hotpot sauces

These four hotpot sauces are the ultimate accompaniment to cozy and nourishing hotpot! You'll be able to make restaurant-quality, chef-developed and tested Taiwanese, Chinese, and Japanese hotpot dipping sauces that are super customizable – perfect for homemade hot pot.

No matter what you’re in the mood for, these ponzu-, sesame-, and sacha-based sauces will offer all the options you need. I'll also show you how to serve them for a fun hot pot gathering.

✨ why you'll love these recipes

While everyone has their own favorite hotpot sauces, I’m sharing my top four favorite dipping sauce options as a professional chef who makes hotpot on a weekly basis.

These sauces also happen to be some of the most popular that you'll see at restaurants – so you know you're making more authentic sauces. And, I'll show you how to pair them with different types of hot pots.

If you haven’t already checked out my Taiwanese hotpot guide and recipe (火鍋), take a look so you can learn how to make the meal that these sauces complete. 

Homemade hot pot dipping sauces are really easy to make and they’re super customizable. You can even lay out a hotpot sauce bar like they have at restaurants so everyone can assemble their own favorite concoction. 

Plus, just like hotpots vary by cuisine/region, the sauces do too. You can pair different types of sauces depending on the type of hotpot you’re making, or completely based on your mood.

When I'm looking for something lighter, I’ll go with a ponzu dipping sauce, but if I’m in the mood for the most classic flavor I’ll use a sacha-based sauce. For something creamy and comforting, I’ll use a sesame-based sauce. 

You can read more about ponzu and sesame shabu shabu sauces in this article I worked on for Mashed as a chef, recipe developer, and photographer! 

I'll break down these four favorite hotpot dipping sauces and share which hotpot broths and ingredients to pair them with. Serve it with this refreshing lychee drink or a glass of taro boba.

Finish with Taiwanese baobing shaved ice or some refreshing aiyu jelly!

🥣 create a hotpot sauce bar at home

It’s so easy to set up a sauce station at home so everyone can create their own sauces. 

Usually, at restaurants or at home hotpot dinner parties, the sauce ingredients are laid out like a buffet line. You can have the garlic ready and minced, the Thai chili sliced (remember to wear gloves!), and cilantro washed and roughly sliced. Place each ingredient in separate bowls with a small serving utensil.

Your guests can mix the ingredients depending on personal preference into their own small bowl. I personally enjoy shacha sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, a little bit of sliced Thai chili, and chopped cilantro, but I’ll share the exact measurements for each of my favorite combinations below. 

📋 key ingredients

Most ingredients can be found at your local Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, or Japanese grocery store or online at Weee! (*affiliate link).

taiwanese hotpot sauce ingredients

• sacha sauce - I recommend the Bull Head brand based on personal taste preferences. A local Taiwanese or Chinese grocery store will carry it. If you don't have access to a local Asian grocery store, you can find it on Amazon (*paid affiliate link) or Weee!
• soy sauce - I like to use low-sodium soy sauce. My favorite everyday use one is the Yamasa soy sauce (*paid affiliate link), but I also like to use Kimlan low sodium soy sauce (*paid affiliate link). Others will work too, just adjust the amount you use based on your taste preferences.
• sesame oil (optional)
• fresh garlic (optional)
• Thai chili (optional) - fresh preferred
• cilantro (optional)
• scallions (optional)
• egg (optional) - pasteurized eggs are recommended due to food safety when using raw eggs. Make sure the egg carton is labeled with "pasteurized" and note that "Pasture Raised" doesn't mean the same thing. Avoid serving any raw egg to those at higher risk for food borne illnesses.

See the recipe card for quantities.

japanese shabu shabu sauce options

For ponzu sauce:

• ponzu sauce - the bottle shown above is one of my favorites since it doesn't have added sweeteners, so it's easier to customize as a base. Other ponzu sauces may be sweeter.
• fresh garlic (optional)
• daikon radish - the Japanese version of a long, white radish. You can find the usual white ones or purple daikon radishes.
• scallions (optional)

For sesame sauce:

• sesame sauce - often labeled as gome dare, this sauce can be found at your local Japanese grocery stores or online at Amazon or Weee!
• fresh garlic (optional)
• scallions (optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

chinese hot pot sauce ingredients

• Chinese sesame paste - it's different than gome dare (Japanese sesame sauce) and tahini. You can substitute with smooth peanut butter in a pinch.
• sacha sauce - I recommend the Bull Head brand based on personal taste preferences. A local Taiwanese or Chinese grocery store will carry it. If you don't have access to a local Asian grocery store, you can find it on Amazon (*paid affiliate link) or on Weee! for a much better price
• soy sauce - I like to use low-sodium soy sauce. My favorite everyday use one is the Yamasa soy sauce (*paid affiliate link), but I also like to use Kimlan low sodium soy sauce (*paid affiliate link). Others will work too, just adjust the amount you use based on your taste preferences.
• sugar - granulated cane sugar will taste best in this sauce.
• fresh garlic (optional)
• Chinese black vinegar (optional) - or rice vinegar
• sesame oil (optional)
• Thai chili (optional) - fresh preferred
• cilantro (optional)
• scallions (optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

📖 substitutions and variations

Here are some substitutions, variations, and additions to these sauces, but you can include other ingredients too, if you'd like. Hotpot is all about customization, so you can get creative with the ingredients and sauces offered to your guests' preferences.

