Instant-boiled mutton originated in the Three Kingdoms period. According to Shu Wei, during the Three Kingdoms period, when Cao Pi was the emperor of the Han Dynasty, a hot pot made of copper appeared. People use hot pot to rinse pork, cattle, sheep, chicken, fish and other meat, but it was not popular at that time. Later, with the further development of cooking technology, various hot pots appeared one after another.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were hot pots in the pubs in Kaifeng, Bianjing, in winter. By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, dozens of different hot pots had been formed all over the country, each with its own characteristics.

In Beijing, it is well known to mention "instant-boiled mutton". This dish is very popular because it is easy to eat and delicious. Because old Beijing mainly uses copper pots to rinse mutton, it is also called "eating pots" and "washing big sheep".