Aguachile

I first tried aguachile with freshly caught shrimp when I was visiting the small town of Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. Ajijic is one of the quaint towns next to Chapala Lake, which happens to be the largest fresh water lake in Mexico. I fell in love with this super spicy cold shrimp dish, marinated in a serrano-lime juice mixture and topped with fresh red onions, avocados, and cucumbers. Serve with tostadas on the side and an optional ice cold Mexican beer to tame down the heat.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 10 mins
• Calories: 481 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1 ¼ cups fresh squeezed lime juice
• 4 fresh serrano chiles
• 1 pound large shrimp - peeled, deveined and butterflied

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine lime juice, chiles, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender; blend until smooth.

Step 2

Divide shrimp onto 2 shallow plates.

Step 3

Pour chile-lime mixture evenly over the 2 plates of shrimp. Place in the refrigerator and marinate until the shrimp turn opaque and white, 15 to 25 minutes.

Step 4

Top each plate with red onion and avocado. Place cucumber around the edges. Sprinkle with remaining salt.