Shabu Shabu is a popular Japanese-style hot pot where the meat and assorted vegetables are cooked in a flavorful broth called kombu dashi. Everyone at the table takes part in the cooking and enjoys the ingredients with different dipping sauces. It’s intimate yet casual, and a whole lot of fun!
It’s the holiday season and it’s the time for friends and family to get together. What’s the best Japanese meal for this occasion? It’s Shabu Shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ)!
What is Shabu Shabu?
Shabu Shabu is one of Japan’s most popular hot pot dishes along with Sukiyaki. The name “shabu shabu” is Japanese onomatopoeic. It came from the sound when you stir the vegetables and meat with your chopsticks and ‘swish swish’ in the hot pot. It’s a fun meal since everyone sits around the hot pot at the table, cooks together, and eats while you chat, like fondue! A communal dining experience that inspires good appetites and brings people closer together.
Watch How to Make Shabu Shabu
Shabu Shabu is a popular Japanese-style hot pot where the meat and assorted vegetables are cooked in a flavorful broth called kombu dashi.
How to Prepare and Eat Shabu Shabu
The earthenware pot called donabe (土鍋) is set up on a portable gas stove in the center of the table. Inside is a simple yet umami-packed Japanese stock called Kombu Dashi. The uncooked ingredients are served on two large plates, one for thinly sliced well-marbled beef (or it can be pork), and the other one for vegetables and tofu.
Besides the platters of ingredients, each person is provided with dipping sauces. Typically, there are two types: sesame sauce and ponzu sauce.
Once everyone is seated, you would start cooking with tough vegetables and tofu, following by softer vegetables. Paper-thin slices of meat take only a few seconds to cook. When you want to eat meat, you would pick up a slice with the communal chopsticks, and stir in the broth for a few seconds, and transfer to your own bowl of a dipping sauce.
You can dip cooked vegetables, tofu, and meat in either of your sesame or ponzu sauce. I personally love meat in sesame sauce and vegetables and tofu in ponzu sauce.
You continue to cook while you eat. There is a set of communal chopsticks to cook ingredients and serve. While cooking, make sure to skim scum and foam on the surface so you can have a more refined taste.
Once all the ingredients are cooked and taken away from the hot pot, you cook udon noodles in the remaining broth and enjoy.
If you dine at a shabu shabu restaurant, a restaurant staff will get you started by cooking a few ingredients first. Don’t hesitate to ask if you are unsure how to go about it. If you’re at home cooking up the hot pot, I hope this post will guide you through everything you need to know to enjoy your first Shabu Shabu experience.
The Key Shabu Shabu Ingredients and Substitute
1. Kombu dashi
There are many different types of dashi (broth) but for shabu shabu we use dashi made from kombu (kelp). It is vegetarian and really easy to make. You can just drop a piece of kombu in a pot of water and let the flavor comes through. That’s it!!
2. Vegetables + Mushrooms
The most commonly used vegetables for shabu shabu are: napa cabbage, shungiku (chrysanthemum greens or tong ho), long green onion (negi), and carrot. You can add other vegetables, like cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, and so on. But it’s worth making a trip to your nearest Asian grocery store for some harder-to-find ingredients like shungiku and long green onion. Chinese and Korean grocery stores usually carry the vegetables. For napa cabbage, you may have luck finding them at major grocery stores like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods etc.
Mushrooms that are often used in this recipe include shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and shimeji mushrooms. You can use other types of mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, mostly to enjoy the different textures.
3. Thinly sliced meat: beef/pork
The most noticeable difference of having shabu shabu outside of Japan is the quality of meat. It can be difficult to source the same quality meat without paying a high price in the US. Supermarkets in Japan offer great quality beef at regular price. But we make it work!
Unless there is a well-stocked Japanese grocery store near you, you probably won’t be able to find thinly sliced meat in your local grocery store. So you have to thinly slice the meat yourself. It’s very easy to do, and here’s the tutorial.
