Italian fried rice balls recipe (risotto arancini)
Learn how to make arancini di riso or Italian rice balls which are nothing more than fried risotto! You can use a leftover risotto or make a fresh one. Most of the times they're stuffed with mozzarella or another cheese but you can certainly leave them plain.
Servings: 18 arancini
Calories: 235kcal
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 deep fryer or pot
Ingredients
For the risotto:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove whole, crushed
- 1.5 cups short grain risotto rice such as arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning optional
- 3.5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth warm
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the filling:
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese cut into ½″ cubes OR 2 oz feta and 2 oz pancetta, in small cubes
For the coating:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking oil olive oil or another vegetable oil
Instructions
Make the risotto:
- Place a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil, the onion and the garlic. Cook stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Discard the garlic clove and add the rice, the salt, the black pepper and the thyme. Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes and then start adding the broth one cup at a time, stirring often and waiting for most of the broth to be absorbed before adding the next cup. The risotto should slowly simmer during this process.
- Once you have added the 3 cups of broth, add the milk, the grated Parmesan cheese and the butter. Stir vigorously to help the rice release its starch.
- When the risotto looks thick and creamy taste and add more broth if needed until it is al dente. Also, adjust the salt to your taste.Take the risotto off the heat and transfer it to sheet pan to help it cool more quickly (for better results store it in the fridge overnight).
Prepare the coating:
- Transfer the flour and the salt in a shallow bowl or plate and stir to combine.Whisk the eggs in a second bowl.Add the breadcrumbs to a third shallow bowl or plate.Line two baking sheets or cutting boards with parchment paper.
Prepare the filling:
- Cut the mozzarella into ½ inch cubes and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use.If you use feta and pancetta, cut them in small cubes, transfer them to a bowl and mix to combine.
Make the arancini:
- Lightly wet your hands, take approximately ¼ of a cup of cooked risotto and flatten it on the palm of your hand (a small ice cream scoop is perfect for this job). Don’t make it too thin, because the filling can ooze out during deep frying.Place a cube of mozzarella or a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the center of the rice, close the rice around the filling and shape into a ball.Press gently between your palms until the rice ball feels solid. Then place the arancini on the parchment lined baking sheet.If you’d like to make pear shaped arancini, gently flatten their bottoms and make the top more pointed with your hands.
- Optionally, cool them in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up (don't let them in the fridge longer because very cold arancini will drop the temperature of the frying oil).
Breading:
- Roll the arancini in flour, then roll them in the beaten egg and lastly roll them in the breadcrumbs and press to coat.Tip: use one hand for the flour and the other for the egg and Panko. This way only one of your hands will be "dirty" with egg.Place them on the other parchment lined baking sheet.
Fry:
- Pour 1 inch (2.5 cm) depth of oil in a deep saucepan or a deep fryer and heat until hot (approximately 350°F or 175°C).Add the arancini into the hot oil, a few at a time, and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a piece of paper towel to absorb the excess oil.Repeat with the remaining of the rice balls.
Notes
Use short-grain rice suitable for risotto such as Arborio rice.
For the best results, try to keep the rice al dente. This is very important, since it will help you forming the arancini balls without the rice turning into mush.
If you make arancini with mushroom risotto make sure that the mushroom pieces are small, as this will help the arancini hold their shape during cooking.
Some extra grated parmesan when making the risotto can help to bind the mixture better.
Some people like to add an egg as binding agent. I don’t find it necessary, but you may want to try it, especially if your arancini fall apart during frying.
The risotto should be cold. It's best to make it from the previous day and store it in the fridge or make it a few hours before and let it cool completely.
The mixture will be a little sticky. Keep your hands lightly wet while shaping and rinse them every 3 or 4 arancini.
Keep the size of the rice balls small, since they will fry better without the chance of falling apart. The rice balls should be the size of a small tangerine, or a little larger than a golf ball.
Don't move them around too much during frying. Just flip them once and remove when done.
These are also delicious baked, but not just as crispy on the outside. To bake them, gently brush with olive oil or spray with cooking spray and bake in preheated oven at 390°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on brands of ingredients used. For this recipe, 8% oil absorption has been estimated due to frying.
Nutrition
Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1mg
