Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Fish & Marinade
- 500 g white fish fillets (snapper, halibut, or sea bass), skinless, pin-boned, diced 1cm
- 250 ml fresh lime juice
- 10 g salt
Tostada Shells
- 8 corn tortillas
- 500 ml vegetable oil
- fine salt
Vegetables & Finish
- 100 g red onion, finely diced
- 200 g roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 15 g fresh cilantro, chopped
- 20 g serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced, seeds removed for less heat
- 2 avocado, sliced or cubed
- 2 g dried oregano
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 179 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 792 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 34 mg
- Potassium
- 511 mg
- Calcium
- 37 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 32 mg
- Phosphorus
- 178 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 54 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 2.8 mg
- Folate
- 44 mcg
- Water
- 119 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the diced fish in a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour the lime juice over the fish, ensuring it is completely submerged. Stir in 10g of salt.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate to cure. Allow the acid to denature the proteins until the fish turns opaque and firm, about 30 to 45 minutes.
While the fish cures, heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 180°C/350°F. Fry the corn tortillas one by one until golden and rigid, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Remove tortillas from the oil and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Season immediately with fine salt while the oil is still glistening.
Once the fish is cured, drain off about half of the lime juice (or more, depending on desired wetness). Add the diced red onion, tomatoes, minced chili, chopped cilantro, and oregano. Mix gently to combine.
Taste the mixture and adjust salt if necessary. To serve, mound the ceviche onto the crispy tostada shells and top with avocado slices.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of ceviche depends entirely on the freshness of the fish. Use semi-firm white fish like snapper or halibut; avoid oily fish like mackerel.
- For food safety, freezing the fish at -20°C for 7 days prior to use is recommended to kill any potential parasites, even for 'fresh' preparations.
- If the red onion flavor is too harsh, you can rinse the diced onion in cold water or soak it in the lime juice alongside the fish to mellow it out.
- Don't throw away the leftover marinade (Leche de Tigre)! It is delicious mixed with a little clam juice or beer as a shooter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store ceviche and shells separately. Texture of fish degrades after 24 hours.
Troubleshooting
Fish texture is mushy or chalky
Cause: Fish was marinated for too long
Fix: Drain immediately; texture cannot be fully restored but stopping acid helps
Prevention: Limit marination time to 45 minutes maximum for small dice; strain juice if holding longer
Tostadas are chewy instead of crisp
Cause: Oil temperature was too low
Fix: Refry briefly at correct temperature if not yet topped
Prevention: Use a thermometer to ensure oil is at 180°C/350°F before frying
Cultural Context
Ceviche origins are debated between Peru and other coastal Latin American nations, but the tostada presentation is distinctly Mexican. In coastal regions like Sinaloa and Baja, seafood is a staple, and tostadas provide an efficient, portable vessel for fresh catch cured in the abundant local limes.
