Mauritian Fried Noodles with Chicken (Mine Frite): The Recipe

In Mauritius, mine frite — fried noodles — is street food at its finest: the dish you share with family or friends, cooked in the wok in a matter of minutes, in a cloud of fragrant steam. A legacy of the Sino-Mauritian community, it varies from home to home, but the fundamentals never change: egg noodles stir-fried over fierce heat, marinated sliced chicken, crunchy vegetables and a splash of soy and oyster sauce.

Here is the authentic mine frite with chicken, explained step by step for 4 people. And above all, the ingredient that makes all the difference: the chicken.

The ingredients (for 4)

• 400 g egg noodles (the "mine")
• 400 g boneless free-range chicken breast or thigh, finely sliced
• 1/4 cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 carrot, julienned
• A handful of green beans, sliced
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• A few pak choi leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Marinade: 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp oil
• Sauce: 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• Oil, salt, pepper

The recipe, step by step

1. The marinade. Slice the free-range chicken into thin strips and marinate it for 15 to 20 minutes in the soy sauce and oil. This is what gives the meat its flavour and tenderness.
2. The noodles. Boil the egg noodles until just al dente, drain them and toss them with a little oil. That keeps them springy so they don't stick when you stir-fry.
3. The mise en place. Cut all the vegetables before you start — cabbage, carrot, green beans, spring onion and pak choi. Wok cooking is very fast: everything needs to be ready to hand.
4. The chicken. Heat the wok over high heat with a little oil, then sear the marinated chicken until golden. Set it aside.
5. The vegetables. In the hot wok, stir-fry the garlic, then add the cabbage, carrot and green beans. Toss briskly, keeping them crunchy — a few minutes is enough.
6. Bringing it together. Return the chicken, add the noodles, then pour in the soy and oyster sauces. Stir-fry, lifting everything well, so the sauce coats every strand.
7. To serve. Add the spring onion and pak choi at the end, toss one last time and serve straight away, piping hot.

The secrets of a good mine frite

A very hot wok. This is the move that makes it. A fierce wok sears the ingredients instead of boiling them: the chicken browns, the vegetables stay crunchy and the noodles pick up that light smoky flavour, the "wok hei", that marks a real mine frite. Work over high heat and don't overcrowd the wok.

Al dente, oiled noodles. Overcooked, the noodles break and stick. Cooked just al dente then tossed with a little oil, they hold their shape and glide through the wok. Stir-fry them by lifting, never by pressing them down.

Cut everything in advance. Mine frite cooks in a few minutes, over high heat, with no pauses. Sliced chicken, vegetables, sauces: it all has to be ready before you light the wok. This is where sliced free-range chicken earns its place — its firm flesh holds up to fierce heat and stays tender, without falling apart or weeping water.

Why free-range chicken changes everything

You can make mine frite with any chicken. But with a real free-range chicken, the dish steps up a level. Raised outdoors for 81 days and halal certified, it has firm flesh that holds up to fierce wok heat, without falling apart or weeping water — and a clean, full flavour that carries through the sauce. A boneless breast or thigh, finely sliced, is the ideal cut for stir-frying.

• Free-range chicken, outdoors for 81 days, halal certified — from Rs 425/kg, VAT included.
• Boneless breast or thigh, ideal sliced for the wok.
• Vacuum-sealed and cut to order: just ask for it "sliced for mine frite" on WhatsApp.
• Price confirmed by weight, before delivery — every piece weighs a little differently.

Pay on delivery (cash or Juice MCB) · nothing is paid online · free delivery from Rs 1,500, anywhere in Mauritius.

Frequently asked questions