Mexican Name Finder
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Chilaquiles

"chiles and greens in broth"

Say it

chee·lah·KEE·les

Built from

chīllichile+ātlwater+quilitledible greens

What Chilaquiles means

Chilaquiles is a Mexican antojito name of Nahuatl origin meaning "chiles and greens in broth". It is built from chīlli (chile) and ātl (water) and quilitl (edible greens). It is pronounced chee-lah-KEE-les, and it is most associated with the whole country.

The Nahuatl chīlaquilli pictures tortillas in chile broth with greens, close to what is still served. It is a genuine Nahuatl compound, not a Spanish coinage dressed up.

Chilaquiles is one of the many Mexican food words formed in Nahuatl. Spanish borrowed it, and in several cases English borrowed it again from Spanish. See how Nahuatl builds words and the full list of Mexican food names.

This is a site about what Mexican words mean, so there is no recipe here. For the name itself: Antojito means "little craving". These are the masa-based street foods named for their shape more often than their filling: a sope is a small mound, a huarache is a sandal, a gordita is a fat little one, a tlacoyo is an oval patty.

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Chilaquiles means chiles and greens in broth

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