Ecuador's beloved tomato-based shrimp ceviche — bright, tangy and sweet, served with chifles, canguil and curtido, a world apart from Peruvian lime-cured ceviche.
Ecuadorian ceviche is a fiercely contested dish even among its own champions — it is categorically different from Peruvian ceviche and should be understood on its own terms. Where Peruvian leche de tigre is an aggressive acid bath that chemically 'cooks' raw fish in minutes, Ecuadorian ceviche uses pre-cooked shrimp (or cooked seafood) bathed in a tomato-citrus marinade that is tangy, slightly sweet, herbaceous with cilantro and red onion, and served at room temperature or lightly chilled. The base is a sauce made from blended tomatoes, orange juice, lemon juice, a little ketchup (which adds sweetness and body), cilantro and onion — a combination that Peruvian ceviche purists regard with horror but that produces a uniquely refreshing, crowd-pleasing result. The cooked shrimp absorb this marinade over 30–60 minutes, the acid brightening their sweetness while the tomato-citrus liquid softens to a spoonable consistency. Ecuadorian ceviche is always accompanied by a trio of textural contrasts: chifles (thin fried plantain chips), canguil (Ecuadorian popcorn), and curtido (a quick pickle of onion, tomato and cilantro). This combination of cold, creamy seafood with crunchy, salty chips and acidic pickle makes cevichería culture in Guayaquil one of the great street-food traditions of the Americas.
Serves 4
Blend tomatoes with orange juice, lemon juice and ketchup until smooth. Alternatively, dice tomatoes very finely and mix with the juices and ketchup. The sauce should be bright, tangy and slightly sweet.
Taste the base before adding shrimp — it should be noticeably more acidic than you want the finished dish to be, as the shrimp will absorb and mellow the acid.
Toss diced red onion with 2 tbsp lemon juice, salt, minced chile and half the cilantro. Let macerate 15 minutes — the onion turns pink and loses its rawness.
Place cooked shrimp in a large bowl. Pour the tomato-citrus base over. Add the curtido and its juices, olive oil, black pepper and the remaining cilantro. Toss gently. Taste and adjust salt and acid.
Let the ceviche marinate at room temperature 30 minutes, or refrigerate 1 hour. The shrimp will absorb the marinade and the flavors will meld.
Ladle into bowls or large glasses. Arrange avocado slices alongside. Serve with chifles (plantain chips) and canguil on the side for scooping and textural contrast.
Use cooked (never raw) shrimp — the acid in Ecuadorian ceviche does not 'cook' the shrimp. Pre-cooked, chilled shrimp are the correct starting point.
Ketchup is non-negotiable in authentic Ecuadorian ceviche — do not substitute. It provides the subtle sweetness that distinguishes this version from all others.
Chill the serving bowls in the freezer 10 minutes before plating — ceviche should be served cold.
Ceviche de concha: made with raw oysters (conchas prietas) in the same base — a Guayaquil specialty consumed for its supposed medicinal properties.
Ceviche de pescado: substitute firm white fish (cooked) for the shrimp.
Ceviche mixto: combine shrimp, squid rings and scallops in the same marinade.
Ecuadorian ceviche is best consumed within 2 hours of marinating. It can be refrigerated up to 24 hours but the shrimp become increasingly acidic as they sit. Do not freeze.
Ecuador's coastal ceviche tradition is centered in the port city of Guayaquil, where the Pacific fishing industry has supplied the country's seafood markets since colonial times. The tomato-based sauce distinguishes Ecuadorian ceviche from Peruvian versions and likely reflects the abundance of tomatoes in Ecuador's coastal lowlands. The specific combination of citrus, tomato, cilantro and ketchup appears in documented form in Guayaquil market cookbooks from the early 20th century, and ceviche has been central to the coastal Ecuadorian diet and economy ever since.
These are fundamentally different dishes with different philosophies. Peruvian ceviche relies on acid denaturation to 'cook' raw fish in leche de tigre — this requires very fresh fish and precise timing. Ecuadorian ceviche is a marinade for already-cooked seafood, producing a more forgiving, sweeter and less acidic result. Neither is more authentic than the other; they evolved independently in neighboring coastal cultures.
Yes, categorically. Ketchup has been used in Ecuadorian ceviche for generations and its inclusion is not a modern shortcut — it provides sweetness, body and color that no other ingredient replicates. Ecuadorians who grew up eating cevichería ceviche in Guayaquil would find a version without ketchup strange and incomplete.
Chifles are thin, salty fried green plantain chips — similar in form to potato chips but with a starchier, more neutral flavor that contrasts perfectly with the bright citrus of the ceviche. They are found in Latin American grocery stores. Tostones (thick fried plantain) or regular tortilla chips are the closest substitute.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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