Yellowtail ceviche is a bright and refreshing no cook seafood recipe that's brimming with summer ingredients like fresh lime and cilantro, spicy jalapeno, and sweet mango. It's easy to put together and perfect to serve with crunchy chips or crackers as a flavorful appetizer, side dish, or light entree.
Hamachi poke is another great way to prepare yellowtail fish. I love it so much that i also made this amazing hamachi carpaccio. Both recipes are absolutely delicious and you should try them!
I obviously love to cook. A lot. But I have to admit that some of my favorite dishes, especially in the summertime, are no cook seafood recipes. Raw foods like sushi, poke, carpaccio, and this yellowtail ceviche are light yet hearty, and great to enjoy refreshingly cold!
Plus, these recipes are basically effortless to put together in only about 10 minutes. And who doesn't love that?
Also known as hamachi, yellowtail fillets have a luxurious taste and present beautifully when combined with a rainbow of fresh fruits and veggies. In this recipe we marinate bite sized pieces of tender fish in fresh lime juice, then toss together with jalapenos, mango, tomato, red onion, avocado, and cilantro.
All of the elements are diced to be roughly the same size, so each scoop of ceviche has a perfect balance of spicy and sweet flavors with just the right amount of crunch.
Serve fish ceviche for an appetizer, cocktail party snack, side dish, or even as a lighter main dish with your favorite summer sides. It is sure to be a highlight of the evening!
Why yellowtail is good for ceviche
Firstly, it is all about the texture and taste! Firm and thick yellowtail meat holds up well to the acidic lime juice. The mildly sweet taste stands on its own, but is also versatile enough to take on the flavors of other ingredients.
Also, this fish is considered a high-end product, and is therefore a fabulous way to celebrate a special occasion. So although yellowtail tends to be fairly expensive, it definitely is worth the cost for such a delicious and impressive dish.
Recipe ingredients
Yellowtail fillets. Also known as hamachi. For this recipe you want sushi-grade fillets, fresh or frozen and thawed, with the skin removed.
Lime juice. The acid is what changes the consistency and from soft to firm, and makes the raw fish safer to consume. I use lots of lime juice in my other ceviche recipes: corvina ceviche and fluke ceviche.
Red onion. Sweet and a bit spicy, with great fresh crunch.
Jalapeno. Optional for heat, and highly encouraged. Keep the seeds in or remove them before dicing, depending on how spicy you like.
Tomato. Adds great soft texture with a lightly earthy and sweet taste.
Mango. Vibrantly sweet and tropical mango makes this ceviche equally exciting and delicious!
Cilantro. Fresh chopped leaves add a spicy (but not hot!) punch of herbaceous flavor.
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Salt and pepper. A bit of each to your liking.
Avocado. Added as a garnish to the dish when ready to serve.
How to make yellowtail ceviche
First, grab a big bowl and put in the chopped up yellowtail fish. Pour fresh lime juice over it until the fish pieces are completely covered. This helps the fish get "cooked" without heat, thanks to the lime's acid. Put a lid on the bowl or cover it with something and put it in the fridge.
Leave it there for about 2 hours. You'll know it's ready when the fish looks white and not see-through.
After 2 hours, take out the bowl and get rid of about half of the lime juice. You won't need all of it anymore.
Now, add in chopped red onion, slices of jalapeño, cut-up tomato, and bits of mango into the bowl. Mix everything well so all the pieces get to know each other. Next, sprinkle in some chopped cilantro for a fresh taste. Season your mix with a bit of salt and pepper, just how you like it.
When you're ready to eat, serve the ceviche cold. Make it look nice with some avocado pieces on top, or mix them in the ceviche. It goes really well with tortilla chips or tostadas on the side.
Leftovers
I don’t recommend storing ceviche that contain raw fish for too long. Up to 24 hours maximum. Also try to pour off as much marinade as possible before storing. You can add fresh lime juice later to adjust the flavor.
Expert tips
Use a non-reactive bowl. This is important because if you are using a metal bowl it will give your fish a metallic and off-putting taste. It’s best to use either a glass or ceramic bowl for this dish.
Keep your fish as cold as possible. If the fish is warm or left out for too long it can start to go bad and that taste can translate to your ceviche. Take the fish out of the refrigerator right before you are ready to marinate and serve it.
Wait before adding the avocado. Wait until you are ready to serve your ceviche before tossing in the avocados. This is to help prevent them from turning brown too quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, hamachi and yellowtail are the same species, and belong to the amberjack family of fish.
There is no cooking with heat in this classic recipe and therefore yes, ceviche is raw. The acid of the lime juice effects the meat similar to cooking with heat in that it changes it from being soft and opaque to firm and white. However, the fish is not actually being cooked. If you want to try cooked yellowtail try my hamachi kama recipe.
Well, because it is not actually cooked, it technically cannot be overcooked. However, if the yellowtail sits for too long in lime juice the meat of the fish will react similarly to overcooking... The flesh will become overly soft and mushy, with an unpleasantly strong lime flavor.
No, this dish is best to serve freshly prepared. To make it super refreshing you can put everything together and chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Absolutely! As with all uncooked seafood dishes you want to purchase quality ingredients from a reputable source, and follow food safety guidelines. This includes keeping the raw yellowtail cold in the fridge and making sure to keep work surface areas clean.
More fish recipes
- Air fryer bay scallops, bay scallops are much smaller than sea scallops and cook really quick.
- Grouper ceviche, delicious ceviche with great fish!
- Bluefish recipe, when in season, bluefish is amazing bakes or roasted for dinner.
Hope you will like this yellowtail ceviche recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Recipe
Yellowtail ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 lb yellowtail fillets skin removed and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup fresh lime juice approximately 8-10 limes
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely diced (optional, for heat)
- 1 large tomato finely diced
- 1 ripe mango finely diced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ripe avocado diced (for serving)
- Tortilla chips or tostadas for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cubed yellowtail and fresh lime juice. Make sure the fish is fully submerged in the juice. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until the fish is opaque and "cooked" by the acidity.
- Drain off about half of the lime juice.
- Add the diced red onion, jalapeño, tomato, and mango to the bowl. Toss to combine.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the ceviche chilled, garnished with the diced avocado and accompanied by tortilla chips or tostadas.
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