What to Eat in Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar sits on a high, windswept plateau, and its cuisine reflects Mongolia’s extreme continental climate. Long winters and pastoral herding favor calorie-dense meals built from mutton, beef, wheat flour, and dairy. Preservation methods like drying and fermenting remain essential.

In the capital, people follow a simple rhythm: hot tea and bread in the morning, a filling meat or noodle lunch, and soup or stew at night. Seasonal patterns matter, with richer fats in winter and more dairy in summer. Hospitality is central, and guests are routinely offered something warm.

Buuz are steamed dumplings made from wheat dough encasing finely chopped mutton or beef mixed with onion, salt, black pepper, and often a little tail fat for moisture. Cooks roll the dough, cut discs, add filling, and pleat the tops into round parcels before steaming them in stacked trays 10–15 minutes, allowing meat juices to collect inside and form a concentrated broth. The result is a soft-skinned dumpling with a springy bite and a burst of hot, lightly fatty stock that tastes clean, meaty, and aromatic despite minimal seasoning. Buuz carry particular weight during Tsagaan Sar, Mongolia’s Lunar New Year, but in Ulaanbaatar they are a year-round midday staple at canteens and home kitchens, especially favored during the long, subzero winter.

Khuushuur are hand-sized, deep-fried meat pies made from a simple wheat dough wrapped around minced mutton or beef with onion, salt, and black pepper, flattened into discs or half-moons before frying until blistered and crisp. The hot oil locks in juices, yielding a brittle exterior and a succulent interior whose aroma is unmistakably lamby, with light seasoning that lets the fat and meat carry the flavor. Closely linked to the July Naadam festival, khuushuur are sold beside the stadium and in seasonal stalls, where they are eaten by hand and often paired with hot milk tea. In Ulaanbaatar they also function as practical street food and quick lunches, welcomed in colder months for their heat and portability and enjoyed in summer for their festival associations.

Tsuivan features hand-rolled, knife-cut wheat noodles cooked directly over sautéed meat and vegetables so the starch absorbs broth as it steams. Cooks brown diced mutton or beef in oil, add onion, carrot, and sometimes cabbage or potato, season with salt and pepper, then layer the fresh noodles on top with a splash of water and cover until the strands soften and take on the meat’s flavor. The texture is chewy and satisfying, with subtle seasoning, sweet carrot notes, and a glossy finish from rendered fat rather than heavy sauces. In Ulaanbaatar, tsuivan is weekday fuel in factory canteens and home kitchens, reflecting an urban adaptation of herder staples and the city’s preference for one-pot meals that deliver warmth, protein, and carbohydrates in a single bowl.

Khorkhog is a celebratory mutton dish cooked with river stones heated in a fire and sealed inside a metal can or thick pot. Chunks of bone-in sheep or goat, potatoes, carrots, onions, salt, and a little water are layered with the scorching stones, then the vessel is closed and cooked over flames until the meat is tender and lightly smoky, about an hour or more, with pressure building inside. The meat emerges juicy and aromatic, the potatoes tasting faintly of smoke, and diners often handle the cooled stones to warm their hands, a customary gesture of sharing heat. While considered countryside fare, khorkhog is common at weekend gatherings and special occasions in and around Ulaanbaatar, with many families preparing it outdoors during the brief summer and recreating it indoors in colder seasons.

Aaruul is a durable snack made by souring milk, straining the curds, and pressing and sun‑drying them into bite-sized shapes that harden in the dry air and wind. It is typically made from cow, goat, sheep, or camel milk; some versions are blended with butter or a little sugar before drying, producing a creamier or slightly sweet profile, while traditional aaruul is tangy and firm to very hard. The taste is lactic and clean, with a pleasant sourness and a chalky-to-crunchy texture that softens as you warm it in the mouth, making it excellent for travel. In Ulaanbaatar, aaruul is served with milk tea to guests, packed in school bags, and sold year-round, embodying the preservation logic of nomadic life and the city’s reliance on long-lasting dairy staples.

Ulaanbaatar’s food culture balances herder traditions with urban routines: meat-forward meals, wheat doughs, and preserved dairy shaped by severe winters and scarce greens. Steamed dumplings, fried pies, stone-cooked mutton, and travel-ready curds remain everyday choices. Explore more food guides and plan climate-smart trips using Sunheron’s filters.