enchilada

American  

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

noun

Mexican Cooking.

• enchiladas
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• enchiladas
  plural

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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

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Compare meaning

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

• enchilada vs. burrito

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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

See Examples For:

enchilada enchiladas

Enchiritos, a fusion of an enchilada and burrito, typically going for around $4, were also offered for a dollar on Tuesday last week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

A packet can lend instant backbone to a quick enchilada sauce, wake up a pan of chilaquiles or give nacho toppings a little extra swagger.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 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

So right after the first bite of enchilada you say: Dad, did you cheat on Mom or something?

From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander

Organic food company Amy’s Kitchen, which started selling frozen pot pies nearly 40 years ago, recently rolled out family-size options for meals like vegetable lasagna, cheese enchiladas and pad thai.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

He gestured toward his wife, who stood behind a counter usually filled with premade food such as enchiladas and chiles relleno.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

Olivia Kelly grew up watching her mother make her pizza and chicken enchiladas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

“If we don’t have a politics of solutions and making people’s lives better, I just don’t know where we end up,” he said, as his enchiladas sat cooling before him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025

An hour into the movie, Augustus’s parents came in and served us the enchiladas, which we ate on the couch, and they were pretty delicious.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

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