enchilada

American  

[en-chuh-lah-duh, -lad-uh] / ˌɛn tʃəˈlɑ də, -ˈlæd ə /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

1. a tortilla rolled and filled with a seasoned mixture, usually containing meat, and covered with a sauce flavored with chiles.

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idioms

1. whole enchilada, the entirety of something, especially something impressive or outstanding.

   She has a job with money, prestige, and satisfaction—the whole enchilada.

2. big / top enchilada, big enchilada.

enchilada British  

/ ˌɛntʃɪˈlɑːdə /

noun

1. a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla fried in hot fat, filled with meat, and served with a chilli sauce

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enchilada More Idioms  

1. see big cheese (enchilada); whole ball of wax (enchilada).

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Etymology

Origin of enchilada

First recorded in 1885–90; from Central American Spanish, feminine of Spanish enchilado “spiced with chile” (past participle of enchilar ), equivalent to en- causative prefix + chil(e) “chile pepper” + -ado adjective suffix; see origin at en- ¹, chili, -ate ¹

Compare meaning

How does enchilada compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• enchilada vs. burrito

Explanation

An enchilada is a Mexican dish that's made from tortillas wrapped around meat or cheese, and cooked in a spicy sauce. The earliest enchiladas were simply a plain tortilla served with chili sauce. Enchilada comes from Mexican Spanish — it's the past participle of enchilar, or "season with chili." Traditional enchilada sauce is tomato-based and, appropriately, heavily seasoned with chili. You might've heard the phrases "the whole enchilada," which means "the entire thing;" or "the big enchilada," meaning "an extremely important person." Many people credit the Nixon administration's John Ehrlichman with this second term, which was famously caught on tape during the Watergate investigation.

Example Sentences

I was on day three of travel-induced “ick,” sitting in an airport Chili’s at 10:30 a.m., eating a cup of enchilada soup with a glass of ice-cold lemon water.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026

“Rescheduling is not the whole enchilada but it would be a big deal,” wrote analysts for Beacon Policy Advisors in a research note this week.

From Barron's • Dec. 16, 2025

He’s been dogged by the notion that he’s somehow too young for the big enchilada.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

Nopalito, Las Cruces, is a family-owned Mexican restaurant open since 1964; their green-chili chicken enchilada costs $15, and traditional pork chili con carne comes with red or green chilies, $12.

From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2022

Hustling through the throng comes the big enchilada himself: Brademas.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman