This Halibut Ceviche is super popular with all of our friends. It's tart, yet salty and spicy. Perfect for eating with tortilla chips, plantain chips, or sliced cucumbers.
My parents moved back to Kodiak over a year ago. This summer Dad bought a skiff, so thankfully he and mom have been sending me fresh wild caught Alaskan salmon and halibut.
I'm so thankful my freezer is full, but I'm super, super thankful my hometown of Kodiak wasn't affected by a tsunami this week. That 7.9 earthquake that hit just southeast of Kodiak was no joke. I felt it way up north in the Mat-Su Valley where I live. A tsunami warning was issued for the entire southern coast of Alaska, including Kodiak. Many of my friends, and my parents had to evacuate their houses because they weren't above 100 feet. It was scary, but thankfully there was no tsunami and no damage. Thank God!
But, if I can't have my halibut beer battered and fried (because fried food every day would not be good), I prefer it in this best ceviche recipe.
What is ceviche?
Ceviche (“seh-BEE-chay”) is a popular dish in South America. The first time I sampled ceviche (it was soooo long ago!) I was working in the reservations center of a small local commuter airline in Anchorage. There were a few Latino women who would make ceviche occasionally for the many potlucks we had... I fell absolutely in love with it!
Halibut ceviche is made with raw fish; however, the acid from the limes and lemons change the protein structure of the fish, basically “cooking” it without using heat.
The translucent Alaskan halibut will quickly become an opaque white as it sits (or “cooks”) in the acidic marinade.
Ceviche fish
Normally when I make ceviche, I use Alaskan halibut, but if you don't have access to fresh halibut, any firm white fish will work in this recipe (rockfish, mahi-mahi, etc.).
How to serve Halibut Ceviche
We enjoy this ceviche recipe with tortilla chips or Beanitos (bean & rice chips), but if you are doing strict Paleo or Whole30, you can definitely use plantain chips or cucumber slices.
And guys, don't forget the cold beer to go with your ceviche. 😉 I prefer Greene's gluten-free beer.
Other gluten-free halibut recipes to try:
Baked Halibut with Herbed Mayonnaise Crust from Downshiftology
Halibut Stew from Simply Gluten-Free Magazine
Gluten-Free Halibut Cakes from Go Dairy Free
Halibut Ceviche Recipe:
Halibut Ceviche
This Halibut Ceviche recipe is super popular with all of our friends. It’s tart, yet salty and spicy. Perfect for eating with tortilla chips, plantain chips, or sliced cucumbers.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds halibut (or another firm white fish like cod, tilapia or mahi mahi), diced into ½-3/4 inch cubes
- 1 large tomato, diced
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup cilantro, diced
- 1 – 2 Serrano peppers, seeded and finely minced (use rubber gloves so your hands won't sting!)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 – 3 teaspoons Sriracha
- avocado
Instructions
- Blot off the excess moisture from the halibut using paper towels, then place the halibut, tomato, red onion, cilantro, Serrano peppers, and garlic in a (non-reactive) glass 9x13″ baking dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, lemon juice, sea salt, and Sriracha; pour the mixture over the raw fish mixture. Mix until combined.
- Cover, and place in the refrigerator. Allow the fish to marinade for 2-4 hours, until the ceviche is chilled and the halibut is opaque and "cooked" through.
- Garnish with avocado and serve with tortilla chips, Beanitos (bean + rice chips), plantains, and/or cucumber slices.
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Kristen Chidsey says
Lucky you!! Fresh Alaska fish! And I am so glad you are all okay!
I am love the freshness of this dish--it would be great to snack on during the superbowl!
Megan says
Thanks Kristen! Me too... it was pretty scary for a hot minute! 😉
Krista says
Fresh and spicy! You can count me in!
Megan says
Totally! Thanks Krista!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
This is such a wonderful and elegant ceviche!!
Megan says
Thank you, Katerina! 🙂
Dee says
What a delicious looking appetizer! Glad everything turned out well! 🙂
Megan says
Thanks Dee! 🙂
Amanda says
What a great elegant dish! Looks like it would be perfect for a dinner party!
Megan says
Yes! Great for dinner parties or casual parties. 🙂 Thanks Amanda!
Erin Dee says
That's awesome you can get fresh wild caught Alaskan salmon and halibut from your mom and dad! This looks so delicious!
Megan says
Yes! I'm very blessed! Thanks Erin!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So elegant and perfect for entertaining!
Megan says
I totally agree, Kimberly! Thanks!
Alisa Fleming says
That ceviche looks amazing Megan! Pinned it! Thanks so much for the link up.
Megan says
Thanks Alisa! 🙂
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Yum, this dish seems exceptional, Megan! I believe it is an excellent side dish and an excellent party recipe. 🙂
Megan says
Thank you so much Agness! You're sweet to say that!
Amanda says
We were just gifted some fresh caught Alaskan halibut, I'm about to whip this up! <3
Megan says
Woohoo!! I hope you enjoyed it, Amanda!
Leah says
¡Delicioso! Turned out fantastic!
Mēgan says
🙂 So happy to hear that, Leah! Thank you!
Sal says
Great recipe. I’ve been making
Ceviche many yrs. your dish
Is compatible to a recipe from Tampico
Mex. Vibrant thanks for sharing
I’m From Kodiak living in
Anchorage. I do miss the
Fresh fish . As I was a fisherman
As well. My sister owns
El Chicanos. Mex. Rest
Thanks. Megan
Mēgan says
Hi Sal,
What a treat to hear from you! I have fond memories of eating at El Chicanos when I was young with my mom. Such a special place!
Thank you for the feedback on the ceviche recipe - glad you enjoyed it!
Gina Whitehill-Baziuk says
Can this ceviche be made in advance? We will be out during the day that I plan on serving it as an appetizer.
How long can I keep extra ceviche?
Mēgan says
Hi Gina, yes, this recipe can be made a day or two in advance. Overall, how long leftovers keep depends entirely on the freshness of your fish. I'd say 3-5 days? But that's just a good guess.
Dave says
Hi Megan.
Are you worried about the uncooked halibut. I heard that wild caught halibut could have parasites.?
Mēgan says
Hi Dave,
You bring up a really good point - most of the halibut I'm using for my ceviche is frozen, so I'm not worried about parasites. The extended period of freezing kills off parasites that may be in existence. That said, thank you for asking that question, because I need to update this post with that information for everyone else. 😉
Pam Doicette says
For the halibut ceviche- Do i need to strain off the excess lime juice mix it marinated in before mixing other things in?
Mēgan says
No, you keep that marinade, and mix everything else in with it.