Easy Aguachile de Mango

Here is my favorite aguachile de mango recipe, with fresh shrimp marinated in tangy lime juice, mixed with sweet mango chunks, crisp cucumber, and a kick of jalapeño heat.

This aguachile has become our go-to summer dish when it’s too hot to cook. I love how quick it comes together, and my kids actually eat it because of the sweet mango. Perfect for those evenings when you want something fresh and cooling, right?

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?

For aguachile, you’ll want to use the freshest, highest-quality shrimp you can find since they’ll be “cooked” in the acidic lime juice rather than with heat. Wild-caught shrimp typically has better flavor and texture than farm-raised, but either will work fine for this recipe. If you can only find frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry before using. Look for shrimp that smell like the ocean rather than fishy, and avoid any that feel slimy or have black spots. Since the shrimp are the star of this dish, spending a little extra on good quality ones will really make a difference in your final result.

Options for Substitutions

This fresh aguachile recipe has some room for swaps, but a few ingredients are pretty essential:

• Jumbo shrimp: You can use medium or large shrimp instead – just adjust the cooking time in the lime juice accordingly. Smaller shrimp will ‘cook’ faster in the acid.
• Habanero and serrano peppers: Too spicy? Use just one habanero or swap for jalapeños for less heat. Want more fire? Add an extra habanero, but taste as you go.
• Fresh lime juice: This is non-negotiable – bottled lime juice won’t give you the same fresh, bright flavor or properly ‘cook’ the shrimp. You’ll need about 8-10 limes for a full cup of juice.
• English cucumber: Regular cucumbers work fine, just peel them and remove more seeds since they tend to be more watery.
• Mango: Make sure it’s ripe but still firm – too soft and it’ll turn mushy. In a pinch, you could use papaya or even pineapple, but mango really makes this dish special.
• Red onion: White or yellow onion can work, but red onion adds that perfect sharp bite and pretty color contrast.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making aguachile is not using enough lime juice or letting the shrimp sit too long in the acid – aim for about 15-20 minutes of marinating time, as longer exposure will make your shrimp rubbery and tough instead of tender.

Another common error is adding the delicate ingredients like avocado and cucumber too early, which causes them to break down and become mushy, so always fold these in right before serving.

Be careful with those habanero and serrano peppers since their heat can vary wildly – start with just half of each pepper, taste, and add more gradually to avoid creating an inedible fire bomb.

Finally, make sure your shrimp are completely cleaned and deveined before butterflying them, and always use the freshest shrimp possible since they won’t be cooked with traditional heat.

What to Serve With Aguachile de Mango?

This spicy-sweet aguachile is perfect with crispy tostadas or saltine crackers for scooping up all that amazing mango and lime goodness. I love serving it alongside some cold Mexican beer like Corona or Modelo to help cool down the heat from those habanero and serrano peppers. For a more filling meal, try it with warm corn tortillas and maybe some Mexican rice on the side. You can also make it part of a bigger spread with other seafood dishes or serve it as an appetizer before tacos or carne asada.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This aguachile is best enjoyed fresh, but you can keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours in an airtight container. The lime juice will continue to ‘cook’ the shrimp, so don’t go much longer than that or the texture gets a bit rubbery.

Make Ahead: You can prep some components ahead of time to save yourself work later. The mango puree and sliced vegetables can be prepped up to a day in advance and stored separately in the fridge. Just add the shrimp and lime juice right before serving for the best texture.

Serve Cold: Always serve your aguachile straight from the fridge – it’s meant to be a refreshing, cold dish. If it’s been sitting out for more than 30 minutes, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes before serving. The avocado might brown a little, but a squeeze of fresh lime juice helps keep it looking good.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 390-470
• Protein: 40-50 g
• Fat: 12-17 g
• Carbohydrates: 40-50 g

Ingredients

For the ceviche:

• 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, cleaned, butterflied
• 1 medium english cucumber, seeded
• 1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large avocado, cut in large dice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 habanero chiles
• 2 serrano peppers
• Kosher salt, to taste

For the mango puree:

• 1 large mango, halved (use half here, remaining half diced for ceviche)
• 1 habanero pepper
• Juice from 1 to 2 limes
• Tajin seasoning, to taste
• Kosher salt, to taste

Step 1: Prepare Shrimp and Ingredients

• 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, cleaned, butterflied
• 1 medium English cucumber, seeded
• 1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large avocado, cut in large dice

Begin by peeling, cleaning, and butterflying the jumbo shrimp, then rinse them under cold water.

Pat them dry thoroughly using paper towels to ensure they’re ready for marinating.

At the same time, seed the English cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and cut the avocado into large dice.

