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A chicken meatball hot pot filled with assorted vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, and leafy greens, all arranged neatly in a flavorful broth.
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5 from 1 vote

Chicken meatball hot pot recipe

A cozy Japanese–Taiwanese chicken meatball hot pot with tender meatballs, clear savory broth, and fresh veggies. Easy, comforting, and beginner-friendly.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese, Taiwanese
Keyword: Chicken hot pot, Meatball hot pot
Servings: 4 servings
Author: ChihYu Smith

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken meatballs:

  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 1.5 tbsp starch potato or tapioca
  • ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp grated ginger from 0.35 oz ginger root
  • 2 scallions dice to small rounds
  • 1 small shallot 1.25 oz, finely chopped

For the broth base:

For the hot pot vegetables:

  • 1 small head Napa cabbage slice into sections
  • 6-8 small/thin carrots quartered lengthwise into strips
  • 8 oz. assorted mushrooms shiitake, brown/white beech, enoki, king trumpet…etc.
  • 1 packet smoked tofu or soft tofu, cut into triangles or cubes
  • 6 scallion or 2 Negi (Japanese green onions), sliced on a diagonal
  • A handful tender greens such as mizuna, chrysanthemum greens/shungiku, young mustard greens, tatsoi, or watercress

Optional serving:

US - Metric

Instructions

Make the chicken meatball mixture:

  • Add all the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Stir in one direction for 3–4 minutes until the mixture turns sticky and elastic. It will feel loose at first but will firm up as you mix. The texture should still be soft and moist, not dense.
    Two bowls on a wooden surface; the left holds raw ground chicken meat, an egg, chopped green onions, and seasonings—perfect for preparing chicken meatball hot pot. The right bowl shows these ingredients mixed into a uniform mixture.

Make the broth:

  • In a 10-inch donabe (Size No. 8 or 9) or a 3–4 quart braiser with a lid, add the soy sauce, sake, mirin, mushroom seasoning, chicken stock, and the Napa cabbage stems. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, about 10–12 minutes. Then lower the heat to medium-low.
    Diptych image: Left, a white pot filled with dark brown chicken meatball hot pot broth on a wooden surface. Right, the same pot with broth, now containing pieces of napa cabbage stems. A potted succulent is partially visible in the corner.

Cook the first batch of meatballs:

  • Using two spoons, scoop a small portion of the chicken mixture and pass it back and forth to shape a loose 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) meatball. It doesn’t need to be perfectly round — a soft, rustic shape is perfect. Slide each meatball gently into the simmering broth as you shape it.
  • If you’re using a bamboo meatball maker, fill the bamboo cylinder with the chicken mixture. Use the wooden paddle to press out a portion at the tip and slide it straight into the broth.
    Two ways of adding meatballs to simmer to the broth - Left: a wooden spoon forms chicken meatballs and adds them to the simmering hot pot broth. Right: metal tongs and a spoon lower meatballs into the cabbage-filled broth.
  • Shape and add the meatballs one at a time. You’ll end up with about 6 meatballs in this first batch. They will float in about 3 minutes — cook for 1 more minute to finish.
  • Transfer the cooked meatballs to a bowl and keep warm in an unheated oven. Return the remaining mixture to the fridge.
    A hand holds a black bowl filled with simmered homemade chicken meatball hot pot, garnished with chopped green onions, next to a pot of soup containing cabbage in a rich brown broth.

Add the heartier vegetables:

  • Add vegetables that need more time or handle heat well— carrots, mushrooms, tofu, and negi/scallions.
    A tray with napa cabbage and carrot sticks on the left; on the right, a plate with chopped green onions and a bowl of sliced tofu—perfect ingredients for a chicken meatball hot pot—arranged on a wooden surface in bright sunlight.
  • Place them into the pot one by one instead of dumping everything in. Keep each ingredient grouped together in its own little section, going clockwise or counterclockwise around the pot. This keeps the ingredients neat, helps them cook evenly, and makes the hot pot look beautiful on the table.
    A pot on a stove filled with neatly arranged vegetables, tofu, and chicken meatball hot pot ingredients like napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, green onions, and fried tofu, all ready to be cooked.
  • Simmer over medium heat for 3–5 minutes until they’re almost tender.

Add the tender greens:

  • Add the napa cabbage leaves and mizuna or leafy greens of your choice. Simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and return the cooked meatballs to the pot.
    Two side-by-side images of a pot filled with neatly arranged vegetables, tofu, and mushrooms; the right image showcases a chicken meatball hot pot with added meatballs and leafy greens, with chopsticks resting beside the pot.

How to serve it:

  • Set the pot in the center of the table. Ladle ingredients and broth into individual bowls. Serve hot with dipping sauces if using.

To continue cooking the rest:

  • Add more chicken stock to bring the broth level back up. Taste and adjust with a splash of soy sauce, sake, mirin, or a pinch of dashi powder.
  • Drop in a few more meatballs and refill the pot with any vegetables or tofu you want to keep cooking as you eat and chat.

Video

Notes

  • Keep the heat gentle. Avoid a hard, rolling boil so the broth stays clear and the ingredients stay tender.
  • A bamboo meatball maker is a hollow bamboo tube with a small wooden paddle. You fill it with the meat mixture and press out even portions for quick, consistent meatballs. It’s also called a bamboo tsukune or bamboo zucchini maker.
  • Make-ahead: Prep the vegetables up to 1 day ahead and store them separately in airtight containers. The chicken meatball mixture can be mixed the night before and kept covered in the fridge.
  • Freezing: Shape the raw meatballs and freeze them on a tray until firm, then store in a freezer bag. Cook them straight from frozen — just give them an extra minute or two to finish cooking in the broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1277mg | Potassium: 1601mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1274IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 3mg
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