Prepare Shabu Shabu in Donabe
Shabu Shabu is cooked in kombu dashi in a donabe (土鍋), an earthenware pot, on a portal stove. If you don’t own one, you can use a Dutch oven or any large pot. Donabe and Dutch oven keep the contents warm for a long time, so it’s perfect for hot pot. If you own a donabe, this is a great chance to use it. But before you start, you need to season it. Here’s how you get it ready.
How To Season Donabe (Earthenware Pot)
Shabu Shabu – A Quick, Easy, and Healthy Meal All Year Around
As a busy mom, I not only make the hot pot during the holidays but all year around. I love that I don’t have to do the cooking before dinner time. All I need to do is to prepare the ingredients and some simple chopping, and let everyone cook dinner together at the table.
Since all the ingredients are cooked in broth, there is no oil used in the hot pot. It’s a very low-fat meal, and a great way to eat a lot of vegetables. Happy swishing and enjoy shabu shabu all year around!
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
If you are interested in learning about Japanese Hot Pot, check out Nabemono: A Guide to Japanese Hot Pot.
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Shabu Shabu
Video
Ingredients
- 1 kombu (dried kelp) (10 g; 3" x 3", 7.5 x 7.5 cm)
- 9 oz udon noodles (I used one frozen sanuki udon)
- 8 leaves napa cabbage (12 oz, 340 g)
- ½ bunch shungiku (tong ho/garland chrysanthemum) (4 oz, 113 g)
- 1 negi (long green onion) (4 oz, 113 g; or use 2 green onions)
- 1 package enoki mushrooms (7 oz, 200 g)
- 1 package shimeji mushrooms (3.5 oz, 100 g)
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (2.3 oz, 65 g)
- 2 inches carrot (2.3 oz, 65 g)
- 1 package medium tofu (momen tofu) (14 oz, 396 g)
- 1 lb thinly sliced beef (chuck or rib eye) (4-5 oz/113-140 g per person)
To Serve
- 2 inches daikon radish (5 oz, 143 g)
- 2 green onions/scallions (0.9 oz, 25 g)
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice)
- sesame sauce (you can purchase a bottle from Japanese grocery stores. To make my homemade sesame sauce, click here)
- ponzu (you can purchase a bottle from Japanese grocery stores. To make my homemade ponzu sauce, click here)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make Homemade Ponzu and Sesame Sauce
- If you are going to make homemade sesame and ponzu sauces, follow the recipe links in the ingredient list. You can make the sauces ahead of time.
To Prepare Broth
- Fill a donabe (or Dutch oven or any large pot) two-thirds full with water. Add kombu and soak in water for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, you can prepare ingredients. The right image shows the kombu dashi broth after 30 minutes.
To Prepare Ingredients
- Prepare udon noodles according to the instructions. Put frozen udon in boiling water and reheat for 1 minute. Transfer to iced water to stop cooking with remaining heat, and drain well. Serve on a plate and set aside. You'll add udon noodles to the donabe after all the ingredients are cooked and eaten.
- Cut napa cabbages into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, and then cut each piece into half or thirds.
- Cut the shungiku into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
- We only use the white part of negi (green onion/leeks). Cut it diagonally into ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick pieces.
- Rinse enoki and shimeji mushrooms. Discard the bottom of both mushrooms and separate into smaller chunks.
- Cut the stem of shiitake mushrooms and do a decorative cutting (optional).
- Cut the carrot into ¼ inch rounds. If you like, you can use a vegetable cutter to create a flower shape.
- Cut the tofu into 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick square pieces.
- Arrange all the ingredients on a serving platter.
- Peel daikon and grate using the grater (I love and use this one all the time). Squeeze grated daikon gently and put in a small bowl.
- Cut the green onions into thin rounds and put it in a bowl.
- Prepare shichimi togarashi in a bowl (optional). Lay the thinly sliced beef on a plate.
