Authentic Aguachile Recipe 

Aguachile means “Chile Water”. The aguachile recipe is a spicy and flavorful dish, similar to a Mexican ceviche from Sinaloa made with shrimp or scallops in lime juice, fresh cucumber, and green chilies. So let’s grab the ingredients and make a fresh bowl of Shrimp Aguachile right now with the following authentic Aguachile recipe.

What is Aguachile?

Aguachile is a dish that comes from Sinaloa in Northern Mexico. It’s a Mexican seafood recipe made with shrimp, Scallops, or maybe both. Its marination is prepared with lime juice, served with chili water, and garnished with fresh cucumber. It’s a culinary delight of Mexican cuisine with the artful harmony of acidity, heat, and herbal nuances. It has now become a go-to choice for a lively, and memorable dining experience. 

Why You’ll Love the Recipe?

Zesty Flavor 

Combining lime juice, chili water, and fresh cilantro with shrimp creates a zesty flavor.

Healthy Option 

Aguachile with shrimp is a healthy choice with low-calorie and high-protein seafood options for a balanced diet.

Easy-to-make

It’s an easy-to-make shrimp recipe with a simple cooking process.

Delightful Textures

The addition of fresh sliced cucumbers, red onions, and avocado makes a delightful mix of textures in it.

Versatile Recipe

Aguachile is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in several settings, whether served as a main course, as an appetizer, at an event, or at social gatherings with different combinations.

Ingredients for Aguachile Recipe

For the Shrimp

Raw Shrimp

Salt

Lime Juice

For the Red Onion

Sliced Red Onion

White Vinegar

Water

For the Marination

Lime juice

Jugo Maggi or use Soy Sauce

Garlic

Cilantro

Jalapeno peppers

Serrano peppers

Salt

For the Garnishing

Sliced cucumber

Radish

Chopped cilantro

Serrano

Spicy chili flakes

Recipe Instructions

For the Shrimp

Cut the shrimp lengthwise.

Take a medium-sized bowl and put the sliced shrimp in it.

Pour 1 cup of lime juice or as required and dip the shrimp completely.

Add salt according to your taste and let the shrimp cook with lime juice for 30 minutes. Flip until half done. Turn the flame off when the color of the shrimp turns pink.

For the Red Onion

Take another bowl and add the red onion to it.

Add the vinegar and water enough to cover the onions and soak it until ready to use.

For the Marination

Now in a food processor add the reserved lime juice, Jugo Maggi or soy sauce, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, serrano, and salt, and process it until it gets smooth. 

Add the shrimp to a serving bowl with the remaining lime juice and pour all the marination made on it. 

Top it with sliced red onion, chili peppers, radish, and cucumbers.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes to chill. 

After 30 minutes, garnish it with fresh cilantro, jalapenos, and serrano, sprinkle it with red chili flakes, and serve it cold with tostadas or tortilla chips.

Recipe Tips

You can use scallops instead of shrimp in this recipe. Jugo maggi is optional. You can use soy sauce as a substitute, or can also try it with fresh avocado.

Serrano peppers can provide a nice level of heat but you can omit them if you don’t like them. To get the other chili flavor, you can use crushed chiltepin chilies de arbol, or crushed red pepper.

You can prepare marinade a day before if you want to make Aguachile ahead of time. 

Two hours before serving, cover the shrimp in freshly squeezed lime juice to get an incredible taste.

It’s good to eat the dish within 2 to 3 hours. 

You can also make Aguachile with pre-cooked shrimp by following the same recipe.

How to Serve the Aguachile Recipe?

Aguachile is best served with sliced cucumber, red onion, avocado, crispy tostadas, crispy chips, and sometimes with a side of rice, or a light salad. Some people enjoy it with a cold beer or citrusy cocktail.

How to store Leftovers?

You can store any leftover Aguachile in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.