This scallop ceviche recipe was created in partnership with Silgan & Pacific Coast Producers all opinions however, are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.
Are warmer breezes blowing where you are? I’ve been feeling spring vibes. Little glimpses have been showing itself here and there; baskets of thumb-sized strawberries at the Farmer’s market, longer evenings, spring showers.
Once spring gets in full swing I’ll be excited to plant a garden again at our new house. I haven’t done any gardening since we’ve moved to Southern California three years ago. We’ve got a nice plot that needs clearing and then we’ll put in raised beds so the puppies don’t dig everything up. I can’t wait for those first ripe, homegrown tomatoes.
Until then however, I’m thrilled to discover canned Salad Ready Tomato Wedges. Grown right here in California, these are different from the typical canned tomatoes. They go from field to sealed in under five hours, locking in freshness and firmness meaning you can use them straight from the can in salads or in this case, ceviche.
I especially love the Tri-Color Salad Ready Tomatoes in their vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red. Their sturdy structure holds up beautifully, whether that’s in a salad, salsa, or even after being marinated like this ceviche recipe.
The easiest scallop ceviche ever
If you are intimidated by the idea of serving or eating raw seafood than this recipe is for you! It’s a great beginner’s recipe because the scallops are lightly poached before being marinated in the lime juice mixture.
The poaching liquid is seasoned with Zatarain’s Crab Boil spice mix which is a perfect blend of coriander, mustard seed, and cayenne. This, plus a little lemon, is all you need to add a base of flavor to this ceviche. In fact, it’s what I use to poach any seafood for shrimp cocktail to crab.
Once the scallops are poached you’ll want to cool them quickly by spreading them out into a single layer and chilling in the refrigerator. This will stop the cooking and keep them nice and tender. Make sure you brush off any extra seeds and spices from the poaching liquid before you toss them with the ceviche mixture.
What kind of scallops to use for ceviche
You can use the tiny bay scallops or the larger sea scallops for ceviche. Feel free to use fresh or frozen too. I used frozen for this recipe because the fresh scallops at my market were not local and the frozen ones were. I like to use local seafood or seafood harvested in the United States whenever possible, even if that means it’s frozen. Besides, frozen fish and seafood is processed and frozen within minutes of being caught, right on the boat, making it just as fresh (or sometimes fresher) than the fish and seafood that is fresh at the market.
For the sea scallops, I cut them in half horizontally for thinner rounds that are easier to eat and soak up more of the citrusy marinating liquid.
Look for canned Salad Ready Tomatoes in the canned tomatoes section of your local grocery store. They’re now available nationwide, including Walmart stores.
Foolproof Scallop Ceviche with Tomatoes and Avocado
Lightly poaching the scallops before mixing them with tomatoes and lime makes this the easiest scallop ceviche recipe that you absolutely cannot get wrong.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sea scallops, fresh or frozen
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 tablespoons Zatarain's Crab Boil Spice Mix
- 1 /4 cup kosher salt
- 3 limes, juiced
- 2 10 ounce cans Tri-Color Salad Ready Tomato Wedges, drained
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 1 tangerine, juiced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- tostada shells, for serving
- sliced radishes, for serving
Instructions
- Remove the small, connective muscle on the side of each scallop if it is still attached. You can use fresh or frozen scallops. If they are frozen, no need to thaw them.
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and add lemon slices, crab boil mix, and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer.
- Add scallops and return to a simmer. Cook until just barely cooked through, this can take anywhere from 1-5 minutes depending on your starting with frozen scallops or not. Remove one from the cooking liquid and press gently they should still be a little translucent and have a bit of give. It's better to undercook them than overcook them. They will cook the rest of the way when they get tossed with the lime juice mixture.
- Drain scallops and spread in a single layer on a large plate. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the ceviche marinade.
- Combine lime juice, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños, tangerine juice, and cilantro in a large bowl.
- Slice each scallop in half horizontally so you have two thinner rounds. Toss scallops in ceviche mixture and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours in advance.
- Right before serving, stir mixture again and taste to see if it needs any more salt or lime juice. Serve on tostada shells and garnish with radish slices.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 61315mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 9gSugar: 8gProtein: 28g
One last thing…
What do you think? I want to know! Leave me a comment and snap a photo for Instagram! Tag @holajalapeno so I can see your beautiful creation! Your feedback is super important to me.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
