Mongolia Recipes
Steppe cooking: meat, flour, fire, and not much else needed. Not sure what to eat in Mongolia? Start with Guriltai Shul (Mutton Noodle Soup), Buuz, Khailmag (Caramelized Clotted Cream) and Boortsog. Here are 7 authentic Mongolia recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
7 recipes
Khuushuur (Fried Meat Pastry)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 h 5 minCrisp deep-fried half-moon pastries filled with minced mutton, onion, and garlic, the taste of the Naadam festival.
Khuushuur (Fried Meat Pastry) TsuivanUlaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 hSteppe-style fried noodles steamed over a mutton and vegetable braise, Mongolia’s one-pan answer to a cold night.
BoortsogUlaanbaatar, Mongolia · easy · 40 minSimple fried dough biscuits eaten with milky, lightly salted tea across the Mongolian steppe.
BuuzUlaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 h 5 minJuicy steamed dumplings of minced mutton and onion, the dumpling Mongolia eats by the dozen, above all at Tsagaan Sar.
Khailmag (Caramelized Clotted Cream)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · easy · 25 minA rich Mongolian dessert of urum, clotted cream, cooked down slowly with sugar and a little flour into a thick, caramel-toned pudding eaten warm with a spoon.
Guriltai Shul (Mutton Noodle Soup)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 h 45 minA hearty Mongolian soup of fatty mutton and thick hand-cut wheat noodles in a peppery broth with onion and root vegetables.
Bansh (Mongolian Boiled Dumplings)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 1 h 40 minSmall half-moon dumplings of plain flour dough filled with minced mutton or beef, onion and garlic, their edges braided shut, boiled until they float and eaten hot or in milk tea.
📋 Teaching Mongolia?A free, printable Country of the Week guide for the classroom: geography, a kid-friendly recipe, and discussion prompts.
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