Spanish rice

American  

noun

1. rice prepared with chopped onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and sometimes diced ham, seasoned with cayenne pepper and mixed with butter.

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Spanish rice British  

noun

1. rice cooked with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, etc, and often flavoured with saffron

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Etymology

Origin of Spanish rice

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

But when I would go to my favorite Tex-Mex spot, I HAD to get the refried beans and Spanish rice, all smashed on my tortilla building the perfect fajita bite.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2022

The DMV Super Burrito includes three pounds of beef, chicken and half-smoke rolled with Spanish rice, lettuce, tomato, avocado and black beans in a flour tortilla.

From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2018

While I walked blindly through the valleys of paella disappointment, a few brave souls were at work on righting the wrongs of the Spanish rice world.

From The Guardian • Mar. 10, 2017

At St. Mary’s school, Monday’s lunch was to be Mexicali chicken, Spanish rice and golden corn.

From New York Times • May 28, 2011

“I sort of used a lot of that canned stuff, though. I like that Spanish rice they got and that spaghetti with the tomato gravy.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole