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    Cook With Dana » Recipes » Recipes

    Published: Dec 22, 2022 · Modified: Jan 17, 2024 by Dana · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Easy Chinese Hot Pot At Home

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    You can make this Easy Chinese Hot Pot At Home with my easy broth and sauce instructions! Hot Pot is a popular communal dining experience where a simmering pot of broth is placed at the center of the table with thinly sliced meats and vegetables. Check out my post to see what ingredients to shop for and how to setup a delicious Hot Pot party with your friends or family!

    Hot pot on dining table filled with vegetables, ramen, tofu, mushrooms, raw beef, and fish balls.
    Jump to:
    • What is Hot Pot?
    • Ingredients For Hot Pot Broth:
    • Ingredient Shopping List
    • The Importance of Hot Pot Sauce
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Expert Tips
    • More Easy Chinese Dishes You Can Make At Home:
    • Easy Chinese Hot Pot At Home

    What is Hot Pot?

    Hot pot is a communal meal that comes with a simmering pot of broth set in the middle of the table. Everyone cooks whatever they want to eat whether it’s meat, vegetables, and noodles in the simmering broth. The origins of hot pot is not clear as there’s so many different versions from Japan (like shabu shabu), Thailand, Korean and more!

    For this blog post, I am focusing on how to make Chinese Hot Pot. For Chinese hot pot broth, there’s spicy, málà, sour, and sweet broths. My broth recipe is very light and easy (healthy to eat home!) to make which may be different than the ones you had in the past. If you’re looking for a more flavorful broth, I recommend to look at other recipes online or buy a pre-packaged hot pot base.

    The reason why we like a light broth is because my family is Cantonese. Our cuisine is not too spicy and our taste buds are more mild. In the Guangdong region of China, the seafood and vegetables are very fresh and we like the original flavors of the food rather than adding a lot of seasonings to the dish. We like to keep our broth simple and if we need extra flavor, we can dip the food in the delicious sauce. Serve with these Cold Sesame Noodles or this Mung Bean Jelly Noodles for a refreshing combo!

    Ingredients For Hot Pot Broth:

    Pot with green onions, water, and mushrooms.

    Here are the ingredients to make your own homemade hot pot broth at home:

    • Chicken broth – We like to use chicken broth for it’s light taste. You can also add beef or pork bone broth for extra creaminess.
    • Shiitake mushrooms – I buy dried shiitake mushrooms and store them in my pantry and use them for broths and soups. If you have time, rehydrate them with water before adding to broth.
    • Daikon radish – adds sweetness to your broth.
    • Green onions – adds flavor and takes out the gaminess of the meat.
    • Ginger – adds a fragrant flavor and also helps take out the gaminess of the chicken and meat that you will place inside the broth.

    For this recipe, we used pre-bought chicken broth and added radish, shiitake, green onions, and ginger. Before your dinner, make your broth in a large pot on the stove an hour prior to serving.

    When you’re ready to eat, pour your broth in your serving hot pot in the middle of the table. This way, you can refill the pot later when the water boils down. The longer you hot pot, the more frequent you will need to add extra water. Feel free to add water when the hot pot looks thick or it looks like a sauce.

    PRO TIP: Water should be filled 75% of the pot most of the time. Be careful because if you fill too much, the hot pot will overflow.

    Hot pot on dining table filled with vegetables, ramen, tofu, mushrooms, raw beef, and fish balls.

    Ingredient Shopping List

    Bring this checklist of my most recommended hot pot ingredients you need to get at the store! I recommend visiting 99 Ranch (Chinese grocery store) to get most of your vegetables and hot pot bases. For sliced meat, I recommend H-Mart (korean grocery store) or a japanese grocery store because their meats are more marbled and taste higher quality. All these ingredients are commonly used in hot pot:

    PRO TIP: Pick a 2-3 things from each category (vegetable, meat, noodles and tofu) for a group or 4 people. If you have more people, I suggest picking 5-6 things from each category.

    Vegetables:

    • bok choy
    • watercress
    • napa cabbage
    • variety of mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, wood ear, oyster)
    • green onions (for soup base and sauce)
    • radish (for soup base and eating)
    • lotus roots

    Meat:

    • sliced beef (thinly sliced is best as it cooks faster)
    • salmon sashimi (if you love fish!)
    • shrimp
    • fish balls (beef balls, fish roe, or variety pack)
    • sliced lamb – optional if you already have beef or get this instead of beef
    • spam – optional!
    • dumplings – optional!

