Refreshing, zesty and flavorful, Jaiba Ceviche is a tasty Mexican crab salad that’s enjoyed by seafood lovers in many Latin American and Caribbean countries. Made with succulent crab meat, fresh lemon and lime juices and colorful tomatoes, it’s a perfect summer side dish. You can use real crab meat such as jaiba blue crab or imitation crab meat for this easy recipe.
Serve this crab ceviche as an appetizer or a light meal, and it’s great for almost any occasion. I often make Sriracha Shrimp, Sous Vide Salmon, or this Jaiba Ceviche for a quick and healthy dinner.
Believed to have its origins in Peru, ceviche is a delicious seafood cocktail made with fresh fish or shellfish that has been marinated in lemon or lime juice. Toss in fresh tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers and creamy avocado for a tasty appetizer that’s sure to satisfy your seafood cravings.
What Is Jaiba?
“Jaiba” is one of the Spanish words for “crab.” Jaiba usually refers to a specific kind of crab that is often called Chesapeake blue crab. This kind of crab is popular in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexican.
Jaiba Ceviche Ingredients
- Crab Meat: This recipe is traditionally made using the meat of a specific type of blue crab. However, any crabmeat that you can find will work for this recipe, including imitation crab (kanikama).
- Fresh Lime Juice: We recommend going the extra mile by purchasing limes and squeezing them yourself for the best result.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: The fresher, the better. For better flavor, you definitely want to squeeze your own lemon juice instead of using bottled varieties.
- Tomatoes: Adds a refreshing flavor and a bright red color to the dish.
- Onion: We use red onions which are slightly sweet when eaten raw. They’ll also add some vibrant color to your ceviche. You can sub white or yellow onions.
- Chopped Cilantro: This herb has a complex, citrusy flavor that’s the perfect complement to your ceviche.
- Jalapeno: They add nice heat to a dish. You can omit this ingredient if you’d like to make a non-spicy ceviche.
- Salt & Pepper: For seasoning.
- Cucumber: Add a fresh, crunchy bite to the dish with pieces of peeled, diced cucumbers.
- Avocado: Make sure to add the avocado right before serving so that it’s nice and fresh.
How To Make Jaiba Ceviche
1. Mix together lime juice, lemon juice, tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper.
2. Add crab meat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and let it rest for 30-60 minutes.
4. Add diced cucumber and avocado before serving. Mix gently.
Tips For The Best Jaiba Recipe
The devil is in the details with this Jaiba Ceviche recipe. Use freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice for the best results. Be sure to add cucumber and avocado RIGHT BEFORE serving so that they can stay fresh. Bear in mind that this dish is even tastier when left to marinate overnight – if you can wait that long to eat it!
How To Serve Jaiba Crab Salad?
This tasty ceviche can be served in a variety of ways. You’ll love using it on top of crackers or a toasted baguette. Jaiba ceviche can also be used as a dip for tortilla chips or used to fill taco shells. Make it a ceviche salad by incorporating shredded lettuce.
How Long Does Jaiba Crab Ceviche Last?
Jaiba ceviche is best eaten fresh and should be consumed as soon as possible. Try to consume it within two days and be sure to store it in the fridge.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make jaiba one day ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge. The flavor actually improves as the marinade works its magic!
Variations
- You can use imitation carb for this recipe.
- Try adding diced bell peppers for additional color and crunchy texture.
- Add a teaspoon or two of your favorite hot sauce such as Tabasco.
- Mix in some fresh and freshly chopped garlic.
FAQs
Can I Use Imitation Crab Meat?
Imitation crab meat can be used for this recipe with delicious results. It’s also a cheaper alternative that tastes just as yummy in this ceviche.
What’s the Difference Between Ceviche and Jaiba?
Ceviche and jaiba are both popular seafood dishes from Latin America. Jaiba is a type of ceviche that’s made with cooked crab meat.
Ceviche is a dish made with raw fish or shellfish that is marinated in citrus juices, typically lime or lemon juice.
What’s the Difference Between Jaiba and Cangrejo?
Jaiba is a specific type of crab that is blue in color with a bigger body and smaller hands. “Cangrejo” is usually used to refer to other types of crab with a smaller body and bigger hands.
More Crab Recipes
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Jaiba Ceviche turns out in the comments below!
Jaiba Ceviche Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb crab meat (canned or cooked crabmeat, you can also use imitation crab)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno (diced, seeded if preferred for less heat)
- salt and pepper (to taste, I used 1/4 teaspoon of salt)
- 1/2 medium cucumber peeled and diced
- 1/2 medium avocado diced
Instructions
- Drain the crab meat if you use canned crab. Drain well then cut the crab into smaller chunks if preferred.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Add crab meat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined.
- Cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and let it rest for 30-60 minutes.
- Add diced cucumber and avocado right before serving. Mix gently. Serve with tortilla chips or tostada shells. (You can drain the juices if preferred.)
Equipment
Notes
- You can use canned crab meat, imitation crab, or cook the real blue jaiba crab for this recipe.
- It’s important to add cucumber and avocado right before serving, so that they stay nice and fresh.
Nutrition
Nellie Tracy says
Great summer recipe! Can’t wait to make it all the time
Renee Goerger says
Oh wow!!! This is so flavorful and fresh! It’s the PERFECT recipe for summer and you can bet I’ll be making this ALL the time! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!