Homemade Ceviche Recipe with Crispy Tortilla Chips
- Kate Carr
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
There's something about ceviche that immediately feels like summer to me.
I used to work at a high-end Mexican restaurant in Asheville, and ceviche was always one of those dishes I ordered constantly but somehow convinced myself was complicated to make at home. Years later, during one of our early summer date nights together, Kevin and I finally decided to try making it ourselves and realized immediately how simple it actually is. We loved it so much we added it to one of our Date Nite menus last summer.
Now anytime we see ceviche on a restaurant menu, we almost always order it. Making it at home has become just as special for us.
This homemade ceviche recipe is fresh, bright, and simple — flaky white fish, lots of lime juice, red onion, cilantro, tomato, and creamy avocado. We love serving it with homemade tortilla chips because they're sturdy enough to actually scoop everything up without breaking apart halfway through.
Homemade Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 pound sushi-grade white fish, diced small
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced
Sea salt
Optional: 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, finely diced
Instructions
Place the diced fish in a glass bowl and pour the lime juice over top. The fish should be fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for about 30-60 minutes, or until the fish becomes opaque and looks "cooked." Note: thicker fish chunks will take longer to turn opaque.
Leave as much or as little lime juice in the bowl as you prefer before serving.
Gently fold in the red onion, tomato, cilantro, avocado, and a generous pinch of sea salt.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve cold with homemade tortilla chips and extra lime wedges.
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
Corn tortillas
Neutral frying oil
Sea salt
Instructions
Cut each tortilla into 6 triangles.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350 degrees. Fry the tortilla pieces in batches until golden and crisp, about 1–2 minutes.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with sea salt.
Serve warm alongside the ceviche.
Notes from the Kitchen
MANGO SWAP
Not a tomato fan? Fresh diced mango is one of our favorite substitutes. It adds a little sweetness that works beautifully with the lime and cilantro.
DON'T SKIP THE AVOCADO
Technically optional, but highly recommended. It adds a creaminess that balances the acidity of the lime really well.
BUYING THE FISH
Because ceviche is prepared with acid instead of heat, fresh is everything here. We recommend sushi-grade fish from a trusted seafood counter or local fish market. Sea bass, halibut, and red snapper all work beautifully. Buy it the same day if you can, keep it cold until you're ready, and ask the counter to remove the skin and pin bones for you. It should smell clean and mild, never fishy.
NOT A RAW FISH FAN?
Cooked chilled shrimp works really well in this recipe and is a great swap if raw fish isn't your thing.
SALT LAST
Always taste your ceviche with a tortilla chip before adding more salt. If your chips are already well seasoned, you may not need much additional salt at all.
WHY HOMEMADE CHIPS
Homemade tortilla chips are sturdier, thicker, and hold up to big scoops of ceviche without breaking. Once you make your own, it's hard to go back to store bought.
FRYING TOOLS
We use a Fry Daddy and a small fry basket when making homemade tortilla chips and it makes the whole process so much easier and faster. The basket lets you lower and lift the chips in one move without any mess.
About Kevin & Kate
We're Kevin and Kate — a husband-and-wife duo who turned a weekly cooking ritual into something we wanted to share.
Date Nite is our subscription experience for couples: a complete evening every week with dinner, a cocktail pairing, grocery list, playlist, and all the small details that make a night at home feel like something you actually looked forward to. We're glad you found us.
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