To Cook Shabu Shabu
- Set a portable gas burner and put the donabe on the stove. Place platters with ingredients on the table. Give each person a ponzu sauce and sesame sauce. I also like to prepare an additional bowl for each person so they can use it to cool the food.
- Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. Take out the kombu right before water starts to boil (otherwise, the water gets slimy).
- Add the tofu, the tough part of napa cabbage and shungiku, negi, carrots, and some mushrooms. You don’t have to put all the ingredients and cook in batches. Cover to cook for 10 minutes.
To Eat Shabu Shabu
- While you’re waiting for the food to cook, prepare your dipping sauces. Add grated daikon, shichimi togarashi, and green onion in ponzu, and green onion in sesame sauce.
- When you want to eat meat, pick up a slice of thinly sliced beef with a set of communal chopsticks and stir the meat in the boiling broth to cook for 20-30 seconds, or until the meat is no longer pink. Do not overcook the meat.
- Take out the cooked beef and vegetables from the pot when they are done, and dip the food in ponzu or sesame sauce.
- Add remaining ingredients in the boiling broth as needed and simmer for a few minutes. Skim off the scum and foam from the surface as you cook. Prepare a fine mesh skimmer and a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl filled with water at the table so you can easily skim as you cook. Water in the measuring cup will help you get rid of scum from the skimmer. We want to keep the broth as clean as possible.
- When all the ingredients are cooked, skim the broth for udon noodles. Typically, a hot pot meal ends with cooking udon noodles or porridge.
- Add udon noodles in the pot and reheat for 1-2 minutes. Lightly season the udon soup with salt and white pepper, if you like (optional).
- Dilute the ponzu sauce with the broth and serve udon noodles.
Notes
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 2, 2011. The post has been updated with a video and new images in December 2018.
Love the recipe! Getting a hot pot on sale for the upcoming cold weather for healthier cooking. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Dani! Thank you so much for your comment. Shabu shabu uses lots of veggies and it’s such a light and healthy balanced meal. Not to mention it’s easy to prepare… 🙂 Enjoy!
Hello. Good evening India time. Every item presented in the most elegant manner. I respect your Quality Care for the foods. Loved it. I would replace Beef slice or Pork with properly baked Potato Slice; if to make it Vegetarian..!!! Would it work? Me sure it should. Potato slice baked and pasted with little salt and black pepper..
Hi Dr. Sharma! I don’t think baked potao slices would work here as they get soggy in a boiling stock, but you can substitute with chicken or other kinds of meat/seafood or simply use vegetables. Hope that helps. 🙂
So as you suggested, we had shabu shabu last night. It was awesome, you would think sukiyaki is tastier, but the broth becomes tasty and i had shabu shabu at the restaurant and already liked the two different sauces. I tried your ponzu, but i like the recipe i use better (i infuse a piece of kombu and a little bit of katsuobushi in 120mL of shoyu overnight, then filter it and add 4tbsp mirin, 4tbsp of lemon juice and 4tbsp of mandarine juice. You can use whatever, 4tbsp sour citrus juice, 4tbsp sweet citrus, i like to mix them and do with what i have : yuzu juice, blood orange, limes…). On the other hand, just reading the ingredients of your sesame sauce and i knew this would be the best one i ever had, and i was right. I like the heat of the raw sake and mirin, and even though the alcohol level is low, im not supposed to take alcohol so i stress. Is there any extra step i could take, like evaporate the alcool of sake and mirin before mixing them to the other ingredients or something…? Thank you so much again, ill be making hot pots all winter if you have other ideas !
Thank you Sunny for your feedback! I’d try your ponzu recipe next time! Thank you!! xo
txs Nami for shabu2 recipe
You’re very welcome! 🙂
I love this meal so much! After my family eats the udon, we add raw eggs and rice and cook it in the remaining broth. This is my favorite part, mainly because I like eggs. ^^ I must eat shabu shabu now… Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi Maya! Welcome to my blog, and I’m happy to hear you enjoy reading my recipes. Hope you enjoy cooking too! 🙂
I just found a wonderful website. Please continue with all your wonderful recipes, stories and explanations. I have learned so much. Will Definitely revisit.
