Ceviche de Anchoveta Recipe: Peru's Anchovy Classic

This ceviche de anchoveta recipe follows Peru's classic method: raw anchovy fillets marinated in lime juice for just 15 to 30 minutes, because anchoveta is too small, oily and delicate to sit in citrus any longer without turning mushy.

Anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) is the small, oily fish that anchors Peru's fishing economy, most of it destined for fishmeal, but a share always reaches coastal tables as ceviche rather than as larger whitefish.

Peru's fisheries authority, PRODUCE, opened the second 2026 anchoveta season in the southern zone this month, with a catch quota of 251,000 tonnes, so fresh anchoveta is reaching markets in volume rather than going mostly to canneries. That is the moment to make this ceviche de anchoveta recipe with real fillets instead of the tinned substitute some versions use. For more of the city's coastal repertoire, see Amuse's guide to what to eat in Lima.

Fifteen minutes of lime is the difference between ceviche and mush.

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh anchoveta fillets, cleaned and deboned
• 8-10 limes, juiced (about 200 ml)
• 1 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1-2 ají limo or rocoto chilies, seeded and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 1 ear corn (choclo), cooked and cut into rounds
• 1 sweet potato (camote), cooked and sliced
• Lettuce leaves, to serve

Method

1. Cut the anchoveta fillets into bite-sized pieces, pat dry, and season lightly with salt. Surface water dilutes the lime juice and slows how fast the acid reaches the flesh.
2. Soak the sliced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain. This takes off the raw sharpness without softening its crunch, the contrast a ceviche de anchoveta recipe relies on instead of heat alone.
3. Squeeze the limes just before assembling; juice left standing turns bitter within minutes and dulls the acidity that does the actual work.
4. Combine the anchoveta with the lime juice, chili and garlic in a non-reactive bowl, then fold in the drained onion. Toss gently so the thin fillets don't break apart before the acid firms them.
5. Marinate for 15 to 30 minutes only, turning the fish once. Anchoveta is small, oily and thin-fleshed, so citric acid denatures its proteins fast; past half an hour, the reaction that "cooks" the fish keeps going and turns it mealy and grey instead of firm and translucent.
6. Stir in the cilantro just before serving, then taste the marinade, now leche de tigre, for salt and heat.
7. Serve immediately over lettuce with the corn and sweet potato alongside, spooning extra leche de tigre over the fish.

Serving ceviche de anchoveta the Lima way

In Lima, ceviche de anchoveta is eaten as a starter or light lunch, the leche de tigre drunk straight from the bowl once the fish is gone. Rocoto gives a fruitier, slower heat than ají limo, which is sharper and more citrus-forward; cooks keep both on hand and adjust to what is in season. A cold pilsner or a chilled pisco sour is the standard pairing, cutting through the acidity rather than competing with it.