    Noodles:

    • frozen udon
    • instant ramen (get the one without the flavor packet)
    • vermicelli noodles – optional!

    Tofu:

    • firm tofu (you can get super soft tofu but it might break during hot pot)
    • soybean curd
    • fried crispy tofu
    • tofu bean curd

    The Importance of Hot Pot Sauce

    Dipping sauce with cilantro, sesame seeds, and garlic.

    Hot pot sauce is used for dipping your food after boiling in the hot pot. The dipping sauce is crucial for enhancing the flavor of hot pot ingredients by providing a customizable mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and other condiments. Everyone makes their sauce differently and the amount of saltiness and spiciness on the sauces depends on the individual’s preferences. The must-have ingredients for a good hot pot sauce (in my opinion) include satay sauce, soy sauce, cilantro, garlic, and sesame paste. Check out the recipe card for my hot pot sauce recipe!

    See recipe card for the full measurements and ingredient list for the hot pot sauce.

    Recipe FAQs

    What Equipment Do I Need?

    I bought a Zojirushi electric hot pot at the Japanese grocery store. You can also find this Zojirushi pot on Amazon. I love this hot pot burner because it doesn’t require gas and you can adjust the temperature of the pot. This brand is so reliable and my parents have used theirs for 20+ years. You can also use a portable gas burner (or electric) and pot of choice. The main goal is that you need to be able to heat the pot (can boil and simmer) at all times in the middle of the table. Make sure you have some soup ladles with a net from Amazon so guests can grab the food easily ◡̈

    What is the best meat for hot pot?

    The best meat to use is thinly sliced beef or lamb! You can find these at the korean grocery pre-sliced in the refrigerated or frozen meat section. The thin meats cook quickly and melt in your mouth! I prefer fatty slices of beef for a super tasty and juicy bite.

    What is the best vegetables for hot pot?

    The best vegetables to add is napa cabbage or bok choy. These vegetables soak up the delicious broth after cooking for 10-15 minutes. In addition, they are very mild tasting so it doesn’t overwhelm the broth or sauce. You can also serve the hot pot with Wood Ear Mushroom Salad or Spicy Lotus Roots.

    Can I save the leftover broth?

    I do not recommend using the leftover broth because it has a lot of oil. Chinese people like to eat foods as fresh as possible. The oily broth is considered unhealthy and not fresh to boil your vegetables or meat.

    Expert Tips

    • There’s not a lot of cooking prior to the hot pot experience except for making the broth. Prepare to make your broth first as it takes the longest. While the broth is cooking, you can wash the vegetables and prepare the hot pot sauce.
    • To enjoy hot pot, wait until the water is boiling before you add your fish cakes, meat or vegetables. This would ensure the quickest way to cook your veggies and meat!
    • Use a ladle to fish out your food especially if there’s a lot of people! You can use your chopsticks but it is more sanitary to use common utensils.

    More Easy Chinese Dishes You Can Make At Home:

    • Chinese Steamed Egg – soft and succulent eggs served with fluffy rice is great for an easy meal!
    • Chinese Eggplant with Garlic – fragrant eggplant with garlic sauce and chili for a kick of spice!
    • Easy Seolleongtang (Ox Bone Soup)
    • Udon soup with fish cakes in a bowl topped with green onions and tempura shrimp on the side.
      Easy Udon Soup
    • Bowl of macaroni soup with fried egg, ham, and a spoonful of pasta.
      Hong Kong Macaroni Soup
    • sizzling rice soup
      Sizzling Rice Soup

    Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

    chinese hot pot - bok choy beef tofu mushrooms
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Easy Chinese Hot Pot At Home

    How to Make Hot Pot at Home
    Prep Time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 267kcal
    Author: Dana

    Ingredients

    Hot Pot Soup Base

    • 3½ cups chicken broth
    • 6-8 shiitake mushrooms soaked or fresh
    • 2 pound daikon radish
    • 2 green onions
    • 3-5 slices ginger
    • 3 cups water

    Vegetables

    • bok choy cleaned and washed
    • watercress cleaned and washed
    • napa cabbage cleaned and washed
    • mushrooms such as enoki, shiitake, wood ear, oyster cleaned and washed
    • sliced lotus roots cleaned and washed

    Meat

    • sliced beef
    • salmon sashimi for fish lovers
    • shrimp
    • fish balls such as beef, fish roe, or variety pack
    • sliced lamb

    Noodles

    • frozen udon
    • instant ramen without flavor packet
    • vermicelli noodles

    Tofu

    • firm tofu
    • soybean curd
    • fried crispy tofu
    • tofu bean curd

    Sauce Recipe

    • 5 green onions chopped
    • 6 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon optional
    • ¼ cup hot oil use neutral oil like avocado or canola
    • 1 tablespoon sesame sauce or peanut butter
    • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon satay sauce
    • 1 tablespoon chili oil or XO sauce optional
    • chopped cilantro
    • sesame seeds
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

    Instructions

    Soup Broth

    • Throw chicken broth, water, radish, green onions, ginger, and shiitake mushrooms in a pot and boil for 30 minutes. Set broth aside until ready to hot pot.

    Hot Pot Sauce

    • Slice green onions and mince garlic. Add them in a bowl.
    • In a pot, heat up avocado oil or canola oil on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. To check if the oil is hot enough, add one small piece of green onion. If it starts bubbling, the hot oil is ready.
    • Add hot oil to the bowl (step 1) and mix everything together. Add 1 tablespoon sesame sauce, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon satay sauce, 1 tablespoon chili oil or XO sauce, chopped cilantro, sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix everything together and your sauce is ready!

    How to Eat Hot Pot

    • Put hot pot broth in a large pot on a gas or electric burner. Place hot pot broth in center of table. Wash vegetables and place meats, tofu, and fish balls on separate bowls and plates. Arrange all ingredients on the table.
    • Once broth is boiling, add your favorite meat or vegetables. Once you put in your favorite foods, keep an eye out. Grab your ladle (don’t overcook your beef. It gets tough!) and fish out your food when it’s done cooking. Pro tip: put your noodles in after a little while (not first!) so the noodles can soak up a more flavorful broth. Dip your favorite foods in the delicious sauce and enjoy!

    Notes

    Nutrition is calculated on the soup base and hot pot sauce. Any additional ingredients added to your hot pot are not included.
    EXPERT TIPS:
    • There’s not a lot of cooking prior to the hot pot experience except for making the broth. Prepare to make your broth first as it takes the longest. While the broth is cooking, you can wash the vegetables and prepare the hot pot sauce.
    • To enjoy hot pot, wait until the water is boiling before you add your fish cakes, meat or vegetables. This would ensure the quickest way to cook your veggies and meat!
    • Use a ladle to fish out your food especially if there’s a lot of people! You can use your chopsticks but it is more sanitary to use common utensils.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 1726mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2mg
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    Did you make this?Please give it a 5-star rating, or leave a comment to share your experience! Tag @cookwithdanaa on Instagram to show me your beautiful creations! 😊

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lily says

      February 10, 2025 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      What a brilliantly easy and delish recipe. I modified because I’m an improvisor, but the base was so easy and delish that modifying it is foolproof. My modifications were I made my own beef bone broth base. It was unctuous and flavorful because I added mushroom powder and didn’t strain it. I used a host of mushrooms: trumpet, shiitake, enoki, oyster, seafood, beech, lions mane. I also used some veg that was going to go like snow peas and bok choy. The veg weren’t in great shape so I added them at the end to help them maintain whatever crispness they had and it worked. I used the frozen hot pot meat from Costco and aside from the broth I made earlier in my Instant Pot, it was on the table in under 30 mins!

      Reply
    2. Honey Mendoza says

      December 17, 2023 at 3:20 am

      5 stars
      We love to hot pot at home and I haven’t nailed my perfect hot pot sauce until I saw this recipe! The sauce enhances all the flavors of the meat/tofu. It’s just “Chinese” tasting enough that your non-asian friends can enjoy too! Highly recommend!

      Reply

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    Hi there, I'm Dana and I create Asian recipes that are yummy and easy for everyone to make! I hope my food reminds you of a little taste of home.

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