Ceviche de Pulpo con Pico de Gallo (Octopus Ceviche)
Tender cooked octopus in a bright lime marinade with fresh pico de gallo and avocado, a tender, chewy-soft seafood salad.
Made with Fresh pico de gallo and Ceviche lime marinade. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time35 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.34 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Make your ceviche lime marinade and pico de gallo (see the base recipes) first and chill both.
- 2
Rinse the cooked octopus, pat it very dry and slice the tentacles into thin coins.
- 3
Put the octopus in a bowl, pour over 160 ml of the ready made ceviche lime marinade (see the base recipe) and stir. Chill for 15 minutes.
15 min - 4
Drain off most of the marinade. Fold in the cucumber and your pico de gallo (see the base recipe), keeping the juices from the pico out if it is very wet.
- 5
Gently fold in the avocado, olive oil and coriander and taste. Add salt if needed.
- 6
Serve cold in glasses or bowls with lime wedges.
Tips
- Buy vacuum packed cooked octopus tentacles to save hours of simmering. They need no further cooking.
- Slice the tentacles on an angle into thin coins. Thin slices take up the lime marinade faster and are easier to eat.
- Rinse and pat the octopus dry before marinating, because any liquid in the pack dilutes the lime marinade.
- A drizzle of good olive oil at the end rounds off the sharpness.
Storing and freezing
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours, though the vegetables lose their crunch. Eat cold, and throw away if it smells off.
Questions
Do I need to cook the octopus myself?
No. Ready cooked octopus is sold vacuum packed in many supermarkets and fishmongers and works perfectly. If you buy raw octopus, simmer it gently for 45 to 60 minutes until tender.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, mix the octopus and marinade up to 1 hour before eating. Add the avocado and pico de gallo just before serving so they stay fresh.
What goes with it?
Tostadas, corn tortilla chips or plain saltines. For a gluten free meal, check that the chips are made only from corn.
More made with fresh pico de gallo
Quesadillas de Chorizo con Rajas (Chorizo and Poblano Strip Quesadillas)
GFEFNFQuesadillas de Pollo y Tocino (Chicken and Bacon Quesadillas)
EFNFHPPescado en Pipián Verde con Pico de Gallo (Fish in Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce)
GFDFEFMilanesa de Pollo con Arroz Rojo y Pico de Gallo (Mexican Breaded Chicken)
DFNFDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.