Hotpot Sauces
by These FIVE hotpot sauces are a MUST-TRY for the best hot pot companion. From savory to nutty, and from creamy to a little spicy, you will find a variety of hot pot dipping sauces in one place!
Whether you love Chinese-style steamboat or Japanese shabu restaurants, my dipping sauces are here to satisfy all your cravings. Simple to make with common ingredients, they will take your hot pot at home to the next level!
What do you do with the sauces? My Vegan hot pot is a fantastic choice to get you started!
Why homemade hot pot sauces are the best!
Homemade hot pot dipping sauces are super savory and come together super FAST. Plus, having batches of dipping sauces will definitely elevate your homemade hot pot!
- Quick and easy – The ingredients are simply mixed together, so ZERO cooking is needed.
- Fun to make – Get creative and make your own sauce combinations!
- Tailored to your taste buds – You can adjust the ingredients to suit your personal taste and dietary needs.
What is hot pot sauce?
It’s a must-have condiment when you eat hot pot. If you visit Asian hot pot restaurants like Haidilao in Flushing, NY, you’ll see a HUGE selection of hot pot sauce bar with different flavors, thinly sliced meat, leafy greens, and fish balls that you can mix and match!
Similar to Western fondue dipping sauces, hot pot sauce or shabu shabu sauce come in a variety of flavor combinations. The most common choice of ingredients are regular or light soy sauce, fresh garlic, ginger, spring onions, and toasted sesame oil.
Flavor profiles and ingredients
Creating these delicious hotpot dipping sauce recipes is now simpler than ever, thanks to my hot pot ingredients list. This list includes items that can be easily sourced from your local Asian market or grocery store.
- Taiwanese shacha dipping sauce: savory and garlicky with a hint of seafood flavor.
- Garlic sesame sauce: creamy, garlicky, and savory.
- Chinese spicy chili garlic sauce: spicy sauce with a savory, and slightly tangy flavor.
- Japanese sesame miso sauce: creamy, nutty, and umami-rich from the miso paste.
- Spicy “peanut” sauce: nutty, spicy, savory, with a mildly sour and sweet flavor.
1. Taiwanese shacha dipping sauce
Personally, I think Chinese bbq sauce is one of the best hotpot sauces. The best part is you only need a few key ingredients to make this savory hot pot dipping sauce!
Ingredients: Garlic, Shacha sauce, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, scallion, toasted sesame oil, Thai chili peppers (optional).
2. Garlic sesame sauce
If spicy flavor is not for you, this sesame sauce is a great alternative dipping sauce for hot pot! If you are allergic to nut butter, you can also use sunflower seed butter.
Ingredients: Chinese sesame paste, cashew butter, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, garlic clove, shiitake mushroom seasoning, water.
3. Chinese spicy garlic chili sauce
My homemade Chinese hot pot sauce is a great all-purpose sauce for hot pot essentials. It’s perfect for dipping, glazing, or for garlic chili noodles!
Ingredients: Garlic chili sauce, balsamic vinegar, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, scallion, sesame seeds, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and oyster sauce.
4. Japanese sesame miso
This Japanese hot pot sesame sauce is creamy without skimping on the rich umami flavor. It’s the perfect Japanese shabu shabu sauce and is an incredible Asian dressing, such as for this Spiral cucumber salad.
I recommend using organic white miso paste. For a soy-free alternative, use chickpea miso.
Ingredients: Chickpea or white miso paste, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, Chinese sesame paste, coconut aminos, toasted white sesame seeds, water.
5. Spicy peanut sauce
My hot pot peanut sauce tastes a little sweet and spicy. The flavor is inspired by Taiwanese dan dan noodles. It’ll complement all other hot pot flavors.
Ingredients: Unsalted peanut butter, coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, water, Garlic chili sauce (optional), cilantro (optional).
Ingredient substitutions
- If you can’t find Chinese sesame paste, use a blend of unsweetened peanut butter with tahini.
- Use store-bought bullhead bbq sauce, if you want an easier hot pot setup.
- Aged balsamic vinegar tastes naturally sweeter with a thicker consistency. You can also use a small amount of regular balsamic vinegar.
- Miso paste: If you prefer a soy-free, use chickpea miso paste to go with the hot pot broth.
- If you can’t have peanut butter, use creamy almond butter instead.
How to make hot pot dipping sauce
Making sauces for hot pot is so easy, you’ll need to gather all the ingredients in one place and simply mix all them together! You can easily scale up or down my recipes for a family of 2 or a larger crowd!
- Select 1 to 2 of your favorite flavor profiles from the recipes below
- Gather all the ingredients and prepare them in advance.
- Simply mix all hot pot ingredients in a sauce bowl and that’s it!
Tip: Use Japanese or Chinese sesame paste
Traditionally, the sauces are made using Chinese or Japanese sesame paste. It has a rich aroma because of the roasted sesame seeds, which is a very different taste from tahini.
Whey buying hot pot ingredients online or at your local Asian grocery stores, make sure it is 100% pure, as some versions may contain blended peanuts.
Add water to your sesame paste one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired hot pot sauce recipe consistency.
Variations
My dipping sauces are perfect for DIY hot pot or shabu shabu at home but the best hot pot sauce mix is one that you can easily adapt. Here’s how you can elevate your hot pot meal:
- Similar to most Cantonese hot pot, you’ll need soy sauce (or coconut aminos), garlic, ginger, spring onion, and sesame oil.
- Add a few tablespoons of my Chili garlic sauce, but if you prefer store-bought, try Laoganma Spicy Chili Oil.
- If you prefer store bought, try Haidilao sauce and Lee Kum Kee brand satay sauce. Both are popular hot pot soup bases.
