumber, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 large jalapeno, diced
1 cup cilantro leaves, diced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large avocado, diced
For serving:
Tortilla chips or tostada rounds
Spicy aioli sauce
Instructions
Combine diced cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeno in a glass bowl. Shred or chop your imitation crab meat and add to the other ingredients.
In a separate small bowl, combine fresh squeezed lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir or whisk to combine.
Pour dressing over the ceviche ingredients. Toss to combine. Let the ceviche marinate for 15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning. Right before serving, dice the avocado and add to the ceviche, tossing very gently to combine without breaking down the avocado. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro.
Serve with tortilla or plantain chips for dipping, or over tostadas for a light meal or delicious appetizer.
Notes
Note: When using lots of lemon or lime juice in a recipe remember that ceramic glass bowls are your best option for mixing, as they are non-reactive. Metal bowls can leave an aftertaste on your ceviche.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: ceviche, Jaiba Ceviche, Crab Ceviche