Sea Bream Fish Ceviche (with Mango and Avocado)

Fresh sea bream fish, tangy lime juice, sweet mango, and creamy avocado come together in this showstopping Sea Bream Fish Ceviche. Simple yet sophisticated, this no-cook dish lets the quality of each ingredient shine through. It’s a refreshing twist on traditional ceviche de pescado that works equally well as a light meal or elegant appetizer.

Receta en Español

What is sea bream?

Sea bream, also known as dorada or gilt-head bream, is a premium white fish prized for its sweet, delicate flavor and firm texture. Found primarily in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean, this fish is perfect for ceviche due to its lean meat and ability to hold its shape while cooking in citrus juice. If you can’t find sea bream, don’t worry – other firm white fish like snapper, halibut, or mahi-mahi work beautifully as substitutes.

Ingredients Needed for this Fish Ceviche (Ceviche de Pescado)

• Sea Bream Filets: Fresh sea bream filets work great here, or you can use another white fish.
• Lime Juice & Orange Juice: A combination of lime juice and orange juice will cook the fish with the acidity. Make sure to use fresh!
• Pepper: For a bit of spice, marinate the fish with a habañero or other spicy pepper.
• Cilantro: For a bright, herbaceous flavor.
• Red Onion: Red onion adds a savory flavor and crunchy bite.
• Mango: Finely chopped mango adds a sweet, tropical flavor!
• Avocado: I like to add creamy avocado here for an additional texture and some extra nutrients.
• Oil: To help balance out the tangy flavor.
• Salt: Add to taste!
• To serve: Serve with chifles, patacones, tostados, or popcorn!

How to Make Sea Bream Fish Ceviche with Mango and Avocado

1. Prep the Fish: Make sure all the bones have been removed from the fish. Cut the fish into small squares, place into a non-reactive bowl (glass is best). Cut the hot pepper in half and place it in the bowl. Drizzle some salt over the fish.
2. Juice the Limes & Pour Over Fish: Juice 5 to 6 limes. Pour the lime juice over the fish
3. Chill: Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

4. Prep the Onions: About 30-45 minutes before serving the ceviche, soak the sliced red onions in salted water, rinse well and drain.
5. Marinate Onion in Lime: Marinate the sliced red onions with lime juice from the remaining 2 to 4 limes, plus a bit of salt for ~15-30 minutes.

6. Combine Ceviche ingredients: Combine the marinated seam bream with the marinated onions, the diced mango, the orange juice, and the chopped cilantro, mix well. You can either completely remove the spicy pepper halves from the mix, they should just infuse a light bit of flavor and heat, or you can also finely dice it and add it to the ceviche mix if you enjoy the extra heat.

7. Add Avocado: Add the diced avocado and the oil just before serving. Taste and adjust salt/lime/cilantro/etc if needed.

8. Garnish & Serve: Serve with your choice of garnishes including chifles (thin plantain chips) or patacones (thick plantain chips), tostado, popcorn, etc.

Tips for Success

• Keep all ingredients and serving dishes well-chilled throughout preparation for the best sea bream fish ceviche.
• Don’t marinate the fish for more than 4 hours – it can become rubbery if left too long in citrus.
• To properly prep the fish, cut it against the grain into uniform pieces for even “cooking” and better texture.
• Add the more delicate ingredients like mango and avocado last to maintain their texture.
• Add salt gradually throughout the process rather than all at once at the end, or else it might get too salty.

Serving Suggestions for Fish Ceviche

Serve your sea bream ceviche immediately after adding the final ingredients for the best texture and presentation. Traditional accompaniments include crunchy thin plantain chips or thick fried plantains, popcorn or maiz tostado for a light textural contrast, and extra cilantro and lime wedges if desired. For a bit of spice, serve with some ají criollo!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the fish really “cooked”?

You will notice as the fish sits in the lime juice, that it starts to turn white just like it does when cooking. While the citrus juice doesn’t technically cook the fish, it kills bacteria and denatures the proteins in a similar way to heat cooking, leaving it firm yet tender and flavorful. This process is called acid-cooking or curing.

How do I know when the fish is “cooked”?

The fish should be opaque throughout and firm to the touch, typically after 3-4 hours of marinating in lime juice.

How long does it keep?

Ceviche is best enjoyed fresh, ideally within 2 hours of final assembly. The citrus will continue to “cook” the fish, changing its texture over time.

Is it safe to eat?

Yes! The acid in citrus juice kills many harmful bacteria, but it’s essential to use extremely fresh, high-quality fish from a reputable source. If you’re concerned about consuming raw fish, you can partially cook the fish before marinating by blanching it in boiling water for about 1 minute.

Sea Bream Fish Ceviche with Mango and Avocado (Ceviche de pescado con mango y aguate)

This mouthwatering dish is made with fresh fish, lime juice, cilantro, onion, spicy peppers (optional), mango, avocado and orange juice. It can be served with plantain chips or crunchy corn nuts.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Your Questions and Comments

Course: Appetizer, Main dish, Starter

Cuisine: Ecuadorian inspired, Fusion, International, Latin American, Peruvian inspired, South American

Keyword: Avocado, Ceviche, Cilantro, Dorada, Lime, Mango, Meatless, Mouthwatering, Refreshing, Sea bream

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Marinating in lime ‘cooking’ time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 as an appetizer and 2 as a main dish

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh sea bream fish filets – can also use any other fresh white fish filets (for example: corvina, hake, snapper, halibut, mahi mahi, etc)
• Juice from 8-10 medium sized limes
• 1 habanero or any spicy pepper – optional but recommended
• ½ bunch of cilantro finely chopped
• 1 red or pink onion finely sliced
• 1 small or ½ large mango, peeled and diced – the mango should be ripe but firm
• Juice from 1 orange
• 1 avocado peeled and diced
• 2 tbs oil – neutral
• Salt to taste

Garnish ideas:

• Thin plantain chips aka chifles
• Thick plantain chips aka patacones
• Tostado style corn nuts also known as cancha or chulpi
• Popcorn

Instructions

• Make sure all the bones have been removed from the fish.
• Cut the fish into small squares, place into a non-reactive bowl (glass is best). Cut the hot pepper in half and place it in the bowl. Drizzle some salt over the fish.
• Juice 5 to 6 limes. Pour the lime juice over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
  
• About 30-45 minutes before serving the ceviche, soak the sliced red onions in salted water, rinse well and drain.
• Marinate the sliced red onions with lime juice a from the remaining 2 to 4 limes, plus a bit of salt for ~15-30 minutes.
  
• Combine the marinated seam bream with the marinated onions, the diced mango, the orange juice, and the chopped cilantro, mix well. You can either completely remove the spicy pepper halves from the mix, they should just infuse a light bit of flavor and heat, or you can also finely dice it and add it to the ceviche mix if you enjoy the extra heat.
  
• Add the diced avocado and the oil just before serving. Taste and adjust salt/lime/cilantro/etc if needed.
  
• Serve with your choice of garnishes including chifles or patacones, tostado, popcorn, etc.
  

Step by step preparation photos for sea bream fish ceviche with mango and avocado:

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