Hi Marcella! I’m so happy to hear you like my website, and thank you for your kind words! I hope you come back soon or subscribe to my newsletter. 🙂
I was wondering if I would be able to cook the Shabu Shabu on a gas stove or like would I need something else?
Hi Victoria! You can cook on the gas stove first and serve too, but it’s more fun to cook at the table (it’s a fun part of hot pot). You can get a portable gas stove like this (http://amzn.to/1E07V4B). That way, you can cook meat when you want to eat, and it doesn’t get hard. Same for vegetables. There’s something about cooking right in front of you and pick up and eat right away. Vegetables won’t be wilted as much. Hope I answered to your question…? 🙂
Hello! I was interested in making this recipe, but have no clay pot to make it in. Could you recommend me a Japanese one I could order online? Also, after moving it to the table will it continue to stay hot enough?
Thank you!
Hi Emma! You don’t have to use clay pot and use a regular pot or dutch oven. Clay pot or dutch oven keep the food warm for a long time. Amazon or Japanese/Asian grocery stores sell “Donabe” too.
http://amzn.to/1kE23Ib
http://amzn.to/1Z0TWs1
and many more.
And at the table, you should have a portable cooking stove.
http://amzn.to/1Z0U4HT
You will need a gas canister for it.
http://amzn.to/1Z0Ucr0
Hope this helps!
I dont care much for mushrooms, any other veggie suggestions? Do you think using peppers/squash would be a bad idea?
Hi Jesse! Sure you can, although they are not “typical” ingredients for Shabu Shabu. Honestly, you can put any veggies of your choice (even cabbage of broccoli for example, which are not typical). Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi Nami
I noticed you did not add seasoning to the shabu shabu stock. Do the Japanese drink the soup? Unlike other Asian countries, the hotpot/steamboat stock is usually made by boiling chicken bones or pork ribs.
Also, I would like to know the purpose of using kombu in the stock? Thanks
Hi Grace! We don’t add any “seasonings” to shabu shabu. Shabu shabu stock is always kombu dashi (mdade with kombu and water) and that’s it. We don’t “drink” the soup (you could) but we usually eat udon or porridge using the leftover stock (after everyone eat the ingredients in the pot). Yeah, other Asian hot pot use heavy stock, but Japanese focus on fresh ingredients and umami from kombu. It’s much simpler taste, so it’s important to use fresh ingredients.
The purpose of kombu – it’s the Japanese dashi. Maybe you can check this post about Japanese dashi (broth). 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/
Can u name what kind of meat I need to use for shabu shabu??? If it is a beef what type of beef or part of the beef meat?
Hi Joy! Shabu shabu is typically beef or pork. For beef, I recommend ribeye or chuck. For pork, I recommend pork tender loin. Freeze a little bit and slice thinly with sharp knife. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-slice-meat/
Extremely thorough and easy to follow directions. The photos make the process so clear and I like the upbeat music, too.
Hi Paul! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m glad to hear you think the video and step by step recipes are helpful. Thanks!!
Love the name of this dish — so much fun to say. You did a great job with the recipe — thanks.
Thank you so much for your kind words, John! 🙂
Hi Nami, and happy belated holidays…hope you were able to enjoy with family. I’m a long time reader of your blog, as well as your book. You have a wonderful way of explaining how to make amazing dishes. I’ve recently become fascinated with hot pot recipes, and just purchased a donabe, burner, gas, vegetable cutter, etc. For my first try, would you recommend cooking Shabu Shabu or Sukiyaki? Thank you in advance.
