Palapa: Mexican Food at the Beach

I was born near the sea in Crimea, so there is no wonder I love beaches, seas, oceans, you name it. At the same time, nothing encapsulates the spirit of Mexico more than a sunny beach, a gentle breeze, and the tantalizing aroma of freshly grilled seafood or fruit under the shade of a palapa. Palapa eateries, with their rustic charm and delicious food and drinks, offer a perfect blend of relaxation along with culinary delight. 

I’m dreaming about an opportunity to recreate this type of experience one day. Yet for now, let’s dive into this iconic experience and explore how you can recreate it anywhere.

Concept of Palapa Mexican Eateries Next to the Beach

Palapa eateries are simple, open-air restaurants often constructed with wooden poles and thatched roofs made from dried palm leaves. These beachside gems are more than just dining spots; they are cultural experiences. Palapas provide a cool escape from the tropical sun, inviting diners to enjoy the freshest seafood, sip on ice-cold beers or margaritas, and bask in the relaxed vibe that defines Mexican coastal life.

The menu typically features an array of seafood prepared with Mexican spices and techniques. Guests enjoy the ocean-to-table freshness, whether it’s grilled shrimp tacos, ceviche with a citrusy punch, or whole fish roasted over a fire.

Sample Menu of a Palapa Eatery

A typical Palapa menu is a celebration of coastal flavors and fresh ingredients. Here’s what you might find:

Starters:

• Guacamole with freshly fried tortilla chips
• Shrimp, fish or fruit ceviche with lime, cilantro, and avocado
• Coconut shrimp with a sweet chili dipping sauce

Main Dishes:

• Grilled fish tacos with lime crema and fresh salsa
• Whole roasted snapper with garlic butter and a side of rice
• Shrimp al ajillo served with warm tortillas and beans

Beverages:

• Fresh coconut water served in the shell
• Margaritas in flavors like classic lime, mango, or tamarind
• Local Mexican beers

Desserts:

• Coconut flan with caramel sauce
• Tropical fruit salad with chili powder and lime

Fresh Seafood, Fish or Fruit Call for Ceviche

Ceviche is a dish that consists of an element marinated in citrus juices, so it becomes cooked in just over 15 minutes. Most frequently it is shrimp or white fish, but you can make ceviche with tropical fruit like pineapple or even some crisp vegetables.

Shrimp Ceviche

This one is a classic. Many palapa-styled eateries will actually serve a bowl of ceviche for free, as long as you are paying for your drinks. It is really ocean-to-table dish – fresh, vibrant and so enticing. 

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Shrimp Ceviche

Author: Dito Cuisine: Mexican

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 25 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Servings

• 400 g shrimps, peeled, cleaned and chopped (I personally like rather large chunks to enjoy the texture)
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (it would be about 8 limes, so if the price of limes in your neck of the woods is quite high, like where I live now, feel free to mix some of the juice with lemon juice, it will make a passable adaptation)
• ¹⁄₃ red onion, sliced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¹⁄₂ cup carrots, julienned
• ¹⁄₂ cup cucumber, julienned
• 1 green chilli, or more for a spicier version, finely chopped
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp sliced green onion
• Olive oil for drizzling
• tortilla chips for scooping the ceviche

Instructions

1. Begin by placing shrimps, citrus juice, salt and red onion in a mixing bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes, stirring a few times. Generally, if you cut your shrimps finer, you need less waiting time and vice versa. 
2. After your shrimps have become opaque, you can add the remaining ingredients.
3. Taste it and adjust how citrussy or salty it is.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with tortilla chips.

Note

I love experimenting with different types of fish to be used for ceviche too. If you have access to fresh white fish, you can do it too.

Keywords: shrimp, seafood, ceviche, raw

I’m not quite sure if the following recipe is a dessert or a starter really, but who cares about the labels. It’s fresh, vibrant and delicious. Plus it is entirely plant-based!

Pineapple Ceviche

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Pineapple Ceviche

Author: Dito Cuisine: Mexican

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 15 mins

Ingredients

Servings

• 300 g pineapple, skin removed (you can slice it however you like)
• ¹⁄₂ cucumber, halved, de-seeded and finely sliced
• 10 radishes, finely sliced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 60 g coconut flakes
• Handful of your favourite herb (I am particularly fond of coriander, but for freshness, you can also use mint)

for the dressing:

• 70 ml orange juice
• 20 ml lime juice
• 2 tsp habanero sauce (this would be ideal as it matches this pineapple ceviche fruitiness so perfectly, but failure to find habaneros, you can substitute it with spicy red chilli too)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Quarter your pineapple flesh, cut out the middle core part and then thinly slice the quarters.
2. I love using fresh thinly cut red onions, but if you’re not keen you can pickle the slices slightly, you have got enough time whilst you’re preparing the rest of your ceviche. 
3. Toast coconut flakes on a medium heat until just lightly brown. 
4. Mix in your dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl.
5. Arrange your plate: place your pineapple slices, sliced radishes, and cucumber, drizzle with dressing, top with your green herbs, and sprinkle toasted coconut on top. It’s divine!

Note

I’ve done variations of this dish at home during hot summer evenings with different types of fruit and vegetables, including mango, carrot or zucchini ribbons, and it was all delicious. Get your imaginative juices flowing.

Keywords: pineapple, ceviche, tropical

Note: many recipes that I feature here call for hot sauces – have a look at my recipes for the favourite hot sauces like Chipotle or Pineapple Habanero hot sauces here.

