Recipe IndexJump to Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Chinese Hot Pot - delicious ingredients that vary from protein to vegetables are cooked in a hearty and simmering pot of soup stock, similar to fondue.
Table of Contents
How to Make Chinese Hot Pot
Chinese Hot Pot is a much celebrated delicacy; it’s served on Chinese New Year’s eve as family members gather around the dining table for a scrumptious, hearty and homey meal.
In this Chinese Hot Pot recipe tutorial, you will learn how to serve this traditional delicacy using an Instant Pot, plus all the ingredients you’ll need.
Hot Pot is especially popular during winter months, especially on cold nights. Nothing beats a pot of hot, simmering soup loaded with assortment of fresh ingredients.
There are numerous versions of soup stock but the most basic Chinese hot pot calls for two simple ingredients: chicken broth and ground white pepper. For my recipe, I chose chicken broth.
Other Recipes You Might Like
- Nabe (Yosenabe/Japanese Hot Pot)
- Creamy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Instant Pot)
- Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients for Hot Pot Recipe
For the fresh ingredients, you can get really flexible or creative. As a general rule of thumb, the basics are protein (meat and/or seafood), Chinese vegetables such as Napa cabbage and bok choy, fish balls, tofu, and mushrooms. These are the standard ingredients and they are illustrated in the picture above.
Cooking Tips
- To assemble the fresh ingredients, just cut and slice them and then place them on a plate.
- All family members should gather around the dining table with the hot pot in the middle. The fresh ingredients will be placed alongside the hot pot, and every one will be given a bowl and a pair of chopsticks to savor the meal.
- First, you have to bring the soup to a boil, then slowly you add the ingredients. Start with the napa cabbage as the stems take longer to cook, then follow by the meat, seafood, fish balls, tofu and mushrooms.
- Do not cook the fresh ingredients all at once, it will take an average of 2-3 rounds before all fresh ingredients are used up. Slowly, you scoop up the cooked food and soup with a ladle, eat, chat, and then as you finish all the ingredients in the pot, you add more into the soup.
- As the soup continues to simmer in the pot, the flavor develops and it becomes tastier as the meal proceeds. I love adding garlic oil to the hot pot, which adds an earthy nuance to the dish.
- For the dipping sauce, you can just use soy sauce. If you like a bit of heat, you can add cut chilies or chili oil to the soy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Buy for Hot Pot?
Feel free to buy any thinly sliced meat. Usually, one will also add fish balls, mushrooms, assorted vegetables, eggs, noodles, and tofu.
What Is Hot Pot Broth Made Of?
Mine is made with chicken stock.
How Many Calories?
This recipe has 401 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
This dish is best served as the main dish. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Chicken Dumplings
Black Sesame Dumplings (Tang Yuan)
Black Pepper Beef
Chinese Fried Rice
For more great recipes like this, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send daily recipes you’ll love!
Join
Sign up for our newsletter!
Chinese Hot Pot
Chinese Hot Pot - delicious ingredients that vary from protein to vegetables are cooked in a hearty and simmering pot of soup stock, similar to fondue.
4.74 from 26 votes
By Bee Yinn Low
Yield 4 people
Prep 20 minutes mins
Cook 30 minutes mins
Total 50 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 4 oz (125g) napa cabbage, sliced
- 12 oz (350g) fish balls
- 6 oz (175g) chicken meat, sliced
- 4 oz (125g) tofu
- 4 oz (125g) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 4 oz (125g) white mushrooms, sliced
- 6 oz (175g) shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 4 oz (125g) salmon fillet, cut into pieces
- 4 oz (125g) scallops
- 4 oz (125g) baby bok choy, sliced
Garlic Oil:
- 1 head garlic (peeled and minced)
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
Broth:
- 1 box (32 oz. / 1000 g Kitchen Basics® Original Chicken Stock)
- 3 cups water
- 5 dashes ground white pepper
Condiment:
- soy sauce
- Cut chilies (optional)
Instructions
Arrange the fresh ingredients on plates. Arrange the similar kinds of ingredients on the same plate. See picture above.
Add the cooking oil in a skillet. When it's heated, make the Garlic Oil by frying the minced garlic until they turn light brown (do not fry until medium brown). Turn off the heat and transfer the garlic oil to a small bowl. Let cool.
Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to Saute mode, for 30 minutes. Add the Kitchen Basics® Original Chicken Stock, water and McCormick Ground White Pepper. Bring the broth to boil.
Add the napa cabbage first and cook for 1 minute.
Add each ingredient into the Instant Pot in the following order, in batches: fish balls, chicken, tofu, mushrooms, shrimp, salmon, scallops and baby bok choy. Do not use up all the ingredients. The ingredients should be cooked in the hot pot in 2 to 3 bathes.
When the soup comes to a boil, add some garlic oil on top. Stir to mix well. Ladle the ingredients and some soup into serving bowls and serve immediately with the Condiment. After you finish the first round, continue to cook the remaining ingredients in the soup until all ingredients are used up.
Notes
You can get different kinds of fish balls in Asian supermarkets. They come in different shapes or form. They are all very tasty. Usually I would get plain white fish balls, fried fish balls (round or rectangle in shapes), and other fish sticks.
Course: Chinese Recipes
Cuisine: Seafood
Keywords: Chinese Hot Pot
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Chinese Hot Pot
Amount Per Serving (4 people)
Calories 401Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 161mg54%
Sodium 520mg23%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 30g60%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
