Fish Ceviche with Grapefruit + Flounder

This light and refreshing Fish Ceviche with Grapefruit + Flounder is a cold seafood salad that’s perfect for hot summer days!  

Is it hot outside where you live?

Where I live in Central Appalachia, it’s not just hot– it’s muggy, sticky, and the air is thick— as if the rain started to fall, but got stuck mid-air.

As soon as I walk outside, I hear cicadas clicking, crickets chirping, and air conditioners struggling to keep up with the dense summer heat.

To me, this weather screams “ice cream!” and most definitely does not scream– “turn on your oven!”  We cannot live on ice cream alone, however, and dinner time rolls around every single day.

This easy, cold Grapefruit Flounder Ceviche is here to save you from your summertime dinner dilemma!  This light and refreshing seafood salad is quick and doesn’t need an oven!

What is Ceviche?

Ceviche is a popular Peruvian dish. It’s made with cold seafood that isn’t exactly raw, but it’s not cooked either.

To make ceviche, you soak small pieces of fish in an acid— such as lime, lemon, or grapefruit juice– until the texture of the fish changes.

This process is called denaturation— the nature, or chemical makeup of the fish, changes.

The denaturation process happens when you cook with heat too– the fish changes texture with heat exposure from raw to cooked, from tough and translucent to flaky and opaque.

With ceviche, it’s the acid, not the heat, that causes the fish to transform.

Do You Need Fresh Fish For Ceviche?

No.

In fact, I recommend using commercially frozen fish instead of raw fish.

Why? The FDA recommends using commercially frozen fish instead of fresh fish for raw or undercooked fish preparations.  And so do I.

Traditionally, ceviche is made with the freshest fish possible– straight off the boat, and then sliced, diced, and marinated in an acid. 

However, most of us don’t have access to fish straight off a boat, and even if you do, I still recommend purchasing frozen fish.

I Can’t Find Flounder.  What Can I Use?

Any firm, white fish, such as striped bass, grouper, or sole should work well.

Avoid oily fish like sardines or salmon.

How to Make Fish Ceviche

First of all, thaw your frozen fish.

Next, grab your sharpest knife— a fillet knife is ideal.  If you don’t have a fillet knife, try keeping the knife blade wet while cutting.  Raw fish is much harder to cut through than cooked fish.

Then, soak the fish in grapefruit juice (or another acid like lime or lemon juice) for 10 – 20 minutes at room temperature.  Try tasting a piece of the fish at 10 minutes, and leave it longer if it doesn’t seem tender.

Avoid leaving your fish in acid much longer– it tends to become tough and “overcooked.”

Finally, drain off the juice, and add the fish is now ceviche!

For this recipe, add diced onion, tomatoes, and avocado, and serve it with the yogurt and honey sauce.  Serve your ceviche on its own, in a lettuce wrap, or with crackers.

Enjoy your fish ceviche, and stay cool on these hot summer days!

Want more SUMMER SEAFOOD recipes?  Try these: Seared Salmon with Cherry Almond Topping, Grilled Swordfish with Basil Pesto, Sockeye Salmon Recipe: Grilled Chili Lime Salmon

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Fish Ceviche with Grapefruit + Flounder

Light, No Cook Summer Seafood Meal or Appetizer

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 270kcal

Freezer Friendly?

No

Will It Keep?

2-3 Days

Ingredients

Grapefruit Flounder Ceviche:

• 2 flounder fillets (~4 oz each)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 grapefruit, juiced (~1/2 cup juice), plus 1 tsp grapefruit juice
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 avocado, cut into small cubes

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp honey

To Serve (Optional):

• large lettuce leaves (for lettuce wraps), crackers

Instructions

• Dice flounder into small, even, bite-size pieces with a sharp knife.  Place flounder in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and cover with grapefruit juice (reserving 1 tsp juice for the yogurt sauce).  
• Let the flounder marinate in the grapefruit juice for 10-15 minutes at room temperature, or until the fish has become opaque white and tears easily. 
• Drain the grapefruit juice from the fish, and add the tomatoes, onion, and avocado.  Stir all the ingredients together.
• Mix yogurt, salt, honey, and the remaining 1 tsp of grapefruit juice together.
• Serve sauce mixed in with ceviche, on the side, or drizzled on top. Serve ceviche on its own, in lettuce wraps, or with crackers. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
• Make Ahead / Leftovers: Ceviche can be stored in the fridge and used within 2-3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates: 18g (6%) | Protein: 19g (38%) | Fat: 14g (22%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Cholesterol: 58mg (19%) | Sodium: 1618mg (70%) | Potassium: 414mg (12%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Sugar: 12g (13%) | Vitamin A: 1000IU (20%) | Vitamin C: 28.5mg (35%) | Calcium: 57mg (6%) | Iron: 0.4mg (2%)

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