Argentine Mbaipy

Mbaipy is one of the most iconic dishes of Corrientes, in Argentina’s Northeast region, carrying a direct legacy from the Guarani peoples who lived there long before Spanish colonization. It’s a creamy cornmeal preparation cooked together with chicken, vegetables, and cheese, resulting in a texture similar to soft polenta but with its own distinct character.

In Corrientes, mbaipy is a year-round family staple, though it takes center stage on cold days and during Lent, when many households make a meat-free version out of respect for Catholic tradition. Sharing a freshly made mbaipy, served piping hot alongside mate, remains a custom that keeps correntinos connected to their Guarani roots today.

Argentine Mbaipy

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• Author: Recetas123
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 60
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Main dish
• Cuisine: Argentina (Northeast – Corrientes)

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 800 g of bone-in chicken pieces, skin on (about 6 medium pieces)
• 300 g of coarse cornmeal (polenta-style) (2 cups)
• 1.8 L of water or chicken broth (7 1/2 cups)
• 200 g of chopped onion (1 large onion)
• 100 g of chopped red bell pepper (1 medium bell pepper)
• 2 cloves of minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 100 g of chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 30 g of chopped parsley (a small handful)
• 200 g of queso criollo or fresh white cheese, cubed (1 cup)
• 60 ml of oil (4 tablespoons)
• to taste of salt
• to taste of dried oregano

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Instructions

1. Make the sofrito, heat the oil in a large pot and saute the chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery along with some of the parsley until soft and fragrant.
2. Brown the chicken, add the chicken pieces to the sofrito, season with salt, and cook for a few minutes on all sides until lightly browned.
3. Simmer the chicken in broth, pour in the hot water or broth and the oregano, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and falls easily off the bone.
4. Stir in the cornmeal, remove the chicken, debone it, shred it into pieces, and set it aside; with the broth still at a gentle simmer, sprinkle in the cornmeal in a steady stream while stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
5. Cook until creamy, return the shredded chicken to the pot and keep cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the mbaipy thickens into a smooth, creamy texture similar to soft polenta.
6. Add the cheese and serve, stir in the cubed cheese until it just starts to melt, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve hot in deep bowls.

Cooking Tricks

• Sprinkle the cornmeal in slowly in a steady stream while stirring nonstop — it’s the only way to avoid the lumps this dish is famous for.
• If the mbaipy turns out too thick, loosen it with a splash of hot broth (never cold) until it’s creamy again.
• Use coarse cornmeal rather than instant polenta to get the traditional Corrientes texture.
• If you can’t find queso criollo, substitute a similar fresh cheese that melts easily, such as a mild queso fresco.

Traditional variations

• Mbaipy poi: a lighter version made with freshly grated corn instead of cornmeal, cooked with onion and cheese, without bell pepper.
• Mbaipy he’e: a sweet version made with milk and sugar, sometimes with cinnamon, served as a dessert or breakfast dish.
• Mbaipy de vigilia (Lenten mbaipy): made without meat during Lent, using only corn, onion, and cheese, honoring the Guarani tradition of fasting.

How to Enjoy This Dish

Mbaipy is served piping hot, straight off the stove, since it loses its signature creamy texture as it cools. In Corrientes households, it’s common to ladle it into deep bowls straight from the pot, rounding off the meal with a cup of mate.

Recommended sides

• Homemade chipa
• Mate or terere
• Homemade bread

History and Tradition

In Guarani, mbaipy roughly translates to “the soft thing” (from mba’e, “thing,” and py, “soft”), a direct reference to its creamy texture. It’s one of the oldest dishes in Guarani cuisine, shared by Corrientes, Paraguay, and northern Argentina, a legacy of Indigenous peoples who were cultivating corn long before the arrival of the Spanish.

During Lent, many families in Corrientes prepare the meatless version as a way of honoring Catholic fasting traditions, blending Indigenous heritage with the region’s popular religious customs.