churro

American  

[choor-oh, choor-raw] / ˈtʃʊər oʊ, ˈtʃur rɔ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

churros plural

1. a long, slender, deep-fried pastry resembling a cruller.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• churros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of churro

First recorded in 1925–30; from Spanish, perhaps after dialect churro (a kind of coarse-wooled sheep), the name for the inhabitants of the mountainous parts of Valencia, the approximate area where the pastry originated

Explanation

A churro is a sweet fried dough treat that's common in Spain, Portugal, and many Latin American countries. In many places, churros are served at breakfast, along with hot coffee. Churros are made by piping choux pastry into extremely hot oil, then rolling them in sugar and cinnamon. They're similar to doughnuts or really good fried dough — crispy and light on the outside, tender inside. No one's totally sure how the churro originated, but one theory says Portuguese explorers brought the recipe back from China during the Ming Dynasty. The word churro is onomatopoeic, resembling the sound of dough sizzling in oil.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

churro churros

A churro cart vendor who had operated in South Los Angeles for more than a decade stopped vending altogether for six weeks at the peak of the roving sweeps, losing an estimated $5,000 in income.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Upon entering the festival, attendees can fuel up at the Terrace with Irv’s Burgers, a seafood boil from the Boiling Crab or a warm churro from Churrería El Moro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026

I ducked into Artchur in Eixample, a bright corner shop busy challenging the humble churro.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2025

I ordered the “mac” and cheese, molten and sharp, the crunch of the churro cutting through the cream like it had something to prove.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2025

She took a sip of water, then grabbed my hand and took a bite out of my churro.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Martinez said Monday that attacks against street vendors have become too common, adding that the purveyors of bacon-wrapped hot dogs, churros and tacos deserve the same respect as anyone else.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Today, the company claims to control more than 90% of the churros market in the U.S. with brands like Hola Churros.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Yes, they make the sugar-dusted classics you dunk into thick warm chocolate, but here churros cosplay as dinner.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2025

For Gulino, working at the Downtown Disney Lego Store helps create what he calls “magical moments,” whether helping build re-creations of Disneyland’s famed ducks or churros for guests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025

I pushed away my plate of churros as I watched Carmen go outside.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya