Description
These incredible little Italian Rice Balls are loaded with cheese and make perfect party treats! Loaded with plenty of cheese and tender risotto these crispy little balls of flavor are best freshly fried but best of all they are just as good made ahead and reheated!
Ingredients
Arancini
- 1 recipe of my Super Creamy Parmesan Risotto
- 1.5 Cups Grated Mozzarella
- 1 Cup Grated Parmesan
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- ½ cup plain flour
- Salt
- Black pepper
Breading and Frying
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 48 oz bottle of Vegetable Oil
Dips
- Marinara
- Chipotle Aioli
Garnish
- Chopped parsley
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Combine COOLED risotto, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and parsley in a bowl just until everything is mixed through. If the mixture is not sticking together just add in some breadcrumbs one tablespoon at a time.
- Place some parchment paper on a medium size baking sheet and start scooping the risotto mixture onto the baking sheet so that you have nice balls. You may need to roll the balls a bit in your hands to keep them from sticking to your hands. I find that scooping them with anice cream scoop is the most efficient!
- Pour the whole container of oil into your pan. Start heating it up to 350 degrees or until a few bread crumbs turn brown. DO NOT GET RID OF THE BOTTLE.
- Season the flour, egg and Panko breadcrumbs with salt and pepper.
- Roll the balls in the flour first, then eggs then breadcrumbs.
- Place onto the same sheet pan in preparation to fry.
- Prepare a large plate covered with a clean dish towel or a few layers of paper towels to use after the arancini are fried.
- Once you have tested the oil and ensured it is hot enough, place the balls in carefully and allow to fry until golden brown each side will take about 2 minutes although the second side may very well go faster.
- Place the arancini onto the towel to drain off the access oil.
- Serve immediately with dipping sauces, some freshly chopped parsley, lemon zest and lemons.
- Let the oil cool and then pour it into the same bottle you got it out of, close it with a lid tightly and dispose of it with the rest of your garbage.
Notes
1. It is imperative to use the cooled rice because it gets perfectly sticky for the arancini. If it is still too wet just add in a bit of panko breadcrumbs at a time.
2. I used a 1.5 tablespoon ice cream scoop to make these arancini and I had 25. If you use a smaller scoop like a you will be able to get about 50 and they will truly be bite size.
3. You can bake these up. However, make sure that you spray both sides with plenty of olive oil so that they get gorgeous and crispy in the oven. Cook them at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until beautifully brown. They won’t be exactly the same as frying but are still delicious.
4. Make sure the risotto is chilled for at least 2 hours before making the arancini otherwise it will be too loose to form nice and solid balls.
5. If the balls stick too much to your hands while scooping, just wet your hands with a bit cool water.
- Prep Time: 120 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Italian