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These delightful Shrimp Ceviche in Cucumber Cups make for a refreshing, zesty, and sophisticated appetizer suitable for any gathering.

Sliced cucumber rounds topped with a creamy seafood and vegetable mixture, garnished with chives and sprinkled with paprika, arranged neatly on a white plate.
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Why You’ll 🫶🏻 these Ceviche Cups

The lively combination of zesty lime juice, peppers, onions, and fresh herbs creates a flavor explosion that beautifully enhances the tender shrimp. These eye-catching cucumber cups are not only a feast for the eyes with their vibrant colors but also a delight for the palate with their harmonious blend of light, citrusy, and savory notes. Perfect for entertaining, as the ceviche and cups can be prepared separately up to one day in advance. They are sure to leave a lasting impression on your guests. Enjoy! ~Nicole

Key Ingredients for Shrimp Ceviche in Cucumber Cups

Top-down view of cooking ingredients on a white surface, including cucumber, lime, ginger, shrimp, chopped herbs, chopped red onion and bell pepper, yogurt, and small bowls of salt and pepper.

Shrimp need to be fresh and not previously frozen. They should be peeled, deveined, and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces.

Peppers and Onion add color and flavor. The peppers add a mild sweetness, and the onion adds sharpness.

Cilantro and Chives are the herbs that enhance the ceviche with their aromatic qualities. Cilantro adds a slight citrusy flavor, and chives add a mild onion flavor.

Fresh Ginger, Cumin, and Cayenne Pepper are the flavor enhancers. Ginger adds a bright, zesty essence to ceviche, while cumin adds a rich, earthy depth. The addition of cayenne pepper introduces a delightful spiciness, giving each bite a little kick.

Sour Cream binds all of the ingredients together with a creamy texture and tangy flavor.

Equipment Needed

A partially peeled cucumber on a wooden board with a knife, peeler, melon baller, cucumber slices, and cucumber peel next to it.
Sliced cucumbers on a wooden cutting board, with some pieces hollowed out using a melon baller tool; scooped cucumber centers are placed to the side.
Sliced cucumbers arranged on a paper towel in a metal tray, partially covered with plastic wrap.
A glass bowl with shrimp, chopped herbs, diced red peppers, spices, and liquid ingredients, with a spoon mixing them. Next to it, a cutting board holds several squeezed lime halves.
A strainer with chopped vegetables and herbs rests over a glass bowl containing liquid. Nearby, there is an empty glass bowl with a spatula and a small bowl with a creamy white sauce on a white surface.
A glass bowl filled with a creamy shrimp salad mixed with chopped red and yellow bell peppers and fresh herbs, being stirred with a white spatula.

Tips for Making Shrimp Ceviche in Cucumber Cups

  1. Trim the ends of the cucumber. Working from one end to the other, use a vegetable peeler to peel four long, thin strips, rotating the cucumber after each peel. Cut the cucumber into ⅝-inch slices. You should have 16 slices total.
  2. Using a melon baller, gently scoop out the seeds from one end to create a well, being careful not to cut through the other end.
  3. It is very important that the cucumber cups are dry to prevent excess moisture from diluting the ceviche and to keep the cucumbers crisp. To do so, line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels, turn the cups upside down, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve. This can be done one day in advance.
  4. Use a non-reactive bowl (preferably glass) to mix the ceviche. This will ensure that the flavors are not altered by any chemical reactions. Cover the ceviche with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally. This process will ensure that the lime in the ceviche will “cook” the shrimp. This can be done up to one day in advance.
  5. When ready to serve, drain the ceviche in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. This prevents the ceviche filling from being soupy and helps maintain a fresh flavor.
  6. Return the drained ceviche to its original bowl and stir in the sour cream. Now you are ready to fill the cucumber cups and enjoy!
Cucumber slices topped with a creamy seafood filling, garnished with herbs and thin chive sprigs, arranged neatly on a white plate with a sprinkle of paprika.

