Mexican cuisine is renowned for its bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and unique culinary traditions, and nowhere is this more evident than in its seafood dishes.
From the Pacific to the Gulf Coast, Mexico’s waters provide an abundance of fish, shrimp, and shellfish that inspire a variety of delicious recipes.
In this guide, we dive into the world of Mexican seafood, highlighting 12 of the country’s most beloved dishes.
Whether you’re savoring the smoky flavors of Pescado Zarandeado, the spicy kick of Camarones a la Diabla, or the refreshing tang of Aguachile, each of these dishes offers a unique taste experience that reflects the rich cultural and regional diversity of Mexico’s coastlines.
Prepare to be transported to Mexico’s sunny shores as we explore these must-try seafood specialties!
Here are a 12 Mexican seafood dishes you need to try out:
- Pescado Zarandeado
- Camarones al Mojo de Ajo
- Camarones a la Diabla
- Arroz a la Tumbada
- Pescado a la Talla
- Aguachile
- Pejelagarto
- Caldo de Camaron
- Acociles
- Ceviche de Sierra
- Pescado TikinXic
- Cóctel de Camarones
Just want the recipes? Our Mexican seafood hub collects every dish below with its own step-by-step recipe.
1. Pescado Zarandeado
Most Mexicans associate pescado zarandeado with beaches, sand, and a coal fire—and with good reason.
After all, the dish is the trademark meal of Nayarit, a state in the coastal region of Mexico.
Pescado zarandeado roughly translates to “Bumpy fish” in English, and it’s made using red snapper marinated in the following:
- Guajillo chiles
- White onions
- Garlic cloves
- Canola oil
- Butter
- Fresh Mexican oregano
The red snapper is a local species of the Nayarit region, and pescado zarandeado is typically prepared over a charcoal fire, giving the dish its distinctive taste and peculiar texture.
Overall, pescado zarandeado has a rich and deep flavor and is perfect for all palates.
It’s common to see pescado zarandeado in most outdoor restaurants since it’s an outdoor barbecue, but you can also find it in many high-end Mexican restaurants.
It’s usually served with Mexican rice, beans, a salad, or even by itself.
2. Camarones al Mojo de Ajo
Mexican dishes are typically self-descriptive, and you can get an idea of what you’re in for when you hear the name of the meal.
Camarones al mojo de ajo means “shrimp in garlic sauce” in English, and the meal consists of shrimps fried in a mixture of flavorful ingredients, including:
- Garlic cloves
- Butter
- Lemon
- Ground pepper
- Onions
You can use slightly different ingredients when preparing the meal, and some people prefer to swap out lemon for lime or ground pepper for paprika.
Camarones al mojo de ajo is served in Mexico as party food, alongside white rice and margaritas.
The ingredients in the dish give it a smoky, tangy, and delicious flavor that you’re sure to fall in love with on the first bite.
3. Camarones a La Diabla
If you’ve eaten Mexican food before, there’s a huge chance you’ve tried deviled shrimp—or “camarones a la diabla,” as the locals refer to it.
Camarones a la diabla consist of shrimps, onions, garlic, chili peppers, tomatoes, and oil.
You make camarones a la diabla using a special sauce of red roma tomatoes, guajillo peppers, and chile de arbol pepper.
You’ll cook this dish on medium-high heat and serve it immediately after the sauce has boiled over.
The dish is served all over Mexico and is known for its spicy yet delicious taste and pleasing aesthetics.
It’s also pretty easy to prepare.
4. Arroz a La Tumbada
Arroz a la tumbada (“rice to the lying down” or “tumbled rice”) is a traditional Mexican dish originating from the port city of Veracruz that’s made using various seafood.
It’s similar to paella and consists of a ton of seafood and other ingredients, including:
- Prawns
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Shrimp
- Octopus
- Garlic
- Oysters
- Butter
- Crabs
- Rice
- Oil
- Fish
The dish is traditionally cooked in a cazuela and is comparable to a seafood soup.
However, arroz a la tumbada is not your typical seafood soup.
It’s cooked differently from regular soups and has more ingredients than most.
You’ll boil the ingredients in the dish over high heat, then allow the mixture to simmer over low heat until most of the liquid is gone.
Arroz a la tumbada is usually served hot and garnished with whatever Mexican sides you prefer.
5. Pescado a La Talla
You need several ingredients and a bit of time to make a pescado a la talla dish, but the result is a fresh and delicious fish-based meal that’s sure to leave an impression on your taste buds!
Pescado a la talla loosely translates to “fish to size” and consists of frijoles aguados, adobo rojo de chiles sauce, salsa verde, and fish.
You can use almost any kind of fish for the dish, but I recommend red snappers to ensure the meal is tasty and give it an authentic Mexican feel.
The fish is opened butterfly-style and grilled after marinating with the sauces.
Feel free to spritz some lemon or lime on your plate before biting into your pescado a la talla.
6. Aguachile
Aguachile (chili water) is an easy-to-make yet tasty Mexican meal from the western region of Mexico in Sinaloa.
It’s similar to Mexican ceviche but is made with different ingredients, including:
- Shrimps
- Limes
- Salt
- Cucumber
- Vinegar
- Garlic
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Jalapeños
- Chilis
Aguachile gets its name because the chili used in the dish is typically soaked and blended in water.
The essential ingredients in aguachile are chili and shrimps, and the shrimps are cleaned and opened before being marinated in a lemon-chiltepin chile sauce for several hours.
Aguachile is a pretty spicy dish, but the heat has zero effects on the overall tastiness of the meal.
It’s traditional to serve aguachile with avocados and your favorite Mexican drink like beer or tequila.
7. Pejelagarto
Pejelagarto is a strange-looking fish that looks like an amalgam of a lizard and a regular fish.