Hi John! I apologize for my late response. Happy New Year! Thank you for reading my blog for a long time. I’m really happy to hear you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
I think shabu shabu is easier to make, but both are equally delicious. Hope you enjoy making hot pot recipes at your dining room. It’s fun, easy, and delicious meal in winter time!
beautifully done. I will give it a try thus weekend.
Hope you enjoy this recipe, Michelle!
Hi Nami! I am interested in buying a portable gas stove like the one you’ve shown. Does the stove produce carbon monoxide gas? Do you have to open a window or take any other steps to keep the air safe? I’m sorry to ask but I am inexperienced with this. Thank you!
Hi Brett! I’m sorry for my late response. Nope, I never worried about opening the window etc. I think you’ll be happy with this equipment. 🙂
Nami, you helped me pull off a great birthday party for my wife featuring Shabu Shabu for 12 people (we had 2 hotpots). It was a good amount of prep work, and finding some of the ingredients at Hmart wasnt easy, but buying thinly sliced beef and pre-made sauces helped alot. Everyone thought it was really delicious, I learned a lot and had fun putting it all together and cooking with friends.
Hi Mike! I’m so happy and excited to hear that your shabu shabu party went well! And you fed 12 people, that’s awesome! Thank you for your kind words and feedback. 🙂
Hi , love your recipes and channel, congratulations!
I wondering if you could share the brand and where to buy the cooktop?
Thank you so much,
Ana
Hi Ana! Thank you so much for your kind words! The donabe is from Toiro Kitchen (https://toirokitchen.com/) and the burner is from Amazon. Check “Japanese Tool” in this page: https://www.justonecookbook.com/kitchen-tools/
Fantastic recipe – we’ve made it before and will be having it again on Thanksgiving (we had turkey last weekend). It was my kids’ #1 request. This site is my go-to for Japanese cooking, thank you!
Hi Maura! I’m so happy to hear your children enjoy SHabu Shabu! Thank you for your kind feedback. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! xoxo
Hi, I am going to try making this for my Japanese husband. I so enjoyed eating this on my trips to Japan!
What pot do you recommend and where to buy?
Thank you,
Janice
Hi Janice, We recommend using Donabe (Pot used in this post – Japanese earthenware pot) made out of special clay, and it’s one of Japan’s oldest cooking utensils. You can purchase at the Japanese or Adian grocery store or online.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VKTQMI?ref=exp_justonecookbook_dp_vv_d
https://toirokitchen.com/
And here is the post link where Nami explained about Donabe. https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-season-your-donabe/
You may also use a Dutch oven or any large pot.
We hope this is helpful!🙂
Hi, and thank you so much for your recipes and all your work making them accessible to a diverse audience. Would you mind sharing what size donabe you are using in these pictures, for this recipe? It’s hard to decide which one to get from far away, without being able to hold them in your hand and imagine how they would work. Toiro recipes grouped by donabe style go a long way, but I still need more hands-on impressions. Thank you!
Mihaela, Nami is using 4~5 people size Donabe, 12.2 x 11.02 x 6.46 inches. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VKTQMI?ref=exp_justonecookbook_dp_vv_d
We hope this helps, and you can soon enjoy many Donabe recipes! Thank you very much for your kind feedback.
Hi – I meant the Toiro donabe with stripes. What size is Nami using for that pot?
Hi Mihaela, Her Donabe is Medium size and ideal for 2~4 people. If you go to the Torio website, Click details, they have dimensions for each product so you can see if it fits your needs.🙂 We hope this helps!
I’m excited about making this, but I can’t find shungiku (tong ho/garland chrysanthemum) in any of the Asian markets here in Dallas. What can I use as a substitute? Could I use Dandelion Greens or what would you suggest? Thank you!
Hi Rick, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! Dandelion Greens should work. You can also try Mizuna, baby arugula, or Carrot leaves. Since these leaves cook very fast, we recommend adding at the last 2~3 minutes of cooking time. We hope this helps!
I made this and it was good!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Agnes! Awesome! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.😊