Chinese Hot Pot Recipe Guide

5 from 20 votes

A Chinese hot pot recipe guide on what tools you'll need and pot at home and ideas on what hot pot ingredients, sauces, and a homemade broth to use.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: pot of broth for 2-4 people

Calories: 1477kcal

Ingredients

Meats & Seafood: Thinly Sliced Fish, Chicken, Turkey, Pork / Squid / Fresh Oysters / Bacon or Pork Belly / Tripe / Frozen Mussels) / Clams
Vegetables: Sweet Peppers (Red, Yellow, Orange) / Variety of Chinese Greens (Napa Cabbage, Tong Oh, Pea Sprouts, Watercress Greens etc) / Brussels Sprouts cut in half / Cabbage / Carrots / Broccoli / Cauliflower / Baby Corn (from a can) / Bean Sprouts / Zucchini / Garlic Chives / Taro / Button Mushrooms / Lotus Root / Kale / Corn (cut into half) / Daikon Radish
Noodles, Tofu, Pre-Made Balls and Dumplings: Udon, thick rice noodles, instant noodles (without the flavor packs etc) / Vermicelli Noodles / Shirataki Yam Noodle Bundles / Bean Curd Skin Rolls / Shrimp Wontons
Non-Traditional Ingredients: Hotdogs / Chicken Wings / Chayote /Thick Slices of Ham / Asparagus / Baby Corn (from can) / Spam

Salty : Soy Sauce / Fish Sauce / Oyster Sauce
Sour : Rice Vinegar / Chinese Black Vinegar / Red Wine Vinegar / Lime Juice
Sweet : Hoisin Sauce / Maple Syrup / Honey
Spicy : Dried Chili Flakes / Sriracha / Chinese Chili Oil / Sambal Olek / Cayenne Powder
Extra Flavor : Chinese BBQ Sauce (Shacha/Satay Sauce) / Sesame oil
Texture : Sesame Paste / Raw Egg / Green Onions / Sesame Seeds

In a large pot add all the ingredients under the 'Hot Pot Broth' (Foundation)
Boil for 1 hour with lid on medium heat.
Once the broth is done, remove the spices, onions, garlic and ginger - the broth is ready to be used. Place the broth in a pot (or use the pot it's already in) and place it over a portable induction stove and you're good to go!
Note: If the broth was reduced too much (you should have enough broth to dunk food in and to cook it), add 1 cup of water into the broth before starting hot pot.

Rinse the pork hock to remove any bone shards
In a large pot add all the ingredients under the 'Hot Pot Broth' (Foundation)
Add the pork hock into the pot with the rest of the ingredients
Boil for 2 hours and 30 minutes
Skim off any floaty scum bits that floats on top of the broth.
Once the broth is done, remove the spices, onions, garlic, ginger and pork hocks - the broth is ready to be used. Place the broth in a pot (or use the pot it's already in) and place it over a portable induction stove and you're good to go!
Set the pork hocks at the table and snack on them with the dipping sauces.
Note: If the broth was reduced too much (you should have enough broth to dunk food in and to cook it), add 1 cup of water into the broth before starting hot pot.

In a frying pan, set the stove on low heat
Add the oil and dried chili flakes and toast it for 1-2 minutes. You will know it's ready when you can smell it.
Turn off the heat
[Optional] Mix in cayenne powder if you like it spicier, since this is a mild spicy chili oil
[Optional] Soak whole dried chili peppers in the finished chili oil for additional spiciness
Set the oil aside until the hot pot broth is finished.
Once the broth is finished, and you are ready to eat - pour the chili oil into the hot pot broth and set the pot over a portable induction stove and you're good to go!

You can also use a pressure cooker to make the broth (with the pork hock) more quickly!
The chili oil for this recipe makes the broth 'mildly spicy' unless you add cayenne. If you still feel like the oil is not providing enough heat, I find it easier to add hot sauce directly into your personal dipping bowls.
If you do hot pot with a large group of people, it's a lot easier make a huge batch of broth and split it amongst 2-3 pots and burners, so that everyone can reach the pot from where they are sitting.
The portable induction stovetop I use is the Evergreen Portable Induction Cooktop
IMPORTANT! Always keep a glass of water close by! While you are eating, the broth will evaporate a lot since it is over a constant heat. Refill it by adding water when the liquid levels are low.
Alternative Instant Soup Bases (Pick One) : Instant Tom Yum Paste, Miso Paste, Hondashi Dashi Powder, Chicken Boullion, Gochujang, Store-bought soup bases, Red/Yellow Thai Curry Paste. See blog post for more details.