Three Cheese Arancini (Fried Risotto Balls)
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These Italian three cheese Arancini, fried risotto balls, make the prettiest appetizer, or even a meatless meal. Arborio rice, cheese, garlic, and herbs, breaded and fried until golden brown, served up with marinara and a dusting of grated cheese.
Our favorite little hometown restaurant, Bella Vita, had these Arancini on its menu. They were my favorite appetizer that they offered. They served them on a small plate of marinara, dusted with cheese and sprinkled with fresh Italian Parsley. The presentation is one of my favorite parts, well, that’s until you cut into one. Then it’s time to scoop up all of that yumminess and clean the plate; prettiness goes out the window!
Arancini
Arancini are traditional Italian rice balls made from creamy Arborio rice, typically prepared like risotto, then stuffed with cheese, coated in seasoned breadcrumbs, and fried until golden brown and crispy. These crispy fried risotto balls are a classic Sicilian appetizer, often served with warm marinara sauce for dipping. The inside stays tender and cheesy while the outside turns perfectly crunchy, making arancini a popular choice for party appetizers, meatless meals, and Italian-inspired entertaining. Whether filled with mozzarella, parmesan, or a blend of three cheeses, homemade arancini are a comforting, restaurant-quality dish that brings authentic Italian flavor right to your kitchen.
Freaky Friday Arancini
For years, I hosted a bloghop with a large group of blogger friends, where a few times per year we would secretly cook/bake from one another’s websites. This arancini recipe was posted for one of those events.
For that round, I was assigned LeMoine Family Kitchen, a recipe blog run by Angela LeMoine. Angela is Italian and grew up in New Jersey. I had been assigned Angela’s blog one other time and made her Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Shells. I feel like making something that isn’t Italian, when given the chance, from Angela’s blog, seems sinful. Although I did make Angela’s Black Bean Soup, and loved it. I guess what I am saying is that she doesn’t have only Italian recipes. In fact, she is the queen of the scone. Check out these Chocolate Chip Scones … yum!
See All of My Freaky Friday Recipes
Ingredients in this Arancini Recipe
You will find the complete ingredients and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Water – This cooks the Arborio rice until tender and creamy. It absorbs fully into the rice, giving you that classic risotto-style base without needing broth.
- Arborio rice – This short-grain Italian rice is key to authentic arancini. Its high starch content creates that creamy texture that holds together beautifully once cooled. Regular long-grain rice will not work the same way.
- Garlic powder – Adds gentle, even garlic flavor throughout the rice mixture without overpowering it.
- Unsalted butter – Stirred into the rice as it cooks, butter adds richness and helps create a smooth, flavorful base.
- Eggs (tempered) – These help bind everything together so the risotto balls hold their shape. Tempering prevents the eggs from scrambling when mixed into the hot rice.
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese – Salty, sharp, and traditional. It adds depth of flavor. Grated Parmesan cheese can be substituted if needed.
- Ricotta cheese – Brings a creamy, soft texture to the center of the arancini.
- Shredded mozzarella – Gives you that melty, cheesy bite inside. Freshly shredded melts best.
- Fresh chopped parsley – Adds freshness and a bit of color throughout the mixture.
- Salt – Enhances all of the flavors.
For the Coating
- Flour – The first layer in the breading process. It helps the egg stick to the rice balls.
- Eggs (beaten) – The second layer that allows the breadcrumbs to adhere properly.
- Italian seasoned bread crumbs – Provide flavor and create that crispy golden exterior. You’ll mix in a little chopped parsley and shredded Romano for extra flavor and color.
- Vegetable oil – Used for frying. A neutral oil works best for even browning.
To Serve
- Marinara sauce – Perfect for dipping and adds a classic Italian touch. If you have time, my Homemade Marinara recipe makes an amazing dipping sauce.
- Chopped parsley and shredded Romano – A simple finishing garnish that makes them feel extra special.
How to Make Arancini – Three Cheese Fried Risotto Balls
Start by adding the water, Arborio rice, garlic powder, and butter to a pot. Bring everything to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking and stirring until the liquid is completely absorbed and the rice is tender. This creates a thick, creamy rice base.
Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. To temper them, slowly stir a small amount of the hot rice into the eggs. This gently warms the eggs so they don’t scramble. Once tempered, stir the eggs back into the rice along with the grated Pecorino Romano, ricotta, shredded mozzarella, salt, and chopped parsley. Mix until everything is well combined.
Using a measuring cup, scoop the mixture onto a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until completely cool and easy to handle. This step helps the mixture firm up so it rolls smoothly.
Set up your breading station with separate bowls of flour, beaten eggs, and Italian seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of chopped parsley and shredded Romano. Roll each portion of rice into a ball. Coat first in flour, then dip into the egg, and finally roll in the breadcrumbs until fully coated. Place the breaded rice balls back onto the baking sheet.
At this point, you can either freeze or fry them.
To freeze, place the breaded rice balls on a baking sheet and double wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
To fry, heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when a pinch of breadcrumbs dropped in begins to bubble immediately and rises to the top. Carefully add a few rice balls at a time and cook until golden brown and heated through. This only takes a few minutes per batch. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off any excess grease.
Serve hot with marinara sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley and shredded Romano on top.
