Besides the familiar fried chicken and braised chicken dishes, chicken hot pot dishes with rich flavors and tender, delicious chicken meat are also a common and favorite meal for many people. Let’s cook and check out 2 extremely delicious chicken hot pot recipes below!
1. Chicken Hot Pot with Lime and Chili
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Chicken Hot Pot with Lime and Chili Serves 4
Local chicken 1 whole (1.2 kg) Chicken bones 200 gr White radish 100 gr Napa cabbage 1 head Water spinach 100 gr Green onions 2 stalks Lemongrass 100 gr Sliced banana flower 50 gr Thai basil a bit Chopped shallots 50 gr Green chili 50 gr Red chili 30 gr Horn chili 3 pieces Vermicelli 100 gr Lime powder 2 tablespoons
How to Choose Fresh and Delicious Water Spinach
- Choose water spinach with thin but firm leaves, the color of the leaves may not be uniform or may have some spots. Or select water spinach with small leaf tips, looking slightly firm, and when breaking the stem, it should have a thin sap.
- Avoid buying bunches of water spinach with stems that are too brittle, unusually large, dark green leaves, overly shiny and smooth leaves, and any bumps on the leaves and stems, as this could indicate excessive use of leaf fertilizers, which may be harmful to health.
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How to make Lemon Chili Chicken Hotpot
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Simmer the broth and prepare the chicken
Peel the white radish and cut it into chunks about 5cm thick. Clean the chicken bones with diluted salt water to eliminate the fishy smell.
Place a pot on the stove, add 1.5 liters of water, and put the chicken bones and white radish in to simmer for 1 – 1.5 hours to make the broth.
Buy a whole chicken, use salt to rub all over the chicken, then place the chicken in boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes to slightly firm up the meat.
Note:
- It is advisable to blanch the chicken in boiling water to eliminate the fishy smell and to make the chicken skin firmer and tastier.
- When blanching the chicken, wait for the water to boil completely before adding the chicken; do not add the chicken when the water is still cold, as this will cause the chicken to be fishy.
After blanching, take the chicken out and place it in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and arrange them on a plate.
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Prepare other ingredients
Water spinach should have the old stems and spoiled leaves removed, soak in salt water for about 10 minutes and rinse with clean water 2 – 3 times to reduce the chemicals present in water spinach during cultivation. Then cut into pieces about 2 – 3cm long.
Wash the napa cabbage, remove the leaves, and then use a knife to cut the stems into pieces like water spinach.
The banana flower should be soaked in water mixed with lemon juice to keep the banana flower white; after soaking, remove and rinse with clean water.
Pick the basil leaves individually and wash them clean. Peel the carrot, wash it, and cut it into flower shapes for aesthetics or cut into pieces as preferred.
Wash the lemongrass, crush it, and cut into pieces. Wash the chili pepper and slice it.
Tip for removing the latex from water spinach stuck on hands: Soak your hands in a bowl of water mixed with vinegar or lemon juice for 3 – 5 minutes. Then wash your hands thoroughly with soap, and the latex from the water spinach will gradually be removed.
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Cooking the hot pot
Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then add the minced shallots, smashed lemongrass, green chili, and red chili to sauté until fragrant.
After simmering the broth for 1.5 hours, turn off the heat, remove the bones and white radish, then place it back on the stove, adding the sautéed ingredients.
Add to the broth the following seasonings: 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon powder, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and stir well to dissolve the seasonings.
Cook for about 5 minutes until the broth boils, then ladle the broth into the hot pot, adding a bit of basil leaves.
When eating, add chicken, banana flower, water spinach, and carrots to cook until done, then ladle the broth over to enjoy with noodles!
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Final product
The chicken hot pot with a delicious sweet broth from chicken bones, tender chicken meat along with fresh crispy vegetables is extremely appealing.
You can enjoy it with a bowl of spicy chili fish sauce to enhance the flavor!
2. Chicken Hot Pot with Bay Leaves
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Chicken Hot Pot with Bay Leaves For 4 people
Chicken 1 bird (about 1.2 – 1.5kg) Bay leaves 100 gr Fresh bamboo shoots 300 gr Oyster mushrooms 300 gr Lemongrass 2 stalks Chopped lemongrass 20 gr Minced garlic and onion 50 gr Green chili 20 gr Coarse salt 1 tablespoon Lime juice 2 tablespoons Fresh noodles 100 gr
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to choose fresh bamboo shoots
- You should choose bamboo shoots that are slightly coarse in shape, straight, not bent, still fresh, with thin skin, not wilted, and have a characteristic fragrant smell.
- You should not choose bamboo shoots that have a foul smell, have an unusual outer skin color such as too white or brownish yellow, with spots on the surface, yellow and mushy leaves as they can adversely affect health.
How to choose fresh oyster mushrooms
- You should choose mushrooms with large, long, firm stems which will taste sweeter than those with small stems, with natural colors (white or gray), not too dark or too light.
- Good mushrooms are those that are intact, not bruised or crumbled, with a natural fragrant smell, and no foul odor.
- Avoid buying mushrooms that are slimy, have black tips or bruised as they may have been stored at too cold temperatures.
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How to Prepare Chicken Hotpot with Basil Leaves
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Prepare and Marinate the Chicken
Buy a whole chicken, rub salt all over the chicken, then rinse it with clean water and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Then marinate the chicken with 1/2 of the minced onion and garlic, 1/2 of the minced lemongrass, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, finely chopped basil leaves, and 2 crushed bird’s eye chilies.
Mix well and marinate the chicken for 15 minutes to let it absorb the spices.
Note: If you have time, marinate the chicken for 1 – 2 hours to allow it to absorb the spices, or marinate it in the refrigerator overnight!
