Traditional Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hot Pot)

How to make flavorful, traditional beef hot pot at home.

By
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, where she develops recipes and owns and operates three businesses: a bean-to-bar chocolate company, an ice cream company, and a collective food production space. Previously, she wrote brunch and British food recipe columns for Serious Eats.
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Updated January 16, 2024
Overhead view of prepared meat and vegetables surrounding a pot for making sukiyaki.

Serious Eats / Sydney Oland

Why It Works

  • Like other dishes that are cooked tableside, sukiyaki is perfect for entertaining, as it requires minimal time in the kitchen and allows guests to participate (as well as cook meat and vegetables to their preferred level of doneness).

When spring begins, it means there is just enough time for one more sukiyaki supper before the hot weather arrives. Sukiyaki is a Japanese winter meal, cooked tableside and often eaten around New Year. To cook it the traditional way you'll need a butane burner or electric hot plate. If you enjoy hotpot-style cooking these two things are worth having anyway.

The usual ingredients are thinly sliced beef, tofu, and a variety of vegetables, typically cabbage, mushrooms, and onions. Many people dip their hot cooked beef and vegetables in a beaten raw egg. If this makes you squeamish, or the risk of eating raw egg outweighs the reward, just skip it.

March 2012

Recipe Details

Traditional Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hot Pot) Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 40 mins
Active 20 mins
Total 50 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup mirin

  • 2/3 cup sake

  • 2/3 cup soy sauce

  • 1 1/3 cups dashi

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 1/2 pounds sirloin beef, sliced into 1/4- to 1/8th-inch strips

  • 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (shiitake, portabello, button, enoki or a variety)

  • 1 yellow onion, sliced into thin rings

  • 8 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces

  • 1 small head bok choy or napa cabbage, leaves cut into 1- to 2-inch segmen

  • 1 cup short grain rice

  • 8 ounces shirataki or udon noodles

  • 4 eggs (optional)

Directions

  1. Bring mirin, sake, soy sauce, dashi, and sugar to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and reserve.

  2. Arrange beef and tofu on separate platters (or dinner plates) cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Arrange mushrooms, onion, scallions, and bok choy on a serving platter and set aside.

  3. Rinse rice in a fine-mesh strainer until water runs clear. Place in a small pot and cover with 2 cups water, bring to a simmer then turn heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid. Steam until all the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

  4. Set up butane burner or electric hot plate, and carefully ignite. Place a thick bottomed, low sided pan over burner and pour in sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.

  5. Divide rice among 4 small bowls. Place platters of ingredients around burner and cook as you eat by transferring to simmering broth and cooking to the desired doneness. If desired, break egg into a separate bowl, beat, and use to dip steaming hot ingredients into.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, tabletop butane burner or electric hot plate, low-sided thick bottomed skillet

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
802 Calories
29g Fat
57g Carbs
63g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 802
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 157mg 52%
Sodium 2591mg 113%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 21%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 63g
Vitamin C 10mg 52%
Calcium 281mg 22%
Iron 7mg 38%
Potassium 1387mg 30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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