arancini rice balls

These Cheesy Arancini Rice Balls are an Italian street food classic, but made in the air fryer or baked instead of deep fried! Stuffed with Spanish Mahon cheese and served with simple marinara, you're going to have a hard time stopping at just a few!

Cheesy Arancini Rice Balls

olive oil

onion (chopped)

garlic (minced)

arborio rice

sherry wine

chicken broth

salt

rosemary

unsalted butter

parsley (chopped; plus more for serving)

½ cups cured Mahon cheese (grated, divided;

Black pepper

eggs

breadcrumbs (divided)

Set Instant Pot to Saute, then heat oil until display reads HOT. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until translucent.

Add the rice and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the rice kernel edges start to become translucent.

Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine has almost fully evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, salt, and rosemary. Make sure all ingredients are submerged.

Secure the lid and select Manual, cooking on high pressure for 5 minutes. Perform a quick pressure release at the end of the cook time. Carefully remove the lid.

Remove the rosemary spring, then stir in the butter, parsley, and 1/2 cup Mahon cheese. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Set aside remaining Mahon cheese in two bowls.

Instant Pot Risotto

Spread finished risotto on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely.

Preheat an air fryer (or oven) to 400 degrees F. (The arancini can also be fried in oil if desired.)

Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the cooled rice, 1/2 cup Mahon cheese, and 2/3 cup breadcrumbs. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.

Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Press your finger into the center of each rice ball, then fill with some of the remaining Mahon cheese. Pinch the rice around the filling to enclose. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Working in batches, place the arancini in the air fryer in a single layer and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 10-15 minutes (if baking in oven, 20-25 minutes). Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper, a sprinkle of additional cheese, and chopped parsley. Serve with marinara sauce.

Arancini

These arancini flavored with spinach and sun-dried tomato are crispy and golden on the outside, and filled with mozzarella on the inside!

Arancini with Mozzarella

onion,

garlic, pressed through garlic press

Salt

white wine (I

chicken stock

parmesan cheese

baby spinach leaves, chopped

tomatoes

flat-leaf parsley

red pepper flakes (optional)

mozzarella

all-purpose flour

eggs, whisked

panko breadcrumbs

Peanut oil oil,

Marinara Sauce, for dipping (optional)

To prepare the risotto, place a heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat, and add in the butter; once melted, add in the diced onion and saute for a few minutes just until softened; add in the garlic and stir.

Add in the arborio rice, plus a small pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to combine and toast; add in the white wine, and allow it to reduce for a moment.

Once reduced, begin adding about a ladle and a half of the hot chicken stock into the rice in increments, stirring for a moment to incorporate, allowing the stock to absorb.

Add more stock once the stock is almost completely absorbed, stirring the risotto occasionally to create a creamy texture, using up all the stock until the rice is soft yet still has a slight bite to it (this should take about 25-30 minutes).

Once the risotto is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, the chopped baby spinach leaves and sun-dried tomatoes, plus the parsley (and optional pinch of red pepper flakes).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the risotto onto the parchment, smoothing and spreading it to cool quickly (I place mine into the fridge for about 20-30 minutes to cool quicker).

Once the risotto is cooled, using a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size scoop (I use my cookie scoop), scoop out portions (you should get 25); then, press a tiny cube of mozzarella into the center of each, enclosing it in the risotto; roll each, like a meatball, into a ball-shape.

Dip each ball into the flour, then the whisked egg, then the panko breadcrumbs.

Fill a large pan or a medium pot with about 3” of vegetable oil, or enough so that the bites can be fairly submerged when fried, and slowly bring to 365°; once the oil is hot, add a batch of arancini in and fry until golden-brown on all sides, about 2 minutes; drain on a wire rack, and repeat until all arancini balls are fried.

Serve warm or room temp with a little toothpick for convenience, on their own or with marinara sauce on the side.

These Italian rice balls are fried to perfection with a melty, mozzarella center. Enjoy the flavor of fresh herbs and Parmesan in every bite!

Cheesy Italian Rice Balls Recipe (Sicilian Arancini)

salted butter

onion

garlic

white wine

rice

parsley

oregano

basil

chicken broth (divided)

parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)

salt and pepper (to taste)

mozzarella cheese

eggs (beaten)

breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and oil.

Add diced onion to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent and beginning to caramelize (about 15 minutes). Add garlic to the pan and saute 1-2 minutes longer.

Pour white wine into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half (about 5 minutes).

Add rice and fresh herbs to the pan and stir to combine.

Stir in 2 cups of the chicken broth and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Add the remaining broth, a single ladle full at a time, stirring and allowing the liquid to be absorbed into the rice before adding the next ladle of broth. Continue cooking, stirring, and adding broth until the rice is soft and cooked completely, and all of the liquid has been absorbed (about 30 minutes).

Remove rice from the heat and stir in parmesan cheese until melted and evenly distributed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the rice mixture into a pan to cool (cool for an hour or two or even refrigerate overnight).

Use a large spoon or a cookie dough scoop to scoop the rice into a ball about the size of a golf ball. Flatten the rice into a pancake or open bowl shape. Place a chunk of mozzarella cheese in the center of the rice and wrap the rice up around the mozzarella chunk. Roll the rice into a smooth ball.

Begin heating the cooking oil in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven. Make sure the oil is several inches deep. Heat the oil to precisely 375°F (this will take 15 minutes or so).

Prepare your dredging station. Set up three shallow bowls - one with the flour, one with the eggs, and one with the breadcrumbs.

Dip each rice ball in the flour, then into the eggs, and then into the breadcrumbs. Coat all of the rice balls on all sides. Roll them around until they are golden brown (about 1 minute total).

Lift the fried rice balls from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Garnish with a bit of parmesan cheese and freshly chopped herbs.

Serve hot with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.

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Top 3 arancini rice balls recipes from across the web

The most viewed arancini rice balls recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Cheesy Arancini Rice Balls

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The most viewed arancini rice balls recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine