Crab Ceviche (Ceviche de Jaiba)

When I first met my husband, he introduced me to a dish that quickly became one of my all-time favorites: Crab Ceviche. It’s easy to make, healthy and doesn’t require any cooking, which is why it’s a great recipe for the hot summer months. The ingredients are in season year round though, so you could technically make this any time you feel like it.

This refreshing Crab Ceviche, known as ceviche de jaiba in Mexico, is something my husband learned how to make from his mom. It’s a combination of imitation crab meat, diced tomatoes, red onions, chopped cucumbers, cilantro, and a generous amount of lime juice that creates the perfect mix of texture and taste.

The best part about this Crab Ceviche is how easy it is to customize to your liking. I personally like to add diced mango and avocados when I have them. My mother-in-law adds a large splash of Clamato juice, which gives it a nice flavor. While I’ve opted to leave it out in my recipe, it’s a wonderful option if you prefer more liquid, or juice, in your ceviche. (Pictured below are examples of both.)

There are a lot of different ingredients you could mix in and variations you could make, but for this recipe, we’ll stick with the traditional ingredients and give you a delicious crab ceviche that’s perfect as is.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CRAB CEVICHE

Super Easy to Make: This recipe is simply a matter of chopping your fresh ingredients and squeezing limes. The rest is just tossing everything together!

Healthy, healthy, healthy! The crab is an excellent source of protein, while the other fresh ingredients bring with them a healthy dose of vitamins and nutrients. It’s not only delicious and refreshing, but it’s also a meal your body will thank you for. 🙂

Perfect for Hot Weather: Since it doesn’t require any cooking, it’s the perfect dish for hot days.

Crowd Pleaser: It’s not only a great meal idea, but it’s an excellent dish for large gatherings. Trust me when I say this is always a hit! Not only do people at parties love it, but it’s also a personal family favorite. One of my daughters is extremely picky, so it’s rare that there’s a recipe we ALL eat. This crab ceviche is one of those few recipes.

Large batch: Since everyone here loves it so much, this recipe does make a larger batch. It lasts our family of four about two days. However, if you want a smaller batch of ceviche, you can easily half the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

• Imitation crab – I normally use two 12 ounce packages, which yields about three cups. It doesn’t matter if it’s flake or leg style. It’s all getting chopped up anyway!
• Fresh tomatoes – Fresh and juicy, these tomatoes add a burst of vibrant color and natural sweetness, rich in vitamins A and C.
• Cucumbers – I love the flavor and texture the cucumbers add to this ceviche. Some people make theirs without it, but I always add cucumber. It’s one of my favorite ingredients in this.
• Red onion – Another healthy ingredient that brings it’s own mild, tangy flavor to the ceviche.
• Cilantro – This aromatic herb infuses the ceviche with a fresh flavor. I love cilantro so much! It adds a lot of flavor and is so good for you. I put it on almost everything.
• Limes – You can’t have ceviche without fresh lime juice! Technically, you don’t need the lime juice for crab ceviche in the same way you need it for fish ceviche. With fish ceviche, it’s used to “cook” the fish a bit. Since imitation crab is already fully cooked, the lime juice is just added for the flavor and juice it brings.

Optional Mix-Ins:

• Hot sauce! I have to add hot sauce to mine. (I love the Tapatio brand.) The hot sauce adds a flavor that I love, so if you also enjoy things a little spicy, don’t forget to throw some in your ceviche.
• Clamato juice
• Mango
• Avocados
• Jalapeños or Serrano Peppers
• Bell peppers
• Radishes
• Pineapple

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Chop up the crab into small pieces. Finely dice the tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers and cilantro. Cut limes in half so they’re ready to be squeezed.

Add all the ingredients to a large bowl. Squeeze juice from the limes on top. Gently toss to combine.

Taste and add more salt, lime juice, hot sauce or Clamato if needed.

Enjoy immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

This is traditionally served with tostadas or tortilla chips, but you could also enjoy this crab ceviche with avocado halves, toasted bread, cucumber slices, lettuce cups or multigrain crackers.

TIPS & NOTES FOR THE BEST CRAB CEVICHE

Season Properly: Don’t be afraid to season with enough salt, lime juice and hot sauce to enhance the flavors. Taste at the end and adjust to your preference.

Make it Ahead: This dish can be made the night before. In fact, allowing it to marinate a bit longer in the fridge can enhance the flavors. However, it’s best enjoyed within 2-3 days to ensure maximum freshness.

The best part about this crab ceviche recipe is that you really can’t mess it up. It’s just a bunch of cutting and juicing limes. I love that this involves no cooking, no heat, and lots of fresh, healthy ingredients that all taste so good together. Once you see how delicious and easy this is, it’s sure to be a regular in your rotation – especially during the extra hot months.

If you want to try another one of my Mexican-inspired recipes, check out our family’s favorite Roasted Salsa Verde (Green Salsa). It’s the salsa I make most often for our family. I love to have the salsa on hand because it’s a great addition to lots of recipes. It’s also great to have as a quick snack with some chips.