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Campechana

A refreshing campechana with shrimp, crab, avocado, roasted chiles, and tangy tomato‑clam sauce. Perfect seafood cocktail or appetizer.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium New Mexico Anaheim, poblano, or Hatch chiles (≈ 6 oz)
  • ½ pound medium shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 small tomato seeded and finely chopped (≈ ¾ cup)
  • 1 –2 jalapeños stems, ribs, seeds removed, finely chopped
  • ½ cup tomato‑clam cocktail like Clamato juice
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp ketchup
  • 3 Tbsp chopped green olives pitted
  • 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped white onion
  • tsp finely chopped oregano
  • ½ tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ pound jumbo lump crabmeat picked over
  • 1 avocado pitted and cubed
  • 1 fresh bay leaf optional
  • Tortilla chips for serving

Method
 

Step 1: Char the Chiles
  1. Heat grill or oven broiler (or flame‑roast on stovetop) until hot.
  2. Grill or broil chiles until skin is blistered and blackened, turning to get even char (about 10–12 minutes).
Step 2: Steam & Chop the Chiles
  1. After charring, place chiles in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for ~15 minutes to steam.
  2. Peel off blackened skin, discard seeds, and chop flesh into ≈ ¼‑inch pieces.
Step 3: Cook the Shrimp
  1. Bring salted water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 2‑3 minutes until opaque.
  2. Transfer shrimp to ice bath to stop cooking. Cool, drain, and pat dry.
Step 4: Mix the Campechana Base
  1. In a large bowl, combine: chopped roasted chiles, tomato, jalapeños, tomato‑clam juice, ketchup, olives, cilantro, onion, oregano, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and salt.
Step 5: Fold in Seafood & Avocado
  1. Gently mix in the cooked shrimp, crabmeat, and avocado cubes.
Step 6: Serve
  1. Spoon into serving dish or large glass. Garnish with bay leaf if using.
  2. Serve cold, with tortilla chips on the side.