Vietnamese Hot Pot: A Fragrant, Make-Your-Own Meal

Vietnamese hot pot, or lẩu, is a shared meal built around a simmering, savory broth, fresh vegetables, noodles, and thinly sliced meat or seafood cooked at the table. This home-friendly version uses a lemongrass-and-tomato broth and gives guests a choice of additions; regional and family versions vary widely in their broth and ingredients.

Ingredients

8 cups (1.9 L) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups (475 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion, about 6 oz (170 g), thinly sliced
3 stalks lemongrass, about 4 oz (115 g), bruised and cut into 3-inch (7.5 cm) pieces
1 tablespoon (15 g) minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon (10 g)
2 medium tomatoes, about 10 oz (280 g), cut into wedges
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
8 oz (225 g) dried rice vermicelli noodles
12 oz (340 g) beef sirloin, very thinly sliced across the grain
8 oz (225 g) peeled and deveined raw shrimp
8 oz (225 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
8 oz (225 g) napa cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces
6 oz (170 g) oyster or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch (about 4 oz/115 g) water spinach or baby bok choy, trimmed and cut into manageable lengths
1 cup (30 g) Thai basil leaves, for serving
2 scallions, thinly sliced, for serving
Chili slices or chili sauce, optional

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients (20 minutes). Slice the beef as thinly as possible; if needed, place it in the freezer for 20 minutes first to firm it up, then slice. Keep raw beef and shrimp covered and refrigerated, separate from ready-to-eat ingredients. Rinse and cut the vegetables, tofu, and herbs. Arrange the beef, shrimp, tofu, vegetables, and herbs on separate platters. Follow the noodle package directions; for typical dried rice vermicelli, soak in hot water until tender, usually 5–8 minutes, then drain and rinse briefly with cool water.
Build the broth (10 minutes active). Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring until softened. Add lemongrass, ginger, and garlic and stir for 1 minute, taking care not to brown the garlic. Add the tomato wedges and cook for 2 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Simmer (35 minutes). Pour in the broth and water. Stir in fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to draw flavor from the aromatics. Taste and adjust with a little more fish sauce or salt if needed. Stir in the lime juice. Strain out the lemongrass and onion if you prefer a clear broth, or leave them in for a more rustic pot.
Set up for the table. Transfer the hot broth to an electric hot pot or a stable tabletop burner and keep it at a gentle simmer. Set out the ingredients with separate serving utensils and a clean plate for cooked food. If you do not have a safe tabletop cooker, keep the pot on the stove and cook ingredients in batches, serving each batch promptly.
Cook and eat in batches. Add a small handful of cabbage, mushrooms, and tofu to the simmering broth; cook until the vegetables are tender and tofu is hot throughout. Swish beef slices in the broth until cooked through. Cook shrimp until opaque and firm, checking that the thickest part reaches 145°F (63°C) with a food thermometer; USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) as the safe minimum for fish and seafood. Whole cuts of beef must reach 145°F (63°C) and rest for 3 minutes under USDA FSIS guidance; thin slices are difficult to thermometer-check, so cook them thoroughly rather than serving rare. Do not return cooked food to a plate that held raw meat or seafood.
Finish with noodles. Once the other ingredients have flavored the broth, add drained noodles to individual bowls and ladle hot broth over them. Top with cooked vegetables, meat or shrimp, Thai basil, scallions, and chili to taste.

Tips

Use a portable cooker on a level, heat-safe surface, away from children and dangling cords. Keep the broth at a steady simmer, not a vigorous boil, and add broth or water as it reduces.
Prepare all vegetables and serving platters before heating the broth. Keep raw meat and seafood chilled until needed, and use separate tongs or chopsticks for raw and cooked food.
Lemongrass is sold fresh in many supermarkets and Asian grocers. If unavailable, omit it rather than using a large amount of dried lemongrass; the broth will be less citrusy. For a fish-sauce substitute, use soy sauce, though the broth will taste less distinctly Vietnamese.
For a simpler setup, cook the broth and add-ins in batches on the stove. Don’t leave cooked food or broth at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F/32°C).

Serving Suggestions

Put the hot pot in the center of the table with bowls of vermicelli, herbs, lime wedges, and chili sauce nearby. Diners can add cooked ingredients to their bowls and finish with broth. A small dish of fish sauce with sliced chili is a traditional-style seasoning option; offer lime and extra herbs so each person can adjust their portion. Keep the meal balanced with a generous selection of greens and mushrooms, and avoid overcrowding the pot, which can cool the broth and slow cooking.

Variations

For a seafood-focused pot, replace the beef with firm white fish cut into chunks, squid, or mussels; cook fish until it reaches 145°F (63°C) and discard mussels that do not open during cooking. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and replace fish sauce with soy sauce or a vegetarian mushroom-based seasoning; add more tofu and mushrooms. A more sour broth can include a little tamarind water, while sliced pineapple makes it fruitier and subtly sweet. Add any optional ingredients gradually and taste the broth, since their saltiness and acidity vary.

Storage and Reheating

For best quality and easier food safety, separate leftover broth from cooked ingredients and noodles. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers; cooked broth and add-ins keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Reheat broth on the stove until steaming, and heat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer. Bring the broth back to a simmer before serving. Freeze broth for up to 2–3 months for best quality; thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat to 165°F (74°C). Noodles are best cooked fresh because they soften in storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does lẩu mean?
Lẩu is the Vietnamese term for hot pot: a communal meal in which diners cook ingredients in a shared pot of simmering broth. The broth and typical additions differ from place to place and from household to household.

Do I need a special hot pot cooker?
No. A portable electric hot pot or tabletop burner makes cooking at the table convenient, but you can simmer the broth on the stove and cook ingredients in batches. Use only equipment intended for tabletop cooking, set it on a stable heat-safe surface, and follow its instructions.

Can I make the broth ahead?
Yes. Make the broth up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it promptly in a covered container. Reheat it to a boil or at least 165°F (74°C) before transferring it to the table cooker, then maintain a gentle simmer.

How thin should the beef be?
Aim for slices about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick so they cook quickly in the broth. Partially freezing the beef for around 20 minutes firms it up and makes thin slicing easier. Buy a whole cut such as sirloin and slice it yourself, or ask a butcher to slice it thinly.

Can I use fresh rice noodles instead of dried vermicelli?
Yes. Use the same approximate weight of fresh rice noodles and follow their package directions. Fresh noodles usually need less preparation; rinse or warm them as directed, then put them in bowls and ladle hot broth over them rather than simmering them for a long time.

How do I keep the hot pot safe during a long meal?
Keep raw beef and shrimp refrigerated until each batch is ready, and use separate utensils for raw and cooked ingredients. Maintain a gentle simmer, cook meat and seafood thoroughly, and refrigerate perishables within 2 hours after the meal—or within 1 hour if the room is hotter than 90°F (32°C).

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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