Recipes for the Popular Shrimp and Fish Dishes Palapa-style

Not keen on raw fish or seafood? Well, there is no problem at all – you can grill your favourite produce and make delicious beach-style (Palapa) tacos with ease.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients:

• 500g fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Serving of My Favourite Slaw (recipe follows)
• Your favourite tortillas
• Lime wedges and fresh salsa for serving

Instructions:

1. Toss the shrimp with olive oil, chipotle powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Grill the shrimp over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side until opaque.
3. Serve in warm tortillas with slaw and fresh salsa. Drizzle with some lime juice.

My Favourite Slaw

It’s my go-to topping for tacos, but equally great as a side dish for cauliflower steak, grilled fish or roasted chicken dishes. You can also use it in your sandwiches, burgers and so on. I suggest you make quite a batch and store it in a fridge.

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My Favourite Slaw

Author: Dito

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 mins Rest Time 10 mins Total Time 20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Servings

• ¹⁄₄ large green cabbage (substitute for red one if you like)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 1 medium beetroot, peeled
• 1 jalapeno (or 3-4 slices marinated jalapeno)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (ordinary, homemade or plant-based one)
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch of pepper
• Pinch of cumin

Instructions

1. I use a mandoline with several different attachments to make the job quicker and easier. When I prepare a larger batch I may opt for my favourite Ninja appliance – a food processor with a slicing and grating disk. You can also do it with a brater and a simple chef’s knife. 

2. Slice cabbage thinly, grate carrots and beetroot. Arrange everything in a large mixing bowl and add chopped jalapeno, salt, pepper, cumin, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Mix well and refrigerate for 20 minutes so the vegetables soften just ever so slightly. It is ready!

3. For me, carrots and beetroot give enough of sweetness but if you like it a tad sweeter add a pinch of sugar. I try to avoid white sugar in general. Similarly, if you like it a tad spicier, you can add a teaspoon of mustard, but for me, jalapeno is quite enough.

Keywords: slaw, coleslaw

Enjoy this fresh slaw with many dishes including the following Baja Fish Tacos.

Baja Fish Tacos 

This is a well-known taco dish that comes originally from the coasts of Baja California. If you decide to serve it with a side of French fries, this would be almost like your favourite fish n chips, funny that. 

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Baja Fish Tacos

Author: Dito Cuisine: Mexican

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 35 mins Cook Time 10 mins Rest Time 2 mins Total Time 47 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Servings

• 600 g firm white fish, boneless filets (tilapia is great as it’s boneless and easy to cook; but firmer ones like cod are just so delicious!)
• 50 g flour
• pinch salt and pepper
• oil, for deep-frying
• Slaw (make your own cabbage and carrot slaw)
• Hot Sauce (I prefer pineapple habanero hot sauce for the fish)
• Coriander Garnish

Batter

• 330 ml beer
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 150 g plain flour

Instructions

1. First, make the batter. Put the beer, baking powder, chilli flakes and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together, then add the flour bit by bit to create a smooth batter. Put into the refrigerator for 30 minutes until well-chilled. 
2. Cut the fish into equal pieces, season them with salt and pepper and leave for 5 minutes to firm up a little. 
3. Either heat the oil to 170°C in a deep-fat fryer, or heat enough oil to cover the fish in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Dust the fish lightly with flour, then dip into the batter and fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper. 
4. Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan for about 20 seconds on each side. Top the tortillas with slaw, battered fish, hot sauce, and coriander garnish. May drizzle with lime juice but I find good hot sauce quite enough!

Note

you can also add cornstarch or baking powder to the batter for extra crispiness, but I’m quite happy to make it this simple! Recipe yields approximately 12 tacos, so 4 portions of 3 tacos each:)

Keywords: baja, fish, tacos

This is truly delicious!

If you have got access to fresh good quality fish, you can also grill it whole, like the following simple recipe suggests.  

Whole Roasted Snapper

Ingredients:

• 1 whole snapper (about 1kg), cleaned and scaled
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• Fresh coriander and sliced lime for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Rub the fish with olive oil, minced garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast for 25 minutes.
4. Garnish with cilantro and lime slices before serving.

I particularly detest overcooked fish, so adjust your cooking time according to the size of your fish and if you’re using different type, how ‘meaty’ and ‘fleshy’ it is. 

No Chance for a Beach Today? Get Your Friends for a Palapa Dinner or Picnic!

If a beach getaway isn’t in the cards, why not bring the Palapa experience to your home or a nearby park? Create a picnic or backyard dinner inspired by the flavours of Mexican coastal cuisine.

Set the scene with beach-themed decor, like woven mats, shells, and tropical flowers. Serve up dishes like baja fish tacos, shrimp ceviche, and tropical fruit salad. Don’t forget to mix some margaritas, ice-cold beers or serve chilled coconut water for an authentic touch. Prepare your homemade tortillas.

Invite your friends, play some Latin music, and let the food transport you to the sandy shores of Mexico. The beauty of the Palapa experience lies not just in the food but in the joy of sharing it with loved ones.

Palapa-style dining celebrates the best of coastal Mexico, combining delicious food, vibrant flavors, and a relaxed atmosphere. Whether you’re lucky enough to enjoy a Palapa by the beach or recreate the experience at home, this style of dining is sure to bring warmth and joy to your table.

And I said in the beginning, I truly hope I can one day open such a venue that will serve Palapa-styled food with delectable tropical drinks and an atmosphere of fun, friendly banter and happiness. 

Wouldn’t it be nice?