Set all prepared ingredients aside for assembly later.

Step 2: Make the Mango-Habanero Puree

• 1/2 large mango (from 1 large mango, halved)
• 1 habanero pepper
• juice from 1 to 2 limes
• tajin seasoning, to taste
• kosher salt, to taste

Add half of the mango and 1 habanero pepper (whole) to a blender.

Squeeze in the juice from 1 to 2 limes, sprinkle in tajin seasoning and kosher salt to taste.

Blend the mixture on high speed until very smooth.

Set this puree aside to use later as a flavorful topping.

Step 3: Make the Chile Paste

• 1 habanero chile (from 2 habanero chiles)
• 1 serrano pepper (from 2 serrano peppers)
• kosher salt, to taste

Roughly chop the remaining habanero and one of the serrano peppers.

Transfer the chopped peppers to a molcajete (or mortar and pestle) along with a good pinch of kosher salt.

Use the pestle to grind the mixture into a paste—this will be the base for your ceviche marinade.

If you want a milder ceviche, remove the seeds from the peppers before grinding.

Step 4: Marinate the Shrimp

• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• kosher salt, to taste
• shrimp prepared in Step 1

Pour the cup of fresh lime juice into the molcajete with the chile paste and stir to combine well.

Taste and season with more salt as needed.

Fold in the prepared shrimp (from Step 1), ensuring every piece is well coated with the marinade.

Let the shrimp marinate in the mixture for about 5 minutes to allow the acids to gently ‘cook’ them.

I like to stir every couple of minutes to be sure all the shrimp are evenly exposed to the marinade.

Step 5: Assemble the Ceviche

• cucumber from Step 1
• red onion from Step 1
• avocado from Step 1
• 1/2 large mango, diced (remaining half)
• shrimp marinated in Step 4
• mango-habanero puree from Step 2
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1 serrano pepper (optional, for garnish)

Add the seeded cucumber and thinly sliced red onion (from Step 1) to the marinated shrimp (from Step 4).

Dice the remaining half of the mango and add it in as well.

Gently fold in the large diced avocado.

Mix in as much of the mango-habanero puree (from Step 2) as you like, to reach your desired level of sweetness and heat.

Garnish the ceviche with chopped cilantro, and if desired, thin slices of the remaining serrano pepper.

For extra crunch and flavor, serve with homemade chips, saltines, or tostadas on the side—I always prefer it with crunchy tostadas!

Easy Aguachile de Mango

Delicious Easy Aguachile de Mango recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 6 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 430 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the ceviche:

• 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, cleaned, butterflied
• 1 medium English cucumber, seeded
• 1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large avocado, cut in large dice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 habanero chiles
• 2 serrano peppers
• kosher salt, to taste

For the mango puree:

• 1 large mango, halved (use half here, remaining half diced for ceviche)
• 1 habanero pepper
• juice from 1 to 2 limes
• tajin seasoning, to taste
• kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

 

• Begin by peeling, cleaning, and butterflying the jumbo shrimp, then rinse them under cold water. Pat them dry thoroughly using paper towels to ensure they're ready for marinating. At the same time, seed the English cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and cut the avocado into large dice. Set all prepared ingredients aside for assembly later.
• Add half of the mango and 1 habanero pepper (whole) to a blender. Squeeze in the juice from 1 to 2 limes, sprinkle in tajin seasoning and kosher salt to taste. Blend the mixture on high speed until very smooth. Set this puree aside to use later as a flavorful topping.
• Roughly chop the remaining habanero and one of the serrano peppers. Transfer the chopped peppers to a molcajete (or mortar and pestle) along with a good pinch of kosher salt. Use the pestle to grind the mixture into a paste—this will be the base for your ceviche marinade. If you want a milder ceviche, remove the seeds from the peppers before grinding.
• Pour the cup of fresh lime juice into the molcajete with the chile paste and stir to combine well. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Fold in the prepared shrimp (from Step 1), ensuring every piece is well coated with the marinade. Let the shrimp marinate in the mixture for about 5 minutes to allow the acids to gently 'cook' them. I like to stir every couple of minutes to be sure all the shrimp are evenly exposed to the marinade.
• Add the seeded cucumber and thinly sliced red onion (from Step 1) to the marinated shrimp (from Step 4). Dice the remaining half of the mango and add it in as well. Gently fold in the large diced avocado. Mix in as much of the mango-habanero puree (from Step 2) as you like, to reach your desired level of sweetness and heat. Garnish the ceviche with chopped cilantro, and if desired, thin slices of the remaining serrano pepper. For extra crunch and flavor, serve with homemade chips, saltines, or tostadas on the side—I always prefer it with crunchy tostadas!