Serving suggestions
There isn’t a single best way to enjoy my super versatile hotpot sauces. If you’re not sure what to have with hot pot, these mouthwatering hot pot side dishes and other hot pot ideas will give you a head start.
- Dip the sauces with thinly sliced beef, lamb, shrimp, or diced chicken. Fish meatballs, tofu, mushrooms, tong ho, lotus root, bean curd, steamed rice, or any vegetables.
- Aside from dipping sauces in hot pot cuisine, you can also pair them with daikon dumplings or savory Rice paper dumplings. They are also delicious when enjoyed with Paleo egg rolls and my gluten-free wonton soup.
- These homemade sauces are also great for glazing. For a juicier consistency, glaze it over meat-based dishes like marinated beef kabobs, grilled chicken drumsticks, or lemongrass pork.
Common FAQ
Shabu shabu sauces come with different varieties. Usually, they consist of soy sauce, spring onion, garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil.
It’s usually made with miso paste, sesame paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Some variations of shabu shabu dipping sauce also include dashi and/or mirin.
Sesame sauce has a creamy and nut butter-like consistency. Any sauce made with sesame paste has a nutty and savory flavor.
Store the sauce in an airtight glass container in the fridge. I recommend using them in one week. If the hot pot sauce becomes too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of water to thin the sauce.
You’ll need a 4 qt soup pot, a soup ladle, chopsticks, and a portable gas stove. However, a stovetop also does the job well.
Related recipes
If you love homemade sauces that taste better than store-bought, you’ll also love my 23+ Asian sauces for grilled chicken. Here are some more ideas:
You can make super savory dishes by adding my Vegan oyster sauce. If you prefer a sweeter variation, the hoisin sauce is a perfect addition. You can also add Thai dipping sauce for a spicier taste. To learn more about Chinese pantry essentials, see my Top 12 Chinese pantry staples.
Umami Tips
- These sauces are super versatile. You can use them as dipping sauces for meat, vegetables, and noodles, or even add them to the flavored broth.
- Feel free to adjust the flavor to your personal taste as there are no rules in making your own sauce combination!
- You can easily adapt the recipe to serve a larger crowd!
- The recipe quantity is written for 1 person. You can easily scale up the recipe for a larger crowd.
- Pair these sauces with my vegan hot pot!
Hotpot sauces recipe
Ingredients
Taiwanese Shacha Hotpot Sauce
- 0.5 oz garlic clove, crushed or grated
- 2 tbsp shacha sauce, use 1.5 tbsp if store-bought
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 0.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 0.5 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 bulb scallion, chopped
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp chopped Thai red chili peppers, optional
Garlic Sesame Sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste, or 1.5 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 0.3 oz garlic clove, crushed or grated
- 1.4 tsp Takii shiitake mushroom seasoning, optional
- 1-2 tbsp water, or more for a thinner sauce
Chinese Spicy Chili Garlic Hotpot Sauce
- 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce, or your preferred store-bought version
- 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar, or Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 0.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 bulb scallion, chopped
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder, optional
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce, or store-bought, optional
Japanese sesame miso sauce
- 1 tbsp white miso paste, or chickpea miso
- 0.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste, or 1.5 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 2-2.5 tbsp water, or more to thin the sauce
Spicy “peanut” sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted peanut butter, or almond butter
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 0.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp water, or more to thin the sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic chili sauce, optional, or your preferred store-bought version
- 2 tsp chopping cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Pick and choose a flavor profile (or more) you like to use for your hotpot.
- Gather all the ingredients and mix them in a dipping sauce bowl and that’s it!
Notes
- The recipe quantity is calculated for 1 person so that you can easily scale up the quantity for more.
- If you can’t find Chinese sesame paste, use a blend of unsweetened peanut butter with tahini.
- Use store-bought bullhead bbq sauce, if you want to make the sauce faster.
- Aged balsamic vinegar tastes naturally sweeter with a thicker consistency. You can also use a small amount of regular balsamic vinegar.
- Miso paste: If you prefer soy-free, use chickpea miso paste.
- If you can’t have peanut butter, use creamy almond butter instead.
- Store the sauce in an airtight glass container in the fridge. I recommend using them in one week. If the hot pot sauce becomes too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of water to thin the sauce.
Nutrition
Made a dish and love it? Please remember to rate the recipe and leave a comment in the comment section below! It helps my blog grow organically so I can continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
We tried the Taiwanese shacha and the spicy chili garlic hot pot sauces this past weekend and they were a huge hit with the family. They are great dipping sauces for not only meat but also tofu and vegetables. They add so much flavor to the shabu shabu style light dishes. Next time, we will try the Japanese version.
We made the Japanese miso and the spicy peanut sauces to go with the homemade hot pot this past week and they are both fantastic! Easy to assemble and full of delicious flavors. They pair well with not only meat but also tofu and veggies, Can’t wait to try the other 3 next time!
Thank you for putting together all these flavors for hot pot! My family loves hotpot so we are hoisting it at our home this year. I tested some the other day – the Taiwanese Shacha and Japanese miso and both of them are delicious! I’ll make all 5 for the family gathering so everyone and pick-and-choose!
That’s wonderful. So happy to hear!
I made this for my mom last night to go with the vegan hot pot that Chihyu has on her site. It was FABULOUS! I didn’t get to try all 5 hot pot sauces – we made the Japanese version and the Chinese spicy dipping sauce version. They are so good and my mom enjoyed the dish so much. It reminds us of Japan just like what you get in restaurants! I can’t wait to make more of them this winter. It’ll be perfect!
Thank you! So happy to hear
My kid is allergic to peanuts but she loves hot pot! This recipe post is perfect thanks so much! Now we have more choices for our at-home hotpot or shabu!
That’s great. I’m so happy to hear!