Simple Hot Pot
- 30m Prep Time
- 20m Cook Time
- 50m Ready In
A communal Asian hot pot with a spicy broth and a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetables for dipping. Perfect for a gathering.
Ingredients
- 3 quart broth
- 12 dried red chili peppers
- 3 tbsp Chili Oil
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- 1 star anise
- 1 tbsp sa cha
- kosher salt
- 2 cup Chinese cabbage
- 1/4 lbs assorted meats and seafood
- leafy Asian and other greens
- bok choy
- spinach
- pea shoots
- watercress
- green leaf lettuce
- winter melon thinly sliced
- potato or squash thinly sliced
- mushrooms
- shiitake mushrooms
- enoki mushrooms
- wood ear mushrooms
- oyster mushrooms
- lotus root
- bamboo shoots
- meats paper thin sliced
- beef paper thin sliced
- pork paper thin sliced
- lamb paper thin sliced
- chicken paper thin sliced
- meatballs
- beef meatballs
- pork meatballs
- cuttlefish meatballs
- white fish meatballs
- roe-filled fish meatballs
- shrimp meatballs
- Japanese-style fish cakes
- fish
- shrimp
- squid
- scallops
- clams
- mussels
- soft-cooked quail eggs
- tofu
- wontons
- wheat noodles
- bean thread noodles
- dumplings
- chili sauce
- chili bean sauce
- hoisin sauce
- Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce
- Black Vinegar with Chili-Garlic Sauce
- Ginger-Scallion Oil
- Fermented Bean Curd Sauce
- 1 tsp fermented bean curd in chili
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp honey
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 41 of 61 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 496 mg
- Iron: 20.5 mg
- Magnesium: 394 mg
- Phosphorus: 1006 mg
- Potassium: 3914 mg
- Zinc: 8.63 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 3 quart broth
- 12 dried red chili peppers
- 3 tbsp Chili Oil
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- 1 star anise
- 1 tbsp sa cha
- kosher salt
- 2 cup Chinese cabbage
- 1/4 lbs assorted meats and seafood
- leafy Asian and other greens
- bok choy
- spinach
- pea shoots
- watercress
- green leaf lettuce
- mushrooms
- shiitake mushrooms
- enoki mushrooms
- wood ear mushrooms
- oyster mushrooms
- lotus root
- bamboo shoots
- meatballs
- beef meatballs
- pork meatballs
- cuttlefish meatballs
- white fish meatballs
- roe-filled fish meatballs
- shrimp meatballs
- Japanese-style fish cakes
- fish
- shrimp
- squid
- scallops
- clams
- mussels
- soft-cooked quail eggs
- tofu
- wontons
- wheat noodles
- bean thread noodles
- dumplings
- chili sauce
- chili bean sauce
- hoisin sauce
- Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce
- Black Vinegar with Chili-Garlic Sauce
- Ginger-Scallion Oil
- Fermented Bean Curd Sauce
- 1 tsp fermented bean curd in chili
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp honey
Prepare
- winter melon, thinly sliced
- potato or squash, thinly sliced
- meats, paper thin sliced
- beef, paper thin sliced
- pork, paper thin sliced
- lamb, paper thin sliced
- chicken, paper thin sliced
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Prepare the broth: In a large pot (at least 3½ quarts), bring 3 to 4 quarts of chicken broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. For a spicy broth, add 12 or more dried red chili peppers, 3 tablespoons chili oil, 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, 1 teaspoon white pepper powder, 1 star anise, 1 tablespoon sa cha, and kosher salt to taste. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
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Step 2.
While the broth simmers, prepare the ingredients: Wash and cut Chinese cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice any other vegetables (e.g., bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, lotus root) and meats (beef, pork, lamb, or chicken) into paper-thin slices. If using frozen meatballs, seafood, tofu, or noodles, have them ready in separate bowls.
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Step 3.
Set up the hot pot station: Place a tabletop butane stove or electric hot pot in the center of the table. Pour the simmering broth into the hot pot (or a yin-yang pot if using two broths). Light the burner and bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Provide each person with a small wire strainer, a rice bowl, a side plate for dipping sauces, and a Chinese-style soupspoon.
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Step 4.
Prepare the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mash 1 teaspoon fermented bean curd in chili. Add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon honey. Whisk until smooth. Set aside. (Alternatively, use store-bought chili sauce, hoisin, or soy-ginger dipping sauce.)
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Step 5.
Cook the cabbage first: Add all the Chinese cabbage to the simmering broth. Let it cook for 3–5 minutes until softened. This is the core ingredient and benefits from longer cooking.
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Step 6.
Cook other ingredients: Each person can use their strainer to add quick-cooking items like thinly sliced meats, seafood, or vegetables to the broth. Cook meats for 30–60 seconds until just cooked through; seafood like shrimp or scallops for 2–3 minutes; and denser vegetables or meatballs for 3–5 minutes. Use the strainer to retrieve cooked items.
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Step 7.
Dip and eat: Transfer cooked ingredients to your rice bowl. Dip into the prepared sauce or other condiments, then eat with a bite of rice. Continue adding ingredients to the broth as you go, maintaining a gentle simmer throughout the meal.
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Step 8.
Finish with noodles or broth: When most ingredients are eaten, add wheat noodles or bean thread noodles to the broth and cook for 2–4 minutes until tender. Ladle the remaining broth and noodles into bowls as a final course.