However, it’s a delicacy in many parts of Mexico despite its appearance.
Pejelagarto has unusually soft and juicy meat and is unquestionably a delicious treat for anyone that tries it.
There are many ways to make pejelagarto, but most recipes recommend you fry or roast the meat and serve it as the main course with whatever toppings you prefer—including onions, chili sauce, garlic, and chopped onions.
The dish originated in the state of Tabasco, so it’s no surprise that it’s made using ingredients you’ll find everywhere in the state.
8. Caldo de Camaron
Mexican soups are fantastic, but Mexican seafood soups are works of art.
Caldo de camaron (shrimp broth) is a delicious Mexican soup that you make using shrimp, carrots, chili peppers, and tomatoes.
Although there are various ways to make shrimp soup, the caldo de camaron is a version that’s popular because of its simple ingredients and ease of preparation.
You can get a bowl of caldo de camaron in almost every restaurant in Mexico, but you can also make it yourself as long as you can get your hands on fresh shrimp.
The dish originated from the ancient city of Nayarit, but its recipe is versatile enough that you can adapt it as you wish.
I recommend you garnish it with lime juice and avocados to make it taste even more exciting!
9. Acociles
Acociles translates to “freshwater shrimp” in Spanish, and they are crunchy, delicious treats that you must try out!
The dish is native to Puebla and Veracruz, but many cultures worldwide have been eating the tiny shrimp cousins as snacks for centuries.
However, the Mexican version, acociles, is made by frying the shrimps in butter and seasoning with garlic.
10. Ceviche de Sierra
Ceviche de Sierra is a soup that uses the following ingredients:
- Mackerel
- Lime juice
- Carrot
- Onion
- Cucumbers
- Tlaola serrano chili peppers
- Oregano
- Salt
The dish has roots in Mazatlán, and fresh mackerel is a crucial component.
The mackerel is marinated with spices before it is chopped and served alongside the other ingredients.
11. Pescado TikinXic
Red snappers are a popular part of many seafood recipes in Mexico, and the pescado tikinXic is another dish made using the fish.
Pescado tikinXic originated from the state of Yucatan, and it’s traditionally prepared by grilling fish that’s been wholly marinated in some achiote seasoning.
The fish is usually wrapped using banana leaf, and the result is an excellent dish with a peculiar lemony, spicy, and smoky flavor.
It’s usually paired with rice, but it also combines well with salsa roja and beer.
12. Cóctel de Camarones
Cóctel de Camarones is a refreshing and vibrant Mexican shrimp cocktail that’s a must-try for seafood lovers.
Bursting with flavors, this dish combines fresh, succulent shrimp with tangy tomatoes, crisp onions, creamy avocado, chopped cilantro, and jalapeño for a hint of spice.
The cocktail sauce, made from a blend of ketchup, lime juice, clamato (or tomato juice), and hot sauce, gives it a perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness, making it an ideal choice for a hot day.
Serve this popular Mexican seafood dish chilled with saltine crackers or crispy tostadas for an authentic touch.
Final Mexican Seafood Thoughts
With these 12 Best Mexican Seafood Dishes—Pescado Zarandeado, Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, Camarones a la Diabla, Arroz a la Tumbada, Pescado a la Talla, Aguachile, Pejelagarto, Caldo de Camarón, Acociles, Ceviche de Sierra, Pescado TikinXic, and Cóctel de Camarones—you’re ready to dive into the full spectrum of Mexico’s rich coastal flavors.
From bold, spicy shrimp dishes to refreshing, tangy ceviches, these recipes showcase the country’s diverse culinary heritage.
Each dish brings something unique to the table, capturing the essence of Mexican seafood in its ingredients, techniques, and regional influences.
Whether you’re cooking at home or exploring local Mexican restaurants, these dishes offer an authentic taste of the sea that will leave you craving more.
Enjoy the vibrant flavors of Mexico’s coastline in every bite!
Sources
- Mama Maggie’s Kitchen: Mexican Seafood Recipes
- Isabel Eats: Mexican Seafood Recipes
- Top Teen Recipes: 16 Best Mexican Seafood Dishes
- Adan Medrano: Pescado Zarandeado – Delicacy From Nayarit
- Chef’s Pencil: Pescado Zarandeado
- Muy Bueno Cookbook: Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo (Mexican-Style Garlic Shrimp)
- Pure Wow: Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
- Isabel Eats: Camarones a la Diabla
- MasterClass: Authentic Camarones a la Diabla Recipe: How to Cook Deviled Shrimp
- Salt And Spine: Pescado a la Talla (Contramar’s Signature Red and Green Grilled Red Snapper)
- MasterClass: Gabriela Cámara’s Pescado a la Talla Recipe
- Feasting At Home: Aguachile Recipe
- All Recipes: Aguachile
- Travel Food Atlas: Pejelagarto (Tropical Gar) in Green Sauce Recipe
- Mexican Food Journal: Caldo de Camarón
- Mexico In My Kitchen: Mexican Shrimp Soup
- Martha Stewart: Pescado Tikin Xik
- Chef’s Pencil: Top 23 Mexican Seafood Dishes
- Taste Atlas: Ceviche de Sierra
- Taste Atlas: 10 Most Popular Mexican Seafood Dishes
- UNESCO: Traditional Mexican Cuisine – Ancestral, Ongoing Community Culture, The Michoacán Paradigm
- Science Daily: Largest and hottest shield volcano on Earth
- Big 7 Travel: 7 Things Mexico Is Famous For
- Britannica: Nayarit
- Britannica: Veracruz
- Recipetips.com: Cazuela
- All Recipes: Mexican Ceviche
- Taste Atlas: Pejelagarto
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.