italian rice balls

Arancini di Riso, or Sicilian Rice Balls, are one of the most delicious dishes you can find in Sicily. Arancini are small deep-fried rice balls filled with meat sauce or mozzarella and prosciutto, round or conical in shape. What we are going to show you now is the authentic arancini recipe, made with the most famous fillings and different shapes. We will explain how to stuff them and give the desired shape, how to bread in the right way and finally how to fry them. Your arancini will have a crispy crust that hides a soft and tasty heart.

Arancini Recipe | How to Make Arancini di Riso - Recipes from Italy

500 g (2 3/4 cups) of vialone nano rice

saffron (powder or crushed threads)

g (1/4 stick) of unsalted butter

g Parmigiano cheese

1,2 liter (5 cups) of water

g (1 teaspoon) of coarse salt

little onion

celery

carrot

g (3,5 oz) of ground pork

g (3,5 oz) of ground beef

tomato passata.

g (3,5 oz) of peas (fresh

60 g (2 oz) of caciocavallo cheese or mozzarella

ml (1/5 cup) of dry red wine

extra virgin olive oil

salt

black pepper

g (1 oz) of ham

mozzarella cheese

200 g (1 1/4 cups) of all purpose flour

300 ml (1 1/4 cups) of water

breadcrumbs

Cook the rice

In a large saucepan add water and salt. Strictly stick to the doses given. Bring to a boil. Then add the rice. The rice must completely absorb the water. It’ll take about 15 minutes. Now dissolve the saffron in very little hot water and add it to the cooked rice.

Add butter and parmigiano

Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, then add the butter cut into small pieces and parmigiano. Now you have made a creamy and starchy saffron risotto. Place it on a large plate or tray.

Cool the rice

Level it carefully with a wooden spoon and then cover with cling film (it’ll prevent the rice surface from drying out and crusting). Now the rice has to cool down so let it do it out the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Make the soffritto

In a non-stick frying pan, sauté the diced carrot, celery and onion in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for 2 minutes.Then add the ground meat. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add wine and tomato

Then add the red wine and let it evaporate over high heat. Finally add the tomato passata.

Add peas

Leave to simmer, covered with a lid, for about 30 minutes. If you are using fresh or frozen peas, add them after about 10 minutes. For canned peas instead, wash them thoroughly and add them after 20 minutes. If the meat sauce is getting too dry, add 2 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper. The meat sauce is ready. Set aside.

Fill the rice

Place one hand to form a basin, as if you would like to collect water. Put the rice in a palm, flatten it with your other hand, creating a hole. Now place the meat sauce.

Make a ball

Add 2/3 pieces of caciocavallo cheese or mozzarella, as you prefer. Now close the arancini with more rice. Keep adding rice till you form a ball.

Bread the arancini

Make a batter with water, flour and a pinch of salt. Then dip the arancini, one by one, in the batter, taking care to cover them entirely. Then roll them in the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly with your fingers to make it stick well to the arancini.

Fry and serve

Fry for about 2 minutes or till the arancini take on a golden color. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!

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

olive oil

onion

garlic

white wine

rice

parsley

oregano

basil

chicken broth (divided)

parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)

salt and pepper (to taste)

all-purpose flour

eggs (beaten)

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