Scallop Aguachile With Jalapeño, Cucumber, and Avocado Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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Photographs: Vicky Wasik

If you love ceviche, then Mexico's aguachile is for you. Traditionally made with raw shrimp, lime juice, chilies, cucumber, and onion, it's served immediately while still totally raw, unlike most other ceviche recipes. In this variation, sweet raw scallops are tossed with lime juice, jalapeño chilies, cucumber, and red onion, then served with tostadas and avocado (and if you like, beer or tequila).

Note: Most scallops are treated with a chemical to help them retain moisture before being sold. When buying scallops, look for never-frozen "dry" scallops that are sold as-is from the ocean. If they are un-labeled, look for the telltale milky white liquid: if the scallops have any liquid pooled around them, they are wet scallops and you should pass them over. If dry scallops are unavailable, any sashimi-grade fish can be used in their place.

Recipe Details

Scallop Aguachile With Jalapeño, Cucumber, and Avocado Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 80 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound very fresh dry-packed sea scallops, sliced horizontally into 1/4 inch thick rounds (see note)

  • Sea or kosher salt

  • 2 medium jalapeño peppers, stemmed and seeded and roughly chopped (about 3 tablespoons)

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • 1/4 cup diced seeded cucumber plus 3/4 cup seeded and thinly sliced cucumber half-moons, divided

  • 4 tablespoons fresh juice from 4 limes

  • 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

  • Tostadas and avocado, for serving

Directions

  1. Arrange scallops in an even layer on a large plate and sprinkle all over with salt. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

  2. Meanwhile, blend jalapeños with water in a blender or with an immersion blender until thoroughly blended. Add diced cucumber and blend until pureed. Add lime juice and cilantro and blend until cilantro is finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. In a mixing bowl, toss scallops with jalapeño-lime marinade, onion, and remaining cucumber half-moons. Season once more with salt and pepper and serve right away with tostadas and avocado.

Special Equipment

Blender or immersion blender

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
125 Calories
3g Fat
14g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 125
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 536mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 7mg 36%
Calcium 28mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 273mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)