Hot pot sauces recipe

A close shot shows 5 hotpot sauce recipe in 5 individual bowls

5 from 5 votes

Easy hot pot dipping sauces with Taiwanese, Chinese, and Japanese flavors. Includes a quick beginner guide, sauce-building tips, and five delicious sauce ideas.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Dipping sauce

Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese

Keyword: hot pot sauce, hotpot sauces

Servings: serving

Author: ChihYu Smith

Ingredients

Taiwanese Shacha Hotpot Sauce

0.5 oz garlic clove crushed or grated
2 tbsp shacha sauce use 1.5 tbsp if store-bought
0.5 tbsp soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
1-2 tsp sugar
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
0.5 tbsp soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
1-2 tsp sugar
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
0.5 tbsp soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
1-2 tsp sugar
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
1 tbsp soy sauce or 2 tbsp coconut aminos
2 tsp sugar
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

Choose your sauces: Pick 1 or more sauces to try.
Prep aromatics: Dice garlic, ginger, and green onions into small bowls.
Gather seasonings: Place soy sauce, vinegar, and other items into individual bowls.
Set up a buffet: Lay everything out for a DIY sauce bar.
Customize: Each guest grabs a small bowl and mixes their own sauce with must-haves like soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and scallions.
Mix and dip: Mix everything in your 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 shacha 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.
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.

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