Arancini Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Perfect arancini is moist, tender and flavorful inside and beautifully crispy on the outside. This simple arancini recipe is a great way to use up leftover risotto.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Chilling Time30

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: rice

Servings:

Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Ingredients

For the Rice Balls:

2 Cups rice cooked and cooled
2 Cups ricotta cheese
1 Cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
½ Pound mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes
1 Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon black pepper
¼ Teaspoon dried thyme
¼ Teaspoon red chili flakes optional
3 Cups vegetable oil or canola oil, for frying

For the Coating:

3 eggs lightly beaten
¾ Cup all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon black pepper
2 Cups breadcrumbs seasoned or plain

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl combine the rice, ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, salt, pepper, thyme, and chili flakes if using. The mixture should not be crumbly but be able to be held together when rolling into a ball. If it feels too dry and crumbly, add a bit more ricotta cheese.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take a small handful of rice mixture and form into a small ball, about the size of a golf ball, and place it on the sheet. Continue until all the mixture is gone.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours before continuing with the coating.
Using 3 bowls, add eggs in the first. Add the flour salt and pepper in the second. Add the breadcrumbs in the third.
Remove rolled balls from the fridge and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dip a ball in the flour till coated, shaking off excess, and place directly into eggs. Roll the ball around in the eggs till totally coated and finish in the breadcrumbs so you’re left with a completely breadcrumb-coated ball.
Place on a baking sheet and continue with a new rice ball till all are coated.
Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed pot till it fills at least 1 inch of the pot. You want enough oil that it will cover at least half of each ball when placed in the oil.
Heat oil over medium heat, till small bubbles appear but the oil is not smoking. If you have a thermometer, heating the oil to 350°F is about perfect.
While oil is heating up, line a few plates or baking sheets with paper towels and set aside.
Add the rice balls to the hot oil and cook for 2 or 3 minutes per side. Don’t cook more than 6 balls at a time or you will make your oil’s temperature decrease too much.
If your rice balls get dark too fast then reduce your heat and let the oil cool for a few minutes before adding another ball. If you can’t cook the rice balls for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then the cheese inside won’t be melted. If your oil is too low and you have to cook longer that this per side, then the rice balls will fall apart.
Remove the arancini to a paper towel-lined plate and let cook for a few minutes before eating.
Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Notes

If using leftover risotto: Depending what's in the risotto, you might want to omit some or all of the seasonings because it will already be seasoned.
Rice ball consistency: If the rice balls mixture is too dry, add a little more ricotta.
Air fryer version: Prefer to air fry? Then brush oil over the arancini or spray them with nonstick spray and put them about 1½ inches apart in the air fryer. They'll take 12 to 15 minutes at 350°F. Rotate them halfway through cooking.

Nutrition

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