What to eat in Mongolia: a meat lover’s itinerary

Mongolian cuisine bears the marks of a life shaped by wide steppe, nomadic herds and long winters. For a visitor interested chiefly in meat and hearty dishes, what to eat in Mongolia will read like a catalogue of robust flavours and uncompromising simplicity. Expect steaming dumplings filled with fatty meat, smoky barbecues cooked over hot stones and noodle dishes rich with meat and fat. The meals are straightforward, filling and deeply anchored in tradition. Below are the essential dishes that should top any carnivore’s bucket list when pondering what to eat in Mongolia.

Read more: Love to travel but hate crowds? Here's why Mongolia is the perfect destination for introverts

Buuz – steamed dumplings

Juicy Mongolian meat dumplings are a winter staple

Buuz are small, parcel‑shaped dumplings, filled with minced mutton, beef or sometimes horse, often mixed with onion and garlic. When steamed, the juices stay inside; biting into one yields a burst of warm, fatty meat. Buuz are a staple of winter meals and a fixture during festive occasions. They stand out as a reliable entry point into Mongolian meat dishes.

Don't miss: Baozi, dumplings and more: Asia's enduring love affair with filled foods

Khuushuur – fried meat pastry

Crispy fried meat pockets for snacking

If you prefer something crispier than steamed dumplings, try khuushuur. These are fried dough pockets filled with minced or ground meat—historically, lamb or mutton—but in some cases, horse or other available meat. The outside turns golden and crunchy; the inside remains juicy and fatty, making them a satisfying handheld treat, ideal after a day of travel or exploration.

Tsuivan – stir‑fried noodles with meat

Hearty noodles with meat like lamb, beef or horse

Tsuivan combines handmade thick noodles with meat (often lamb or beef, but occasionally horse), and sometimes vegetables like potatoes or cabbage. The meat’s fat flavours the noodles, resulting in a comforting, filling plate. It’s widely eaten across Mongolia and presents a more substantial meal than dumplings—useful if you’re in need of something warm and sustaining.

Khorkhog – stone‑cooked barbecue

Smoky barbecue cooked with stones over a fire

Khorkhog offers a culinary experience rather than just a meal. Chunks of goat, sheep or occasionally other meats, sometimes with potatoes, carrots and onions, are sealed in a metal container and cooked over a fire together with hot stones. The result is smoky, tender meat, subtly infused with the mineral warmth of the stones. While khorkhog traditionally uses lamb or goat, the same methods illustrate the rustic roots of Mongolian cooking and hint at the broader meat‑based diet.

Horse meat dishes

Lean, sweet horse meat is highly valued during the coldest months

Horse meat is eaten in Mongolia, though not as frequently as mutton or beef. It is especially valued during the coldest period of winter for its calorific value, sweetness and high iron content. In its most basic preparation, horse meat may appear in stews simmered in salt water, often served cold. Smoke‑cured or salted horse‑rib sausages are also common in some regional culinary traditions. When horse meat is used in dumplings, sausages or stews, the flavour tends to be leaner and slightly sweet—less fatty than mutton, but denser and iron‑rich. Encountering horse‑meat dishes is more likely in rural areas or during winter, rather than everyday city‑restaurant menus.

Boodog – rustic spit‑roast or stone‑roast

Meat roasted from the inside out for a rich and rustic flavour profile

For a dramatic meat dish, boodog stands out. Traditionally made with goat or marmot, this dish involves filling the cleaned-out carcass with hot stones and roasting it from the inside. Horse meat may also be used if available. The result is meat cooked in its own juices, rich and tender, with a uniquely rustic flavour profile suited to the harshness and freedom of steppe living.

Guriltai shul – meat and noodle soup

Warm noodle and meat soup

After heavy meat dishes, a bowl of guriltai shul can be refreshing: hand‑cut noodles simmered in a mild broth with pieces of mutton or beef, often with potatoes or onions. It is simple, warming and easy on the stomach, offering a gentler way to absorb the richness of Mongolian cooking.

Drinking and snacks

Traditional dairy snacks, airag and aaruul

To accompany the meat‑heavy fare, locals often turn to dairy and fermented drinks. Airag, or fermented mare’s milk, offers a slightly sour, mildly alcoholic drink that reflects Mongolia’s pastoral heritage. For a dry, portable snack, aaruul, or dried cheese curds, provides something compact, long‑lasting and rooted in nomadic food traditions. Together with fatty broths, bone‑marrow‑rich soups or hot meat stews, these help balance the heavy protein intake and sustain energy in Mongolian winters.

Mongolia’s cuisine does not court subtlety. Instead, it honours straightforward, filling meals built from what the land and herd can support. For a meat lover, what to eat in Mongolia will include fat‑rich lamb, lean‑sweet horse, goat, beef and all the methods nomadic people developed to preserve, cook and sustain themselves across long winters and open plains.

NOW READ

From momo to thump: 9 must-try Nepalese dishes and why you'll love them

Food capitals and migration: 5 cities that tell the story of movement through place and time

Bangkok street eats to Mongolian steppes: famous influencers to follow for Asian travel inspiration