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Prepare the other ingredients
For the remaining basil leaves, pick the leaves, keep the stems, wash thoroughly, and drain. Chop half of them finely, and keep the other half whole.
If you bought fresh bamboo shoots with the buds, wash them to remove any dirt. After washing, gently use a sharp knife to separate the entire layer of the bamboo shoot skin from the shoot, taking only the tender and soft core of the bamboo shoot.
After peeling the bamboo shoots, use a knife to cut off the old, hard ends and any darkened parts, keeping only the tender tips.
As you peel the bamboo shoots, place the tips in a bowl of diluted saltwater to reduce the sap, prevent browning, and eliminate toxins in the bamboo shoots.
Soak for about 4 hours, then place the bamboo shoots in a pot with a little salt and boil until cooked, then remove and let them drain before cutting them into thin slices.
Note:
- You should prepare fresh bamboo shoots carefully to remove toxins and avoid bitterness when eating.
- You should boil the bamboo shoots as mentioned above about 2 times to completely eliminate the bitterness.
- If you have time, you should cut the bamboo shoots in half and boil them in hot water, then soak them in rice wash water for 12 hours or overnight to help eliminate the bitter sap and keep the bamboo shoots white and crispy.
Wash the oyster mushrooms with diluted saltwater, rinse with clean water, and then tear them into small pieces.
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Make basil salt
Heat a pan, add 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and stir well, then add 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate and finely chopped basil leaves.
Continuously stir until the basil salt mixture dries out.
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Cook the hotpot
Place a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, then add minced garlic, onion, and smashed lemongrass along with basil stems to sauté until fragrant.
When the ingredients are aromatic, add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is firm, then add 1.5 liters of water.
After cooking the chicken for about 10 minutes, use chopsticks to remove the basil stems, and add the green bird’s eye chili for fragrance.
Continue to add fresh bamboo shoots, 1 tablespoon of rock sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, stir well for the spices to blend together.
After about 5 more minutes, add the oyster mushrooms, cook until the mushrooms are done, then add the basil leaves and 2 tablespoons of lime juice before turning off the heat to finish.
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Final Product
The chicken hotpot with basil leaves is fragrant with a rich, mildly spicy broth combined with perfectly cooked, tender chicken that is not chewy, and fresh, crunchy bamboo shoots dipped in aromatic basil salt, which is incredibly appealing.
When eating, you add noodles to a bowl, pour the hotpot broth over it, and enjoy it with a small bowl of chili fish sauce to enhance the flavor!
Successful Implementation Tips
- During the process of simmering the chicken, frequently skim off the foam to make the hot pot broth clearer and more delicious.
- If you have time, you should marinate the chicken for 2 – 3 hours or overnight for the chicken to absorb the spices.
- You can cook the hot pot directly on an electric hot pot, just add the vegetables to blanch when eating for more convenience!
- The types of vegetables to accompany the chicken hot pot include: water spinach, pennywort, loofah, banana flower, lotus flower, various types of mustard greens, morning glory, bitter vegetables, mugwort,…
How to Choose Fresh Chicken
When buying live chicken
- Hold two chickens of the same size, the one that feels heavier has firmer meat.
- Choose chickens with sharp, shiny beaks, without any slime at the beak, the chicken’s crop should not be tense, legs should be straight, slender, even, without scratches, chips, or broken nails, and without red spots or unusual marks on the legs.
- Lift the feathers to see thin, soft skin; when gently squeezing the chicken’s body, it should feel firm, not flabby, with some large yellow streaks under the breast and wings. Under the wings and armpits, you should be able to see meat, and blood vessels indicate that the chicken is firm without fat.
When buying pre-processed chicken
- You should choose local chickens with light yellow skin; do not buy chickens with white skin because they are super-egg chickens that are not as tasty. You can press on the meat with your hand; if it feels firm, you should buy it.
- Local chicken skin is thin, smooth, and highly elastic. Choose chicken meat that looks fresh, without any foul smell or antibiotic odor, and without bruises or blood clots on the skin. To buy good chicken, avoid dark-colored chickens as they are those that died before processing.
- Additionally, to avoid buying injected chickens, pay attention and press on areas suspected of being injected (mainly thighs and breasts) to check; if they feel flabby, slippery, or deformed, do not buy. These injected chemicals are not good for health.
How to Clean Chicken Without Smell
For live chicken
- When the chicken has been slaughtered and dead, dip it in cold water to soak evenly throughout the body of the chicken. Then take it out and rub rice vinegar all over the chicken, letting it sit for 10 minutes to allow the pores of the chicken to open up.
- Next, boil water (at a rolling boil) to 100 degrees Celsius, submerge the whole chicken in the boiling water, turn it over, and dip the legs and head. After that, take the chicken out to pluck the feathers.
- You should clean the feathers thoroughly, removing the oil gland from the tail, and use a mixture of salt and vinegar to wash the chicken very clean.
- After cleaning the feathers thoroughly, you can soak the chicken in water for about 20 minutes.
For pre-prepared chicken
- Mix vinegar and salt in a ratio of 2:1, then rub it all over the chicken, scrubbing multiple times, and then rinse it thoroughly with clean water.
- Rub lemon and salt on the chicken skin or use a bit of ginger and white alcohol to rub on the chicken to effectively eliminate the odor.
See more
Above are 2 ways to cook chicken hot pot with lime, chili, and basil leaves that are fragrant, appealing, and simple to make at home. Let’s prepare this dish to treat everyone, wishing you success!
*Refer to images and recipes from 2 YouTube channels Discover Vietnamese Kitchen and KENT’S HOME KITCHEN
