Ceviche de Jaiba Recipe
Español Ceviche de Jaiba is a super simple, fresh, and quick recipe — my kind of food! Perfect for those hot summer months. The best part is that no cooking is needed, and it is ready in 15 minutes!
I just made this ceviche de jaiba recipe for our annual block party! This is the third year we’ve hosted it in our backyard, and I love surprising my neighbors with a special Mexican appetizer each time. Last year, I made Mexican chili beans, and they were a hit with everyone!
The first time I ate jaiba was in Tampico, México; it came to the table as if they were small, stuffed crabs with some vegetables and breadcrumbs that tasted amazing. I loved this delicious appetizer so much that I ended up buying some frozen jaibas to take bring to my parents.
What is the difference between Jaiba and Crab?
While they may be slightly similar and considered as one type of animal, they just have different parts. The crab has a broader shell, while jaibas have small or thin shells. Jaibas are frequently seen in the ocean, on beaches, bays, and other coastal areas, while crabs can even be found swimming in the water of both saltwater shores and freshwater ponds—source Big Fish. In Mexico, we would say jaibas and crabs, but guess what…in some Latin American countries, crabs are named Jaiba!!!
For those who would like to make this recipe with Jaiba, you can use the meat from its chest, although it tends to be expensive and may not always be available in all parts of the country. Imitation crab meat works much better for me when it comes to this recipe.
Why Use Imitation Jaiba Meat?
First, crabs and jaibas can be expensive, so save your money. Plus, who wants to take the time to pick meat out of a sea creature? Am I right? It’s cheap (it can even be made from leftover parts of Alaskan Pollock), and its mild natural sweetness is the perfect counterpart to both citrus flavors in a Mexican ceviche. Crab imitation meat is easy to find at any grocery store. They come in packages with a piece of meat or in imitation crab sticks.
Ingredients for Making an Easy Jaiba Ceviche
This Mexican seafood dish contains fresh vegetables, making it the perfect crab salad. The recipe yields 5 portions.
- 1 lb or 500g (found in the U.S. as Imitation Crab Meat; likely not frozen). Frozen imitation crab meat tastes dry in ceviche).
- 1 cup of diced Roma tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced (or white or even yellow onions, but I like the color of the red with this recipe)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper (serrano peppers if you want more heat), deveined and chopped finely.
- ½ cup of fresh lemon juice (Mexican-style: look for “Key Limes” here in the U.S.)
- 2 tbsp Clamato (optional)
- 1/2 cup of cucumber, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 Avocado
Serve with
Tosatdas, Tortilla chips, plantain chips, or saltine crackers
How to Make Ceviche de Jaiba
Chop the onion and place it in a medium glass bowl or an airtight container. Cover with fresh lime juice, add salt and pepper, and cover with plastic wrap to reduce the odor in the refrigerator.
Dice the tomatoes and deseed the cucumber.
Dice jalapeno or serrano, and get rid of the seed if you do not want this to turn spicy.
Chopp Cilantro, stems are also used in Mexican food, so chop as fine as possible.
Shred the jaiba or crab imitation meat by hand or finely chop it with a knife.
Transfer the onion to a larger bowl. Mix the imitation crab with the pickled onion and chopped vegetables. Whisk everything together and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to let flavors meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add diced avocado pieces to ceviche right before servicing to prevent browning.
This Jaiba ceviche takes less time to prepare than other ceviches, as we do not use real crab meat.
How to Eat
This is delicious served on tostadas with some spread of fresh avocado. I have an aunt who just likes a little mayo smeared onto a crunchy tostada. Then slather your crab ceviche on top and finish it off with enough Valentina hot sauce.
You can even eat it as an appetizer with tortilla chips.
How to Store
Place the crab ceviche in a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator right after you have prepared. The ceviche will be kept refrigerated for 1 to 2 days, but it’s best consumed the day you make it.
More Ceviche Recipes You Will Love:
Ceviche Jaiba Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Imitation crab meat
- 1 cup diced roma tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp clamato optional
- 1/2 cup cucumber
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 avocado
Instructions
- Chop the onion and place it in a medium glass bowl or an airtight container. Cover with fresh lime juice, add salt and pepper, and cover with plastic wrap to reduce the odor in the refrigerator.
- Dice the tomatoes and deseed the cucumber.
- Dice jalapeno or serrano, and get rid of the seed if you do not want this to turn spicy.
- Chopp Cilantro, stems are also used in Mexican food, so chop as fine as possible.
- Shred the jaiba or crab imitation meat by hand or finely chop it with a knife.
- Transfer the onion to a larger bowl. Mix the crab with the pickled onion and chopped vegetables. Whisk everything together and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to let flavors meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add diced avocado pieces to ceviche right before servicing to prevent browning.
Video
Nutrition
