Interactive simmering broth with a spread of meats, vegetables, and dipping sauces
Chinese Hot Pot
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
2 hr
Servings
6
Serves a group
Difficulty
Medium
Cost
Premium
$$$
Recipe at a Glance
A communal dining experience where diners cook thinly sliced meats, fresh vegetables, noodles, and dumplings in a bubbling, flavorful broth at the table. The ultimate social meal.
Cuisine: Chinese
Category: Main Course
Difficulty: Medium
Cost: $$$
Dietary: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Quick Summary
120 min total time|6 servings|Medium difficulty
A communal dining experience where diners cook thinly sliced meats, fresh vegetables, noodles, and dumplings in a bubbling, flavorful broth at the table. The ultimate social meal.
ChineseGluten-FreeDairy-Free
Sarah Chen
(Updated )
Hot pot is not just a meal — it is an experience. A pot of simmering broth sits at the center of the table, and everyone cooks their own ingredients right at the table, swishing sliced meat through the broth until just cooked, plucking out mushrooms and leafy greens, and dunking everything in a personalized dipping sauce.
This recipe provides both a rich, porky bone broth base and a fiery Sichuan spicy broth — the classic split-pot (yuan yang) approach that lets everyone choose their heat level. The ingredient spread is customizable, but the essentials include paper-thin sliced beef and lamb, mushrooms, leafy greens, tofu, and noodles.
Hot pot is communal cooking at its finest — slow, social, and endlessly satisfying.
Ingredients
- For the broth: 8 cups chicken or pork bone broth
- 6 slices ginger
- 4 green onions
- 6 dried red dates (jujubes)
- 1 handful goji berries
- For the spicy side: hot pot base or 3 tbsp doubanjiang, 2 tbsp chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, dried chilies
- Dipping proteins: 300g thinly sliced beef, 300g thinly sliced lamb, shrimp, fish balls
- Vegetables: napa cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, oyster), lotus root, corn, potato slices
- Tofu: firm tofu, fried tofu puffs, frozen tofu
- Starches: glass noodles, udon noodles, frozen dumplings
- Dipping sauce: sesame paste, soy sauce, garlic, cilantro, chili oil, green onion, sesame oil, vinegar
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the mild broth: Heat bone broth with ginger, green onions, dried dates, and goji berries. Simmer gently.
- 2
Prepare the spicy broth: In a separate pot (or the other half of a split pot), heat broth with hot pot base or sauteed doubanjiang, chili oil, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise.
- 3
Prepare all dipping ingredients: Slice meats paper-thin (freeze for 30 minutes for easier slicing). Wash and arrange vegetables on platters. Soak glass noodles.
- 4
Set up dipping sauce station: Put out small bowls of sesame paste, soy sauce, minced garlic, cilantro, chili oil, sesame oil, and vinegar so each person can mix their own sauce.
- 5
Place the pot on a portable burner at the center of the table. Bring both broths to a simmer.
- 6
Cook ingredients in the simmering broth: Meat takes 10-30 seconds, leafy greens 1-2 minutes, root vegetables 3-5 minutes, noodles 3-4 minutes.
- 7
Dip cooked ingredients in your sauce and eat. Add more ingredients to the broth continuously throughout the meal.
Serving Suggestions
Ways to Serve This Dish
Serve over steamed jasmine or sticky rice
Pair with a side of pickled vegetables or kimchi
Add a drizzle of sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for extra flavor
Substitutions
Bone brothMushroom broth for vegetarian
Deep, savory flavor; add extra aromatics
Hot pot baseDoubanjiang, chili oil, and whole spices
Homemade spicy base is just as good
Sliced beef/lambSliced chicken breast, pork, or all vegetables and tofu
Fully customizable to dietary preferences
Tips & Storage
Pro Tips
A portable butane burner is essential for table-side cooking. Electric hot pots also work well.
Freeze meat for 30-60 minutes before slicing — this is how you get the paper-thin slices that cook in seconds.
Cook delicate items (leafy greens, thin meat) early; heartier items (root vegetables, noodles) later.
The broth gets better as the meal progresses — end with noodles to enjoy the enriched broth.
Storage
Leftover broth can be strained and refrigerated for up to 3 days. It makes excellent soup base. Raw ingredients should be stored separately.
Reheating
Bring leftover broth to a boil and use as soup base. Do not reuse broth that has had raw meat cooked in it unless it is boiled thoroughly.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (varies by ingredients) · 6 servings
Calories450
LowModerateHigh
A moderate-calorie serving · based on a 2,000 cal daily diet
Protein35g
Carbohydrates30g
Fat22g
Fiber4g
Sugar6g
Sodium780mg
Nutritional values are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and preparation methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What equipment do I need?
- A portable burner (butane or electric) and a wide, shallow pot. Split pots (yuan yang) with a divider are available at Asian kitchenware stores and online.
- What is the best dipping sauce combination?
- The classic Beijing style is sesame paste, fermented tofu, soy sauce, and cilantro. Sichuan style adds chili oil and garlic. Mix to your preference.
- Can I use store-bought hot pot base?
- Absolutely — brands like Haidilao, Little Sheep, and Hai Chi Jia make excellent hot pot bases in various spice levels.
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About Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is a professional recipe developer and food editor with over a decade of experience in test kitchens and food media. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America before spending six years developing and testing recipes for national food publications, where she honed her ability to translate restaurant techniques into approachable home cooking. At RecipePool, Sarah leads recipe development, ensuring every dish is tested at least three times for clarity, accuracy, and genuine deliciousness. When she is not in the kitchen, she is browsing farmers markets and collecting vintage cookbooks.
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