Shrimp Aguachile: The Ultimate Hangover Cure

Did you know that in Mexico, shrimp aguachile serves a special purpose, especially on hot summer days? Aguachile de camaron are the ultimate hangover cure and they’re incredibly popular for breakfast! That’s right, if you overdid it with drinks the day before, these shrimp in a spicy cold broth aka chile water made with fresh lime juice and serrano peppers can resurrect even the most hungover soul… of course, you will also need a cold beer next to your Mexican cuisine meal.

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Aguachile verde is a dish of raw shrimp that is similar to ceviche as shrimp is cooked in a sauce made of lime and serrano chili, a true delicacy in the summer. Here, I’m sharing an authentic Mexican recipe that you can easily prepare at home, along with instructions on how to adjust the aguachile sauce spiciness level according to your tolerance. 

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 1 cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (fresh herbs such as cilantro bring the vibrant green color)
• 1 serrano chiles (adjust to taste; use jalapeño for less heat)
• 2 pinches of cumin
• 3 pinches of pepper
• 1/2 small garlic clove
• 1.5 pounds shrimp
• 1 red onion
• 1/2 jalapeño chili

The original recipe calls for up to 5 serrano chilies, but even as a Mexican, I find it extremely spicy. I’d dare to say that using one serrano and a half serrano chilies and jalapeño for flavor is sufficient, but feel free to adjust by adding half a serrano chili at a time until you reach your desired level of heat for your green chile sauce.

Instructions:

• Peel and devein the shrimp.
• Butterfly the shrimp.
• Marinate the shrimp in lime juice, salt, cumin, and pepper. Make sure to have enough lime juice to cover the shrimp. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes and mix occasionally to ensure the shrimp is evenly coated with lime juice. This helps “cook” it. You will see how the shrimp turns into a light pink color. If you have trouble covering shrimp in lime juice try using a shallow bowl.  While the shrimp marinates, prepare the other ingredients.

• Peel and deseed the cucumber, then slice into half-moons.
• Slice the onion into thin julienne strips.
• In a blender, combine the lime juice used for marinating the shrimp with the serrano chili, fresh garlic, and cilantro. Blend until you have a completely liquid sauce, this is going to be our aguachile marinade.

• Pour the sauce over the shrimp, then add the onion and cucumber.

This northern Mexico, Mexican dish is served with salty crackers, tostada shells, or crispy tortilla chips. Aguachiles are usually a flavorful Mexican appetizer but with some tostadas with avocado on top and covered with aguachiles this easy recipe can easily become a main dish. 

I like to add diced or fresh avocado slices to mine.

Recently, I went to a restaurant where, in addition to the ingredients I’ve shared, they added diced mango and super thin radish slices. It was delicious.

Next time, what about cooking some of this other delicious food?

• Coctel de Camaron
• Al ajillo Zucchini Shrimp Spaghetti
• Chipotle Spaghetti with garlic shrimp
• Shrimp stuffed Chiles Rellenos
• Shrimp Ceviche
• Tilapia fish Mexican ceviche, Ceviche de pescado