Chinese Hot Pot Recipe Guide

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.

📝 Ingredients

• 1800 ml beef/chicken/vegetable broth ((approximately 7 1/2 cups))
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 slices ginger
• 1 onions
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing Cooking Wine ((or dry sherry))
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pork hock ((cut into 2-3 inch chunks))
• 3/4 cup oil
• 3 tablespoons dried chili peppers flakes
• handful of whole dried chili peppers
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne powder ((optional))
• Meats & Seafood:
• Vegetables:
• Noodles, Tofu, Pre-Made Balls and Dumplings:
• Non-Traditional Ingredients:
• 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)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Hot Pot Broth (Foundation) ---
2. 2In a large pot add all the ingredients under the 'Hot Pot Broth' (Foundation)
3. 3Boil for 1 hour with lid on medium heat.
4. 4Once 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!
5. 5Note: 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.
6. 6--- Silky Hot Pot Broth (Optional, will require more cooking time) ---
7. 7Rinse the pork hock to remove any bone shards
8. 8In a large pot add all the ingredients under the 'Hot Pot Broth' (Foundation)
9. 9Add the pork hock into the pot with the rest of the ingredients
10. 10Boil for 2 hours and 30 minutes
11. 11Skim off any floaty scum bits that floats on top of the broth.
12. 12Once 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!
13. 13Set the pork hocks at the table and snack on them with the dipping sauces.
14. 14Note: 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.
15. 15--- Making Your Hot Pot Broth Spicy (Optional) ---
16. 16In a frying pan, set the stove on low heat
17. 17Add the oil and dried chili flakes and toast it for 1-2 minutes. You will know it's ready when you can smell it.
18. 18Turn off the heat
19. 19[Optional] Mix in cayenne powder if you like it spicier, since this is a mild spicy chili oil
20. 20[Optional] Soak whole dried chili peppers in the finished chili oil for additional spiciness
21. 21Set the oil aside until the hot pot broth is finished.
22. 22Once 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!