• add a subtle nutty flavor - a teaspoon of smooth peanut butter goes well with the Chinese sesame paste sauce. You can also add toasted sesame seeds to any of the sauces. Keep in mind that regular peanut butter sometimes contains sugar, so adjust the recipe accordingly.
• add another dimension of flavor - a light sprinkle of ground white pepper will give it a little spicy kick. It's commonly used in a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese recipes.
• even more umami - you can add a very small pinch or light sprinkle of MSG to your sauce if you'd like. Note that many recipe ingredients, including some of the sauces used for hotpot already have naturally occurring MSG. I recommend adding just a little and doing a taste test.
• gluten-free - provide a gluten-free soy sauce. Some Taiwanese soy sauces are made without wheat.
• kid-friendly - omit anything spicy like the Thai chili peppers if they aren't used to the spice. It's also fun for kids to mix their own sauces and do taste tests to find their favorite version.

If you also want to make hot pot broth at home, see this hot pot guide with recipes for Taiwanese, Japanese, and Chinese hot pot broths.

🔪 instructions

Here's how to make the hotpot sauces, including step-by-step photos of how to prepare the topping ingredients. In a hurry? You can jump straight to the printable recipe.

jump to recipe

prepare topping ingredients

• Begin by mincing the garlic to place in a small bowl.
• Slice the Thai chili if you're interested in a bit of spice in your dipping sauces. By the way, I like to wear food-safe gloves when doing this in larger quantities to avoid my fingers burning afterward.
• Roughly chop the cilantro.
• And finally, slice your scallion into small pieces.

pro tip: you can use a small food processor (*paid affiliate link) for the minced garlic and Thai chili. Watch out for the spicy fumes of the chili when you open the food processor lid though!

how to make taiwanese hotpot dipping sauce

This is my favorite go-to sauce for Taiwanese hot pot and different Chinese hot pots too. It's packed with umami flavor and is a must-have in our family.

Start with Bull Head sacha sauce, which is my recommended brand.

Mix the Taiwanese hotpot sauce ingredients, including sacha sauce, low sodium soy sauce, and minced garlic as the base.

You can also mix in sesame oil, Thai chili, chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and/or a pasteurized egg for even more flavor based on your preferences.

Add toppings and enjoy dipping your hotpot meat and vegetables in this flavorful sauce!

jump to recipe

how to make japanese shabu shabu ponzu dipping sauce

There are two types of Japanese shabu shabu dipping sauces, so let's start with ponzu!

Star by peeling your daikon radish. Then, cut the daikon into a smaller piece and grate it over a fine grater so it mixes better in the sauce.

I'm using an oroshigane (Japanese grater) here in the photo, but a microplane or other grater will work too.

Grate a clove of peeled garlic with a microplane.

Rinse scallions under cold water and wash out any dirt in the crevices. Shake off any excess water or dry with a kitchen towel, then thinly slice.

Finally, mix together the grated daikon radish, ponzu sauce, grated or minced garlic, and scallions (optional).

For a spicy kick and added flavor, you can have yuzu kosho (a yuzu chili paste) ready for your dipping sauce station. It tastes amazing with this dipping sauce!

how to make japanese shabu shabu sesame dipping sauce

The other kind of shabu shabu dipping sauce, usually served alongside the ponzu one, is sesame-based which gives a creamy finish. It pairs well with meats and root vegetables like daikon and carrot.

Mix together sesame sauce (gome dare) and grated or minced garlic as your base. Add thinly sliced scallions as an optional flavor and texture addition.

how to make Chinese hot pot dipping sauce

As with all the hotpot sauces, the ingredients you choose to include in this Chinese dipping sauce are completely up to you! I'm including a tested recipe below as an example.

Mix together the Chinese sesame paste, sacha sauce, low sodium soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic as the base.

If you don't have sesame paste handy, smooth peanut butter makes a good substitute! The sesame paste or peanut butter is key for spicy hot pots like Sichuan hot pot.

For even more flavor, you can add sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar, sliced scallions, sliced Thai chili, and/or chopped cilantro based on your preference.

note: Adding a pinch of sugar helps to balance out the flavors. You can leave it out if using already sweetened peanut butter.

🥣 equipment

Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we do make a small profit from your purchases (your price is not affected by this commission). We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you click on an affiliate link, you consent to a cookie being placed on your browser for purposes of tracking commissions.

You're going to need quite a few small bowls for these recipes, but the equipment doesn't get much more complicated than that!

• Bowls for prepped sauce toppings like scallions, cilantro, grated daikon, garlic, and chili pepper
• A small food processor (*paid affiliate link) is optional but helps with chopping up ingredients like fresh garlic and chili peppers
• Small serving spoons

❄️ storage

Already prepared but unused ingredients can be stored in covered containers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. 

Sliced scallions and cilantro can be stored in a covered container lined with a damp folded paper towel for up to 1 day. This helps them stay hydrated.

Sauces from the container usually store better in the refrigerator, but some (such as sesame oil and vinegar) can be left out in a dry, cool area.

Opened sacha sauce, ponzu sauce, sesame sauce/paste, and yuzu kosho should be refrigerated after opening.

🍜 more cozy recipes

Looking for other cozy recipes like hotpot? Try these:

🌡️ food safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands before handling ready-to-eat ingredients such as sauce toppings and fresh herbs
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
• See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

💭 faq