My salmon ceviche recipe is a citrusy and refreshing salad or appetizer. You can prep this healthy and simple dish in only 5 minutes. No cooking required!

Are you up for some serious omega 3?ย Try out my ceviche of salmon. I just can't get over how the lime "cooks" the raw salmon and makes it taste so fresh and zingy.
This is a wonderfully easy yet super impressive dish and it's perfect as an appetizer or a light lunch. I have paired it with cucumber, spring onions, fresh coriander / cilantro and toasted sesame seeds - but there are so many more variations, which we'll all discuss in this post!
You could argue that salmon ceviche is a summer recipe, but I adore salmon and citrusy flavors all year round. Not to mention all those healthy omega 3 fatty acids from the fish (read more about the health benefits of salmon) PLUS that extra portion of vitamin C from the lime juice!
Jump to:
What Is Ceviche And Where Is It From?
First of all, let's get down to the basics. Ceviche is a famous dish from South America where raw fish or shellfish is marinated in lemon or lime juice. The acid in the citrus causes the fish to turn opaque and firm, as if it were cooked.
Ceviche (also called cebiche, seviche or sebiche) is actually Peru's national dish!
Ingredients
Top Quality Salmon
For a ceviche of salmon you obviously need salmon. But, not any salmon!
It is essential that the salmon fillet you buy is of the highest quality possible and super fresh. I recommend to go to a fishmonger and ask for sashimi grade salmon. Sashimi is a Japanese dish of raw fish slices. If the salmon is safe to be eaten raw, it's perfect for salmon ceviche.
Freshness of the fish is the most important thing about any ceviche, including a ceviche de salmon. Even though the citrus "cooks" the fish, there is no ACTUAL cooking going on and the salmon is not heated (which kills bacteria).
Also, don't think that buying salmon labelled as "fresh fish" from the supermarket is good enough. This label does not mean that the salmon is sashimi grade. It just means that the fish has not been previously frozen.
For The Marinade
I use the juice of 1 lime and freshly grated ginger to marinate the salmon in. I think that lime juice has a milder, less sour and more fragrant flavor than lemon. If you can, use lime over lemon.
Extras
I added oil to the dressing as well as sea salt and pepper. Then, I served the salmon in lettuce leaves tossed with cucumber, chopped scallions and cilantro.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Katrin's Top Tips
Salmon ceviche is a simple recipe with very few ingredients. Here are my top tips so the dish turns out restaurant-quality:
- Freeze the salmon for 30 minutes before cutting. This makes it much easier to slice the fish into 1 cm or ยฝ inch cubes.
- Use a very sharp knife.
- Put the salmon cubes into a large mixing bowl and pour over the ginger and lime juice dressing. Stir gently to make sure that the salmon cubes are coated all over.
- Serve straight away. Ceviche must be eaten fresh! For food safety reasons, I do not recommend storing it overnight.
How Long To Marinate Ceviche?
I found that 30 minutes was the perfect time to marinate the salmon. It meant that the fish was still soft and tender yet infused with plenty of zesty flavor.
If you leave it sitting in the lime juice for 2 hours or longer, the salmon overcooks. This means it becomes chalky and dry.

Variations
Use different fish: It won't be a salmon ceviche recipe any more, but you can replace the salmon with any fish, from seabass to snapper, halibut, tuna or cod. Or, use shrimp!
Change the extras: The only 2 absolutely essential ingredients in a ceviche from fresh salmon are salmon and lime juice. Everything else is a bonus! Here are more ingredients that you can add to this dish:
- Avocado - cubed
- red onions - diced finely
- red chili - scale up or down, depending on how hot you like it!
- garlic
- tomatoes - I would use cherry tomatoes
- parsley - for people who don't like coriander / cilantro
Serving Suggestion
I like to serve my ceviche in lettuce leaves. But, you could also serve it in bowls alongside tortilla chips or my keto tortilla chips.
How Is Ceviche Served In Latin America?
Every Latin American country has given the dish its own touch of individuality by adding particular garnishes. In Peru, it is served with slices of cold sweet potatoes or corn-on-the-cob.
In Ecuador, it is accompanied by popcorn, nuts, or corn nuts. It is often served in a large crystal bowl with the guests helping themselves, either by spearing it with toothpicks or filling the pastry shells.
In Mexico, ceviche is accompanied by slices of raw onions and is served on toasted tortillas.
Last Words
Let me put a Japanese spin on this: Salmon ceviche is the ideal alternative for anyone who loves sushi, but cannot be bothered to make it at home because it is just too fiddly.
Get out your sharpest knife, friends, and let's start slicing that salmon!
More Latin American Inspired Recipes
Also try my 10 minute Keto salmon recipe - cooked to soft perfection.
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Recipe

Superb Salmon Ceviche
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 14 oz sashimi grade salmon fillet skinned, 400g
- 1 lime juiced, 44g
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- 1 cup cucumber cubed, 130g
- 2 spring onions / scallions chopped diagonally
- handful of coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
To Serve
- lettuce leaves to arrange the ceviche in
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted, as topping
Instructions
- Freeze the salmon for 30 minutes. This makes it easier to cube. Using a sharp, long knife, slice into 1 cm or ยฝ inch cubes.
- Grate the ginger and stir it into the lime juice.
- Place the salmon cubes in a mixing bowl and pour over the lime juice and ginger dressing. Gently fold with a wooden spoon to ensure the fish is coated well. Chill for ยฝ hour so the salmon can "cook" in the lime juice.
- Dry-roast the sesame seeds in a pan on a low heat until golden.
- Cube the cucumber and slice the spring onions. After the salmon has been in the fridge for ยฝ hour, add the cucumber, onions, coriander and oil into the bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and fold gently with the wooden spoon to mix.
- Arrange the salmon ceviche in lettuce leaves and scatter over the toastes sesame seeds.
Jenny MacDonald
Perhaps I used too much lime juice, because I couldn't taste the salmon or the ginger, which I love, and I found it refreshing, but a bit tasteless because of this. I'll cut back on the lime or the time sitting next time as I definitely will do this quick, light meal again, perhaps substituting shrimp for something different. I corrected the lack of taste with a dollop of Sun River's Canadian honey that is infused with chipotle - holy cow - did that EVER zing it up! I've really been into spicy food as of late, so that was fun!
Katrin Nรผrnberger
Perhaps your lime was extra large? Good to know. I shall measure the amount in spoons next time I make this.
QG
Are we talking raw salmon here? Yes, raw is possible but needs to be cured (with wasabi, whatnot?)
Katrin Nรผrnberger
Yes, the salmon is raw. It is not cured. The "curing" happenes when you add the lemon.
Jenny MacDonald
The lime does the curing in Spanish based dishes.
Laura Griffith
Excellent! Perfect hot summer day food.
I want send you a picture. Well done Lady!
GiGi
THIS certainly was delicious!