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July 27, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Everyday Life • Food & Drink

Enchilada

An enchilada is a traditional Mexican dish made with a tortilla, usually corn, rolled or folded around a filling and covered with sauce.

Updated July 27, 20261 min readCited sources

An enchilada is a traditional Mexican dish made from a tortilla rolled or folded around a filling and covered in sauce. The dish originated in Mexico and is strongly associated with Mexican cuisine.

What it is

Enchiladas are corn tortillas wrapped around fillings like meat, cheese, beans, or vegetables, then topped with a chili-based sauce. They can be baked or served immediately. The name comes from Spanish meaning 'seasoned with chile'.

Key details

Corn tortillas are traditional, though wheat tortillas appear in some adaptations. Common sauces include red chili, green salsa, mole, and cheese. Enchiladas have roots in pre-Columbian food traditions and are widely found in Mexico and globally.

Regional varieties

Regional styles include red enchiladas, green enchiladas, and mole-based versions. Fillings and sauces reflect local ingredients. In Canada, enchiladas are common in Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants and home cooking.

In short

  • Corn tortillas rolled or folded around filling, covered in sauce.
  • Fillings include meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables.
  • Sauces: red chili, green salsa, mole, cheese-based.
  • Originated in Mexico with pre-Columbian roots.
Canadian angle

Enchiladas are a common Mexican dish in Canada and are widely available in Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants, as well as in home cooking using ingredients sold in Canadian grocery stores.

Quick questions

What is an enchilada?
An enchilada is a Mexican dish made from a tortilla, usually corn, rolled or folded around a filling and covered with sauce.
How to make enchiladas?
Typical preparation involves filling tortillas with ingredients such as meat, cheese, or beans, rolling or folding them, placing them in a dish, and covering them with sauce before baking or serving.
Where did enchiladas originate?
Enchiladas originated in Mexico, and sources describe their roots as pre-Columbian or very old Mexican culinary traditions.

Sources

  1. Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/enchilada
    Supports: Definition, ingredients, sauces, and origin/history of enchiladas
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enchilada
    Supports: Basic description, fillings, sauces, and origin in Mexico
  3. SlideShare — https://es.slideshare.net/slideshow/enchiladas-75432017/75432017
    Supports: Common enchilada styles and sauce variations
  4. Wikipedia — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enchilada
    Supports: Etymology and French-language overview of enchiladas
  5. Gobierno de México — https://www.gob.mx/agricultura/articulos/enchiladas-una-por-cada-rincon-de-mexico?idiom=es
    Supports: Mexican origin, tortilla and chile preparation, and pre-Columbian references
  6. El Colegio de México — https://dem.colmex.mx/ver/enchilada
    Supports: Mexican dictionary definition and examples of enchiladas with sauces
  7. Dictionary.com — https://dictionary.com/browse/enchilada
    Supports: Meaning, etymology, and traditional preparation
  8. Britannica Dictionary — https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/enchilada
    Supports: Simple definition of enchilada as a tortilla with filling and sauce