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Arancini - Three Cheese Fried Risotto Balls
These Italian three cheese fried risotto balls, Arancini, 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.
Servings: 24 arancini
Calories: 126kcal
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
To Store:
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.
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
Serving: 2arancini | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg