Peruvian

Medium · Cold

Tuna Ceviche with Mango and Cilantro

Fresh tuna cured in bright lime with juicy mango and fragrant cilantro — a crisp Peruvian-inspired ceviche that captures the exact moment briny fish meets citrus perfection.

Recipe by

Camila Vega

The Citrus Curer

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Total

15 min

Method

Prep the Tuna

Rinse the fresh tuna under cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Cut into 1-inch cubes, removing any blood lines or dark flesh.

Prepare the Lime Cure

Juice all 8 limes into a large non-reactive bowl — you need about 1 cup of fresh lime juice.

Thinly slice the yellow onion and soak in the lime juice for 3 minutes to mellow the bite.

Cure the Tuna

Add the cubed tuna to the lime-onion mixture. Season with salt and cayenne. Gently fold to coat every piece.

Cover and refrigerate for exactly 20 minutes. The edges should turn opaque while the center stays ruby-raw — that moment is everything.

Add Fresh Elements

While the tuna cures, dice the mango into ½-inch pieces. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and tender stems.

Assemble and Serve

Remove tuna from refrigerator. Fold in the mango and cilantro with a light hand. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Serve immediately in chilled bowls. Fan avocado slices alongside. Add sweet potato slices and corn kernels on the side for the traditional presentation.

Cook the Sides

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add sweet potato slices and cook until tender, approximately 12-15 minutes. Test with a fork — they should easily pierce through. Drain and set aside to cool.

For the corn, bring a separate pot of water to boil. Add corn kernels and blanch for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain immediately and cool before serving alongside the ceviche.

Nutri-Score

Excellent balance

A–E · lower is better · score -6

Calories

363

per serving

High in protein · 34gLow sugar · 12gLow saturated fat · 3g

Protein

34g

Carbs

40g

Fat

11g

Sat. fat

Fiber

10g

Sugar

12g

Sodium

1176mg

Gluten FreeDairy FreePescatarianHeart HealthyLow Sodium OptionAnti InflammatoryHigh ProteinLow FatOmega 3 Rich

Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.

Grade pending

Environmental impact

Estimated footprint

Grade pending · 75% ingredient coverage

kg CO₂e

≥0.3

per serving

Corn drives 32% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.

Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.

Flavor Profile

Umami

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Spicy

Textures

TenderSilkyJuicyCrisp

Aromas

CitrusHerbalPungentFruity

Kitchen Equipment

Primary Tool

Large Bowl

Large BowlStrainer Chef Knife Cutting BoardServing BowlsMeasuring Cup Paper Towels Plastic Wrap

Counter FootprintSmall

Techniques

Acid CuringChillingCold Serving

Safety & Storage

Handling

Tuna is served raw/undercooked (ceviche style). The 20-minute lime cure denatures proteins but may not eliminate all parasites. Handle raw fish with clean utensils and wash hands thoroughly after contact.

Cross Contamination

Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw tuna. Never place ready-to-eat foods (avocado, mango, cilantro) on surfaces that have contacted raw fish without proper sanitization in between.

Cooking Temperature

Refrigerate lime juice and tuna mixture at 40°F (4°C) or below during the 20-minute cure. Ensure all ingredients remain cold. Serve in pre-chilled bowls.

Shelf Life

Consume immediately after assembly. Do not store leftover ceviche - raw fish quality deteriorates rapidly after the cure. Maximum safe consumption is within 1-2 hours of serving.

High Risk Population

Raw fish poses significant risk to pregnant women, elderly, children under 5, and immunocompromised individuals due to potential parasites (Anisakis) and bacterial contamination. Recommend fully cooking tuna to 145°F (63°C) for these populations.

Allergen Warning

This dish contains tuna (fish). Cross-contact with other allergens is possible. Verify all ingredient labels for hidden fish derivatives.

Ingredient Preparation

Sweet potato must be cooked before serving raw alongside ceviche. If serving cooked sweet potato slices with raw fish ceviche, ensure strict separation of utensils and surfaces to prevent cross-contamination. Cook sweet potato to soft texture (internal temperature not critical but must be fully tender).

Pro Tips

Technique

The cure is a conversation between acid and protein — twenty minutes gives you opaque edges with a ruby center. Any longer and the tuna turns mealy; any shorter and it is just raw fish in juice. Watch the clock, trust your eyes.

Substitution

Fresh sea bass or flounder work beautifully if you cannot find sushi-grade tuna, though I have also cured delicate scallops in just twelve minutes with extraordinary results.

Time Saver

Soak your sliced onion in the lime juice while you prep everything else — it does the work of mellowing itself while you dice the mango and chop cilantro. Time saved, flavor deepened.

Storage

Ceviche waits for no one. Eat it within thirty minutes of adding the lime cure, or the fish continues to cook and the texture turns tough. This is a dish that demands you be present.

From the chef

Fresh tuna cures differently than white fish — it holds a ruby center longer, firmer against the lime, and that is exactly what you want here. Eight limes, twenty minutes, cayenne that warms rather than bites: the edges turn opaque while the core stays vivid. The mango comes in at the end, diced just large enough to register as sweetness against the sharp acid, and cilantro carries it all forward. Yellow onion, soaked first to take the edge off, gives raw crunch throughout. Serve cold, in chilled bowls, with avocado fanned alongside and sweet potato on the side. The cure does the work. You just have to time it right.

Camila VegaThe Citrus Curer

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TagsRaw

AllergensFish

Source: generated · June 10, 2026