How To Make A Microwave Hot Pot Meal That Tastes Like It Simmered For Hours

With air fryers slowly taking over the collective consciousness, the humble microwave has been relegated to the shadows in recent years. However, that doesn't mean there aren't things that a microwave can do that an air fryer can't, especially when it comes to heating warm drinks and broth-based foods. Used correctly, microwaves can make leftover soup taste fresh again, zap lukewarm coffee back to life, or even become the perfect shortcut for making a Chinese-style hot pot that tastes like it's simmered for hours.

Though the origins of this versatile dish are somewhat murky, we do know that hot pot has been enjoyed throughout Eastern Asia for thousands of years. It's also interactive, usually consisting of at least one type of broth and a variety of raw veggies, thinly sliced proteins, noodles, and other delicious ingredients that dinner attendees dip into the broth for a minute or two to cook them before consuming. For instance, thinly-sliced hot pot beef needs less time than you think to cook through, becoming tender and deliciously broiled in seconds.

While traditional hot pot can take hours of preparation with all the chopping and simmering, the microwave cuts this process down to 10 minutes or less, as this hack involves layering all of your ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and covering them with your broth before warming everything through. This may not provide the same experience as traditional hot pot, but it's the best way to pack as much flavor into this meal as possible.

As mentioned, infusing a microwaved hot pot-style meal with plenty of savory, spicy, umami flavor means sacrificing the interactive aspect of the dish. While you could microwave the broth alone, it won't stay hot enough to cook ingredients dipped into it, which may actually be dangerous if you enjoy animal-based proteins like shrimp and beef. Microwaving everything together not only helps the flavors bloom and marry, it's also an exercise in food safety, as it ensures all of your ingredients are heated to safe consumable temperatures.

Additionally, you can still have fun with this meal by experimenting with different ingredients and flavor profiles, layering together enoki mushrooms with bean sprouts, frozen rice cakes, and thinly sliced beef or cubed tofu. Bone broth or veggie stock make a delicious base, especially when mingled with a few dashes of mirin, dashi, or chili crisp oil. Spicy flavors are particularly delicious with bok choy, which offers bright flavor provided it's stored correctly.

Since the idea is to steam this dish rather than boil it, the top layer is usually whole cabbage leaves, which serve the dual purpose of holding in moisture and softening into an edible lid to your hot pot. That being said, microwaves are notorious for causing food heated in them to spatter, which could ruin your dish if too much liquid spills out. To prevent this, top your bowl with a microwave-safe cloche, which will help the whole cabbage leaves do their job.