Air Fryer Hot Pot (空气炸锅火锅)

You know that feeling when you want hot pot but you don't want to drag out the whole setup, the pot, the induction burner, all that broth? This is my lazy Chinese mom solution. Everything goes in the air fryer. The hot pot base melts into an oily, spicy sauce that coats every single piece, and in 15 minutes you have a bowl that tastes like it came from a Chinese night market. I add noodles at the end when I want to make it a full meal. My kids fight over this one every time.

INGREDIENTS

•       473 g (about 1 lb) frozen hot pot ingredients: fish balls, crab sticks, fish tofu, shrimp balls, or whatever you like

•       1 cube (about 50 g) hot pot soup base, spicy mala flavor recommended or any flavor you enjoy

•       200 g (about 7 oz) celtuce (莴笋), peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces

•       180 g (about 1 cup) fresh or frozen corn pieces

•       200 g (about 7 oz) potato, peeled and cut into chunks (must be pre-boiled, see tip below)

•       100 g (about 3.5 oz) enoki mushrooms, base trimmed

•       1 block instant noodles, optional for serving

•       1 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish

•       2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Preheat your air fryer to 355°F (180°C).

2.     Place all of your frozen hot pot ingredients into the air fryer basket. Air fry at 355°F (180°C) for 5 minutes. This step wakes them up, starts to defrost them, and lightly crisps the outside.

3.     Open the basket and place the hot pot soup base cube right in the center of the ingredients. Close and air fry for another 5 minutes. As the cube melts, the spicy oil and sauce will coat everything around it.

4.     Open the basket and toss everything well so all pieces are coated in the sauce. Add all your vegetables: celtuce, corn, enoki mushrooms, and pre-boiled potatoes. Mix gently to combine.

5.     Close the air fryer and cook for a final 5 minutes at 355°F (180°C) until the vegetables are tender and everything is fragrant.

6.     Optional: Cook instant noodles separately in boiling water, drain well, then add them directly into the air fryer basket. Toss everything together until the noodles absorb the sauce.

7.     Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Chinese Mom Tips

♥      If you cannot find celtuce, use broccoli florets, napa cabbage, or bok choy. They all work beautifully and absorb the sauce the same way.

♥      Potatoes must be pre-boiled until just tender before adding to the air fryer. Raw potato will not cook through in 5 minutes and you will be very disappointed. I learned this the hard way so you do not have to.

♥      Choose your hot pot base based on your family. If you have children, use a mild flavor. If your family loves spicy food like mine, go full mala. You can always add chili oil at the end to make it spicier but you cannot take the spice away.

♥      This tastes even better the next day after the sauce soaks in. If you have leftovers, reheat in the air fryer for 3 minutes at 355°F and it will taste like fresh.