9 Classic Seafood Dishes From Mexico You Need To Try

When we think of Mexican dishes, there are a few that immediately spring to mind, like tacos, burritos, and carnitas. A lot of these are typically made with chicken or beef, but it turns out those aren't the only dishes worth sampling. In fact, there are so many more, and some of them are made with a variety of seafood. For those who prefer a pescatarian diet or just want to add a little seafood to their lives, we reached out to a couple of chefs to inquire which Mexican seafood options we should make a point of trying at least once in our lives.

Chef Reyna Venegas, the head chef at Rancho la Puerta, a wellness resort and spa in Baja, Mexico, curates a menu that's solely vegetarian and pescatarian on a daily basis. Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack is an award-winning food blogger, cookbook author, and television host with a history steeped in Hispanic traditions. These two women were nice enough to share their recommendations for the best Mexican seafood dishes we absolutely must try. Some, you probably know and may have even sampled already, while others might be dishes you've never heard of, but our chefs believe are just as worthy of tasting. Read on to discover which ones you've savored and which you should run right out and experience.

One of the easiest dishes to make, and a great way to dip your toe into the world of Mexican seafood, is ceviche. While the idea of eating raw fish might turn you off, you needn't be scared since the acidic juices used to create the dish "cook" the fish just enough to keep it safe while keeping the dish light and refreshing at the same time. 

Reyna Venegas tells us that while there are several ways to make ceviche, most use the same principle: Just raw fish soaked in something acidic, which is usually lime juice. Shrimp, white fish, and scallops are the most common types of seafood used, but you could also use squid or octopus as your main protein. And while lime juice is the most common choice, Venegas says that some places use vinegar or add tropical fruits like mango. Then there's Peruvian ceviche, which uses all different kinds of citrus, or other fruits like passionfruit. 

Venegas explains that in Mexico, "we just keep it simple, and just cure the fish with lime juice." There are some places in Baja, the chef reveals, that will also use Clamato or V8 as the liquid to cure the fish. But no matter how the ceviche is made, it's always a summer dish. "When it's hot in summer, you just want something refreshing which is not a salad," she says. 

Another popular dish similar to ceviche is aguachile. Also made with raw fish and citrus juice, what makes this dish different is the spice factor. "So, Aguachile, the name, if you translate it, it's like chile water," explains Reyna Venegas. A staple in Sinaloa, the dish is usually made with shrimp, cucumbers, red onions, and plenty of lime juice. Then you add the chiles. 

While Venegas says serranos are the most typical chile used to create a green aguachile, plenty of places in Mexico will use red chiles or even toast the chiles so they turn black, to create a blackened aguachile, which she says tends to be less spicy. No matter which color or which type of chile you choose, Venegas says the dish really is "supposed to be like burning hot, like your mouth is on fire." You could "order a less spicy one," she admits, "but the classical versions will be super spicy and delicious."

The reason Venegas believes aguachile is such a popular dish is that people think it's easier to make than ceviche, since all the ingredients for the sauce get tossed into a blender or molcajete and mixed together. There isn't nearly as much chopping. Simply blend everything, add your shrimp or scallops, pour the juice on top, and serve. Venegas promises your dish will be ready in less than five minutes.

Everyone loves a good taco, and with numerous ways to create this classic Mexican dish, it's no surprise that fish tacos were recommended by both chefs. But not just any type of fish taco, both chefs said the Baja-style fish taco was the dish you absolutely shouldn't miss. 

See, there are many different ways to make a fish taco, and many different types of fish you could use as your base. But Reyna Venegas' favorite way to enjoy them is when they're made in the Baja-style, which has whitefish or shrimp dipped into a tempura-type batter and deep fried. The chef believes the recipe became popular after some Japanese fishermen came to Ensenada, started eating their fish this way, and eventually shared the recipe.

Venegas says that what makes their fish tacos stand out is that batter. It's not just a basic tempura batter of flour, egg, and water. She says they typically add a little beer and a touch of mustard to give it that distinct Baja flavor. Then they take the fish or shrimp, dip it into the batter, deep-fry it, drop it into a tortilla, and top it with "a lot of" cabbage, salsa, and lime juice. The result is a dish that Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack says is "a West Coast icon for a reason," which is probably why Venegas tells us her "mouth is watering just thinking about it."

There's nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. While there are numerous different soup recipes out there, from a classic chicken noodle to a rich and hearty New England clam chowder, Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack suggests a bowl of Caldo de Mariscos would be the way to go. Now, even narrowing it down to only fish soups and stews, there are plenty to choose from, but Marquez-Sharpnack says that if you're in the mood for something spicier, go with the Mexican seafood soup. "This warming soup is perfect during Lent or whenever you want something cozy but still packed with seafood."

