The Best Chinese Hot Pot Recipe (2 Must Eat Soup Bases)

Today I’d like to share with you the best Chinese Hot Pot Recipe! There are 2 must eat hot pot soup bases: Mala Spicy Hot Pot Soup Base, and Beef Hot Pot Soup Base! I absolutely love hot pot. I can eat hot pot every day! Chinese also like to eat hot pot in all kinds of holidays and celebrations.

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Chinese Hot Pot Recipe

For the beef soup base:
1 cinnamon stick
2 pods star anise
1 black cardamom pod
2 bay leaves
2 pieces cloves
3 pounds beef short rib bones
3 quarts water, and additional if needed
1 onion, peeled
1 thumb ginger, peeled
1 cube Knorr beef bouillon
1 teaspoon goji berries
6 red dates
2 stalks scallions, cut into 2-inches pieces

For the spice soup base:
1 cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom (cao guo)
1 star anise
1 slice Chinese licorice root (gan cao)
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 cups dried red chili peppers, separated
1/4 cup paprika powder
8 tablespoons rice wine
1 cup extra light olive oil
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon black bean sauce (douchijiang)
2 tablespoons Sichuan Pixian doubanjiang
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cube Knorr chicken bouillon

To make the beef soup base:

1. In a pan, transfer in the spices: the cinnamon stick, star anise, black cardamom pod, bay leaves, and cloves. Over low heat, lightly toast until aromatic, 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. Transfer the spices to a spice bag. Also, place in the onion and ginger. Tie it up. Set aside.
3. In a large pot of water, over high heat, place in the beef short rib bones. Bring it to a boil. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.
4. Discard the water. Rinse everything. (This will help to remove any impurity in the stock.)
5. Place the spice bag in the pot. Pour in about 3 quarts of water in the pot.
6. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Then turn to medium heat. Cook for 2 hours. (Cook over low heat if you like clear broth. Cook over medium heat if you like a thick broth.) (And you might also need to add additional water in between.)
7. Remove all the bones and any impurity in the pot. Season with the Knorr beef bouillon.
8. Garnish the broth with goji berries, red dates, and scallions.

To make the spice soup base:

1. In a grinder or food processor, add the cinnamon, black cardamom, star anise, Chinese licorice root, cloves, bay leaves, fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and half of the dried red chili peppers. Grind it. Transfer it to a bowl. Add in the paprika (Chinese don’t usually use paprika, but it is going to add a beautiful red shade to it.) Also, add in the rice wine. (The wine is going to help protect the spices from not getting burn so easily later.) Mix. Set aside.
2. In the same grinder, add the garlic and coarsely grind. Then add in the black bean sauce, and Sichuan Pixian doubanjiang. Grind until it becomes a paste. Take it out and set it aside.
3. In a wok, over high heat, heat your wok until smoking. Add the extra light olive oil (you can also use other high smoking point oil), and turn to low heat. Add the spice mix and paste. Constantly stir for about 3 minutes. Add the rest of the dried red chili peppers, cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Pour in 2 quarts of chicken stock. (I didn’t show how to make the chicken stock here, but you can cook it the same way as our beef soup base.) Also, add in Knorr chicken bouillon. Bring it to a boil.

When you eat your hot pot, you can eat it whichever way you enjoy. But for me, I like to put in the items that can cook for a long time first, like all the fish balls and beef balls, Napa cabbage, and tofu. Things like beef slices, you can cook as you eat.