enchilada

noun en·chi·la·da \ ˌen-chə-ˈlä-də \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of enchilada

1 : a usually corn tortilla rolled around a savory mixture, covered with chili sauce, and usually baked

2 : schmear, ball of wax

the whole enchilada

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Recent Examples of enchilada from the Web

There are plenty of standard dishes on the menu — burritos, enchiladas, menudo and the like — but the specialty at this bright and airy corner restaurant is the seafood.

— sarah fritsche, SFChronicle.com, "Best new restaurants and bars to visit in the Mission right now," 17 June 2018
Their cheese too often congeals rather than melts into an enchilada.

— joe drape, New York Times, "On an Arizona Road Trip, Miles of Family Firsts," 12 June 2018
The enchiladas are topped with a lava flow of cheese and served with Spanish rice and smoky charro beans.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "A Killen’s Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston?," 12 June 2018
Heartier options, like enchiladas and eggplant Parmesan, will be served in individual Staub baking dishes, which are available for purchase in the store.

— grace wong, chicagotribune.com, "Enjoy lunch in an upscale boutique, plus other restaurant openings," 9 Apr. 2018
Bake at 375 degrees oven until cheese is golden brown around the outside of the enchiladas and hot in the middle.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Menu at Porch, Louisville's newest downtown hit, 'speaks to everyone'," 15 May 2018
Our Thanksgiving was the whole enchilada of Americana, right down to the Jello mold, but the table would have been equally at home at a banquet with finger bowls and silver candelabra.

— elisabeth egan, Glamour, "Our Table Came With a Story. For $500, We Got to Add Our Own Chapter," 3 May 2018
Prices are affordable, between $1.50 for each taco to $8 for an enchilada plate.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "New vegan-friendly eateries open in the Orlando area," 24 Apr. 2018
Prices at lunch range from $6.95 for a Caesar salad to $13.95 for three fish tacos with rice, beans and green salad or shrimp enchiladas with those side dishes.

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2Mesa on the west side sets its opening date," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enchilada.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of enchilada

American Spanish, from feminine of enchilado, past participle of enchilar to season with chili, from Spanish en- ¹en- + chile chili

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1878

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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ENCHILADA Defined for English Language Learners

enchilada

noun

Definition of enchilada for English Language Learners

: a Mexican food that consists of a flat piece of bread (called a tortilla) that is rolled around a meat, bean, or cheese filling and covered with a sauce