The chef says that in its most basic form, Caldo de Mariscos is a "spicy, tomato chipotle broth filled with shrimp and fish" but in truth, once you have the basic broth, you can turn this soup into something as simple or as complex as you like. Some recipes call for just shrimp or white fish, while other bowls are filled to the brim with as many different types of fish as possible. The point is, this soup is totally customizable, which might be why the food blogger rates it so highly. No matter whether you prefer simple or complex, Marquez-Sharpnack guarantees it'll be "hearty and satisfying."

Lobster is often considered a fine-dining experience, usually reserved for special occasions or celebrations, but Reyna Venegas says that down in Rosarito, the locals don't think of it as a fancy meal. They eat the shellfish all the time there, since it's so readily available. Here in the States, lobster is served in a variety of ways, including all by itself, with a steak and a cup of melted butter for dipping, or mixed into a decadent mac & cheese. But in Baja, Venegas says it's usually fried and served as a plate with rice, beans, and huge flour tortillas. Then you can either eat it that way or create your own lobster burrito. "It's not a fancy, complicated dish, but it's so delicious," she says, explaining that there are even a few places in Rosarito where you can pick out your own live lobster for the chefs to prepare.

Unlike Rancho la Puerta, where Venegas is focused on serving satisfyingly healthy meals, in Rosarito, the restaurants will serve platters piled high with lobster halves and lobster tails alongside bowls of refried beans, Mexican rice, salsa, and limes. The beans and tortillas are made with lard so they end up being a rich and decadent meal that Venegas says is "a staple here in Baja." 

A popular appetizer at many a restaurant and home, shrimp cocktail is an easy dish to throw together when you want to elevate your date night or are just in the mood for a light seafood bite to get the meal started. But if you want to try something a little different and prefer a little more spice, then Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack recommends this cóctel de camarón or Mexican shrimp cocktail. "This refreshing dish is a must for hot days," she says. 

What makes this version different from the classic is how it's prepared. There's cooked shrimp, of course, but then the cookbook author says "punchy bites of red onion, jalapeño, and chunks of creamy avocado are added to a zingy shrimp cocktail sauce made with V8." Yes, V8, that well-known vegetable juice you can find on grocery store shelves everywhere. While you could enjoy this dish all by itself, it's frequently served with crackers or chips, turning it into a filling meal perfect for the dog days of summer. 

One of Reyna Venegas' favorite dishes and a dish she often teaches in her cooking classes, Pescado a la Veracruzana, is a staple that she explains is steeped in Mexican history, because it mixes traditional Mexican ingredients with items the Spanish brought over. Those ingredients are the easy-to-find green olives and capers. The chef says it's a "really delicious" meal that's typically made with the rock fish that can be caught up and down Mexico's coast (though any white fish will work). 

Even though the dish is prepared all over the country, Venegas says it gets its name because it originated in Veracruz. People often think of it as a Spanish dish because of the capers and olives, but Venegas swears it's inherently Mexican since originally the tomatoes came from Mexico. Those tomatoes are the base for the sauce, which is a mixture of tomatoes, chiles, onion, garlic, olives, and capers. She says some people will even "add a little paprika to make it more fun."

In Ensenada, there's an "amazing" little food cart or carreta that's unlike any other. Created by Reyna Venegas' friend Sabina Bandera, under the name of La Guerrerense, the tostadas it serves are "a staple" in the town. But these aren't just any tostadas. They've won La Guerrerense awards at food competitions all over the world. Even Anthony Bourdain came and visited this little cart just to get a taste. 

What makes these tostadas stand out is how they're made. Yes, they're topped with a variety of seafood and ceviches, but the Venegas says the secret is the sealant. Before any seafood is piled on top of the crispy, flat tortilla shell, Venegas explains that La Guerrerense makes a spread out of sea urchin and smoked marlin, or whatever fish she's in the mood to use. She spreads that over the tortilla, then piles shrimp ceviche on top and drizzles the whole thing with her own special sauce, creating a dish Venegas says is "so tasty." 

Venegas explains that the reason behind the seafood spread is so that the tostada doesn't become soggy. "It seals all the juices from the ceviche [from going] through the tostada, so you can enjoy the tostada being crunchy, crispy, and perfect."

There are so many different shrimp recipes around the world, from a classic shrimp scampi to a rich and decadent shrimp gumbo. But in Mexico, nothing is easier than this Camarones al Mojo de Ajo or garlic shrimp. Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack says it's "a buttery, garlicky classic that comes together quickly but packs big flavor." That flavor comes from the rich garlic butter sauce, also known as mojo de ajo, in which the shrimp are sautéed. You could take this flavor bomb even further and bring a nice brightness to the dish at the same time with a simple squeeze of lime. 

Since the shrimp (which could be fresh or frozen) are coated in this luscious sauce, they'd be wonderful on their own with a nice piece of crusty bread to soak up all that deliciousness. But if you're looking for something a little more filling, these shrimp would also be amazing served over rice or mixed into your favorite pasta. No matter how you choose to serve it, Marquez-Sharpnack says the real reason she loves this dish is because, "it reminds me of the shrimp dishes you'll find all along the Mexican coastline."