Storage and Make Ahead
How to Store Arancini:
Once cooled, store leftover arancini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through and crispy again. An air fryer works beautifully as well and helps bring back that golden exterior. Microwaving will heat them, but you will lose some of the crisp texture.
To Make Ahead:
Arancini are perfect for prepping in advance. After breading, place the rice balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before frying. This actually helps them firm up even more.
How to Freeze Arancini:
You can freeze the breaded, unfried rice balls by placing them on a baking sheet and double wrapping them tightly with plastic wrap. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for longer storage. Fry straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the cook time, until golden brown and heated through.
Having a batch in the freezer means you’re always just minutes away from a beautiful appetizer or an easy meatless meal.
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If you can’t wait to try this recipe for Three Cheese Arancini, make sure you can find the recipe. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go.
They make a gorgeous appetizer or would make a wonderful meatless meal with a salad alongside.
Time to get on to the recipe!
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Arancini – Three Cheese Fried Risotto Balls
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1¾ cup Arborio rice
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 eggs *tempered
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 handful of fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- For the coating:
- ½ cup flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs add in a bit of chopped parsley and shredded Romano cheese
- vegetable oil for frying
- Marinara sauce chopped parsley and shredded Romano for serving
Instructions
- Place the water, Arborio rice, garlic powder and butter into a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Cook and continue to stir until the water is all absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl.
- *To temper the eggs, Add a small amount of the hot rice to whisked eggs and stir. You want to slowly warm the eggs so they don’t scramble.
- Stir together the tempered eggs, grated Pecorino, ricotta, shredded mozzarella, salt and parsley.
- Scoop the mixture, using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, onto a lined baking sheet. Pop into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes until completely cool and easy to handle.
- Place your breading ingredients into separate bowls. Roll mixture into a ball then coat in flour, then in egg and finally into the breadcrumbs.
- Place back onto the baking sheet and continue coating all the rice balls.
- At this point you can either fry them or freeze them.
- To Freeze: Place breaded rice balls on a baking sheet and double wrap with plastic wrap.
- To Fry: You can fry the rice balls in a deep fat fryer or in a cast iron skillet. Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat, you will know it’s hot enough when you carefully drop a pinch of breadcrumbs into the oil and bubbles immediately form around them and they rise to the top.
- Carefully add a few rice balls to the pot and cook until golden. It will take a couple of minute for them to brown and heat through. Repeat with the remaining rice balls.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Once cooled, store leftover arancini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through and crispy again. An air fryer works beautifully as well and helps bring back that golden exterior. Microwaving will heat them, but you will lose some of the crisp texture. To Make Ahead:
Arancini are perfect for prepping in advance. After breading, place the rice balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before frying. This actually helps them firm up even more. To Freeze:
You can freeze the breaded, unfried rice balls by placing them on a baking sheet and double wrapping them tightly with plastic wrap. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for longer storage. Fry straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the cook time, until golden brown and heated through. Having a batch in the freezer means you’re always just minutes away from a beautiful appetizer or an easy meatless meal.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on February 22, 2018. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on February 16, 2026.
Check out the other recipes made for this Winter Round of Freaky Friday:
- A Dish of Daily Life – Cucumber Salsa
- An Affair from the Heart – Arancini (Three Cheese Fried Risotto Balls)
- A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures – Healthier Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Bacon Fatte – Spiced Bakery Style Ginger Pear Muffins
- Bowl Me Over – Beef Tips and Gravy
- The Devilish Dish – Chocolate Covered Snickers Strawberries
- Full Belly Sisters – Easy Crockpot Cesar Chicken
- LeMoine Family Kitchen – Frittata Ranchera Black Bean Salad
- Life Currents – Garlic Sesame Noodles
- Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish – Low Carb Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Mildly Meandering – Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Plattertalk – Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
- Seduction in the Kitchen – Reuben Meatball Casserole
- Take Two Tapas – BLT Bacon Cups with Avocado
- The Foodie Affair – Pineapple Bread Pudding
- West Via Midwest – Spicy Smoke Sauced Shrimp
- Who Needs a Cape? – Cheez-It Fiesta Baked Chicken
These were great! I made some swaps–carmelized some shallots and then added the rice and browned before adding to the water. I also tucked a ball of fresh mozzarella in the middle of each ball. I used the airfryer to fry them up– 7 min at 400 on one side, then flip and 4 min on the other side and they were perfect.
That sounds like a yummy swap! More cheese! Thanks for telling me of the air fryer success! I have always wanted to try them in there!
These look amazing. I’m making Osso Buco w Rissoto Milanese and these seem like a great appetizer. Do you think just filling with whipped ricotta would still be tasty? I don’t want to overload w/ too much cheese/flavors before the main course. I’m thinking of making an arrabiata to put them over.
Hi, Michael – My major concern would be whether not they would stick together without the other cheese? If you just omitted them I mean? They are a bit of work, I think I owuld stick to the normal ratios and be safe. Plus – MORE cheese! 😉 Your meal sounds sensational by the way!!
do you mix the cheese and rice together? or do you put a ball of cheese inside the rice?
It all gets mixed together. Do it slowly to temper the eggs. There photos in the post. 🙂