A bright combination using raw tuna, creamy coconut milk, fresh ginger, lime, and a little chile creates Tuna Ceviche with Coconut Milk and Ginger—a cool, lively dish finished with quick-pickled red onion and crunchy cashews.
Why You will Love this Ceviche
- Want something cool, bright, and a little different? This tuna ceviche is easy to put together but feels special enough for company.
- It makes a lovely light lunch—or a fresh, lively appetizer.
- Coconut milk and ginger give it a different personality from sesame-oil tuna or the familiar Mexican-style lime ceviche.
- Quick-pickled red onion and crunchy cashews bring the whole thing together.
My Inspiration(s)
I first had a tuna ceviche like this at Willie’s Seafood and Wine Bar in Healdsburg, California. It was one of those dishes that sends me home thinking, I can make this—and maybe make it even better.
The tricky part was figuring out the proportions. How much lime? How much coconut milk? How do I get all those flavors to play nicely together? I started imagining the version I wanted to make, then went looking for a recipe that might point me in the right direction. I found one by David Rosengarten that felt close, so I used it as my starting point.
From there, it was a little adjusting, a little tasting, and a few changes to make it my own. The result is this bright, creamy, gingery tuna ceviche, finished with quick-pickled red onion and crunchy cashews. It brings back the dish I loved at Willie’s, with a few LindySez touches of its own.
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Tuna Ceviche with Coconut Milk, Ginger & Quick-Pickled Onion
Ingredients
Quick-pickled onion
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- l tablespoon water
- pinch kosher salt
- pinch sugar
Ceviche
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk such as Chaokoh
- 1 ½ pounds sashimi-grade fresh tuna cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce or to taste
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped cashews
Instructions
Quick-pickle the onion
- Toss the sliced red onion with the lime juice, water, salt, and sugar. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. The short soak softens the onion’s bite while keeping it crisp.
Blend the coconut-lime sauce
- Combine the minced jalapeño, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, coconut milk, and chili garlic sauce in a blender. Purée until smooth. Taste and add a little more chili garlic sauce if you’d like more heat.
Keep the tuna cold
- Arrange the tuna pieces in a chilled bowl. Pour over enough sauce to coat them lightly and gently toss. The sauce is rich, so you may not need every drop.
Finish the ceviche
- Drain the pickled onion and scatter it over the tuna with the sliced scallions, sliced jalapeño, and cashews. Serve right away, while the tuna is chilled and the cashews are crunchy.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Fresh tuna: The star of the dish. Use very fresh tuna from a trusted fishmonger, and keep it chilled until you’re ready to cube and serve.
- Unsweetened coconut milk: Gives the ceviche its creamy, mellow base and softens the sharpness of the lime and chile. Chaokoh is the brand I use.
- Fresh lime juice: Adds bright acidity that makes the ceviche taste lively and balances the coconut milk's richness.
- Fresh ginger: Adds a clean, warm bite that makes this ceviche feel different from the usual lime-and-chile version.
- Jalapeño and chili garlic sauce: Bring the heat. Start with less chili garlic sauce and add more to taste; jalapeños vary in spiciness.
- Fish sauce: Adds savory depth and a little saltiness, rounding out the lime and coconut flavors.
- Quick-pickled red onion: Adds tang and crunch, with a gentler bite than raw onion.
- Scallions and sliced jalapeño: Add fresh flavor and a little crispness on top.
- Cashews: Bring a welcome crunch and a mild, buttery note.
Tips for Success
- Keep the tuna cold. Dice it just before you’re ready to assemble the ceviche.
- Use regular full-fat coconut milk. It keeps the sauce creamy but light enough to let the tuna and ginger shine. Do not use low-fat or non-fat coconut milk. You can substitute coconut cream cut with a bit of water.
- Taste the sauce before adding it to the tuna. Limes vary, and so does chile heat. Adjust the lime, fish sauce, or chili garlic sauce to suit your taste.
- Add the sauce gradually. You want to coat the tuna, not drown it; serve any extra alongside.
- Make the onion pickle first. It needs a few minutes to mellow, and makes it easy to drain and scatter over the ceviche just before serving.
- Serve promptly. The lime changes the tuna’s texture as it sits, so toss the fish with the sauce shortly before serving.
FAQs
Yes. Use very fresh fish from a trusted fishmonger, and keep it cold until serving. Ahi tuna is a classic choice, with a clean, meaty texture. Hamachi, or yellowtail, is richer and buttery. Salmon would also be delicious, while halibut offers a mild, delicate flavor that lets the coconut, ginger, and lime come through. Cut the fish into similar-sized pieces so the lime sauce coats it evenly, and serve promptly.
Yes—cooked shrimp would be lovely. Chop it into bite-size pieces and fold it in just before serving; it adds sweetness without competing with the tuna. Cooked crab can work, too, though its sweeter, more pronounced flavor may take over the delicate coconut-ginger sauce. I’d use a small amount as an accent, or save the crab for another dish.
Cucumber and radish would both be lovely. Cucumber adds a cool, crisp bite; thinly sliced radish brings a peppery crunch and pretty color. Celery could work, but it may push the ceviche toward “tuna salad.” If you use it, keep it to a small amount, finely sliced.
For something a little less expected, try jicama for juicy crunch, fennel for a delicate anise note, or a few young green papaya shreds for a fresh, crisp texture. I’d choose one or two additions so the tuna, coconut, ginger, and lime stay in the starring roles.
You can make the coconut-lime sauce and quick-pickled onion ahead, then keep them chilled separately. Slice and dress the tuna shortly before serving so the lime doesn’t change its texture too much.
Just a few minutes is plenty for this thinly sliced tuna. Lime changes the fish’s texture; it doesn’t make raw fish food-safe, so keep everything cold and serve promptly.
Serve it on its own as a light lunch or appetizer, or with crisp tarro or tortilla chips, rice crackers, or thin slices of cucumber for scooping.
Absolutely. Use less jalapeño or chili garlic sauce for a milder ceviche, or add a little more if you like it spicy. Taste the sauce before tossing it with the tuna.
Fresh lime juice is best here. Its bright, fresh flavor is a big part of what makes the coconut and ginger sing.
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