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Mexican

Shrimp Aguachile

A Sinaloa-style Mexican seafood starter with prawns, cucumber, onion, coriander, jalapeño, and bright citrus-chile dressing.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Shrimp Aguachile

40 mintotal

25 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 5 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Hot
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes 15 minutes of chilling time.

Method

  1. Bring the measured water to a gentle simmer and poach the prawns just until they turn opaque and curl.

  2. Drain the prawns and chill them briefly so they stay firm and fresh-tasting.

  3. Blend the lemon juice, jalapeño pepper, garlic, fresh coriander, and salt into a bright green dressing.

  4. Toss the chilled prawns with cucumber, onion, and the green aguachile dressing.

  5. Chill for the listed resting time so the flavors become sharp and refreshing.

  6. Top with avocado if using and serve cold with tostada shells.

How to tell it's done

The prawns should be chilled and firm, the cucumber crisp, and the dressing sharp, green, and citrusy.

Getting it right

Tip

Do not overcook the prawns; they should be firm and juicy, not rubbery.

What to serve it with

Serve chilled as a starter with tostada shells and extra cucumber on the side.

Common mistakes

The prawns turn tough and rubbery.
Poach them barely, until they just turn opaque, then chill immediately. In aguachile the citrus keeps working on them after cooking, so anything more than briefly cooked ends up firm.
The dressing is fiercely hot and nothing else.
Blend the chillies with the seeds removed first and taste before adding more. The lime and salt need to read as clearly as the heat, or it is chilli water rather than aguachile.

Substitutions

  • Use the existing Prawns master ingredient for shrimp; aliases already cover shrimp naming.
  • Use Green Chilli instead of Jalapeño Pepper if jalapeños are unavailable, but use less because heat can vary.
  • Use Corn Tortillas crisped on a pan if Tostada Shells are unavailable.
  • Traditional aguachile may use raw seafood, but this version briefly poaches prawns for safer home handling.

Storing and reheating

Eat within a couple of hours of dressing. The citrus keeps firming the prawns and the cucumber weeps, so an aguachile left overnight is chewy and diluted. The dressing alone keeps two days in the fridge.