Substitutions

  • Substitute shrimp with scallops.
  • Substitute some of the bell peppers with other peppers, like jalapeño or poblano, for an extra kick. This will alter the flavor because bell peppers add a sweetness to the ceviche.
  • Substitute cilantro and chives with other herbs, such as parsley or dill.
  • Substitute the fresh ginger with fresh garlic.
  • Substitute the ground cumin with ground coriander.
  • Substitute crème fraîche for sour cream for a richer flavor.

Always remember that making any substitutions will alter the flavor profile of the original recipe.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the ceviche and cucumber cups 1 day in advance, and store them separately in the refrigerator. Assemble the dish just before serving.

Can I freeze this?

It is not recommended. The texture of the shrimp and vegetables will change, becoming mushy and watery.

I do not care for cilantro. What can I use?

You can use herbs like parsley, dill, or chervil.

Close-up of cucumber slices topped with a creamy seafood salad mixture, garnished with chives and a sprinkle of paprika, arranged on a white surface.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some delicious dishes that will pair well with Shrimp Ceviche in Cucumber Cups that are perfect for entertaining.

Other dishes that you may enjoy…

A green glass dish filled with shrimp ceviche, containing shrimp, avocado, tomato, cucumber, and cilantro, sits on a dark surface with a lime and tortilla chips in the background.
Avocado Dressed Shrimp a la Mexicana
A white plate filled with golden-brown hush puppies, served next to a small bowl of creamy dipping sauce. A bottle of hot sauce is visible in the background.
Shrimp Beignets
A bowl of creamy dipping sauce is surrounded by cooked shrimp, arranged in a circle on a blue plate. Fresh cilantro leaves are placed near the bowl for garnish.
Shrimp with Chipotle Dipping Sauce
A red basket lined with white paper filled with golden, crispy fried shrimp. A small container of red dipping sauce and a bottle of Tabasco are visible in the background.
Popcorn Shrimp
Skewers with grilled shrimp and slices of sausage, garnished with chopped herbs, arranged neatly on a white rectangular plate.
Shrimp and Spanish Chorizo Bites

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Shrimp Ceviche in Cucumber Cups

By Nicole
Prep: 20 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Close-up of cucumber slices topped with a creamy seafood salad mixture, garnished with chives and a sprinkle of paprika, arranged on a white surface.
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These delightful Shrimp Ceviche in Cucumber Cups make for a refreshing, zesty, and sophisticated appetizer suitable for any gathering.

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 English cucumber, about 13 inches long, and 1 ¾ inches in diameter
  • ½ pound fresh raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 4-5 limes
  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced yellow pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon minced chives, plus more for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream, light of full-fat
  • ground paprika for sprinkling, optional

Instructions 

For the Cucumber Cups

  • Trim the ends of the cucumber. Working from one end to the other, use a vegetable peeler to peel four long, thin strips, rotating the cucumber after each peel. Cut the cucumber into ⅝-inch slices. You should have 16 slices total.
  • Using a melon baller, gently scoop out the seeds from one end to create a well, being careful not to cut through the other end.
  • Place the "cups" on a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use (The cucumber cups can be prepared up to 1 day in advance.)

For the Shrimp Ceviche

  • In a non-reactive bowl, combine the shrimp, lime juice, red onion, peppers, cilantro, chives, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours, stirring from time to time. (Ceviche can be prepared up to 1 day in advance.)
  • Just before serving, transfer the shrimp mixture to a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Gently pressing on the shrimp mixture, thoroughly drain the shrimp. Discard the liquid. Return the shrimp mixture to its original bowl and stir in the sour cream. Fill each cucumber cup with an equal amount of ceviche. (You may need to press on the shrimp mixture to fill the cups.)
  • Garnish each cup with chives and sprinkle with paprika. Arrange on a chilled platter and serve at once. Enjoy!

Notes

The cucumber cups and ceviche can be prepared separately up to 1 day in advance. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Nutrition

Calories: 79kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 908mg, Potassium: 265mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 493IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @thegalleygourmet or tag #thegalleygourmet!

Source: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Entertaining, 2004

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