If you haven’t experienced the deliciousness of Italian Rice Balls, you’ve been missing out! They’re creamy and cheesy on the inside and perfectly crisp on the outside.
Italian rice balls are often served at traditional Italian restaurants and pizza shops. They can be served as appetizers or tasty treats. Try this recipe for Italian Rice Balls for a delicious change of pace!
What Are Italian Rice Balls?
Also known as Arancini, Italian rice balls are deep-fried balls of rice coated with bread crumbs and stuffed with cheese and meat. They’re typically served with marinara sauce.
What are Italian Rice Balls Made of?
Arancini are made with a combination of rice, meat, cheese, and seasonings. They’re coated with breadcrumbs and then fried until golden. They’re best eaten hot with marinara sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Jasmine or sushi rice
- olive oil and vegetable oil
- butter
- onion
- ham
- dry white wine
- chicken broth
- frozen peas
- parsley
- parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
- bread crumbs
How to Make Italian Rice Balls
- Place a dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add olive oil and butter. Once hot, stir in the onion and saute until soft and golden. Add the ham and cook until golden. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil.
- Pour in the white wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the chicken broth and salt. Cover and simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Stir in the peas and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Spread the rice mixture onto a large rimmed baking dish to cool.
- When the rice has cooled to room temperature, stir in the parsley and parmesan cheese. Use wet hands to form the rice balls, using a heaping ice cream scoop for each. Stuff each rice ball with a cube of mozzarella cheese and form into a tight ball to enclose the cheese.
- Set up 3 shallow bowls. Place the flour in the first one, the eggs in the second one, and the bread crumbs in the third. Dredge each rice ball in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip one-by-one into the beaten egg allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Repeat until all of the rice balls are ready to fry.
- Add an inch of vegetable oil into a deep pot over medium heat. When the oil reaches 350˚F, add the breaded rice balls in batches without crowding the pot. Cook for 3 minutes per batch, turning to ensure that the balls are golden brown all over. Transfer the cooked rice balls to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle the balls with salt and serve with marinara sauce.
Tips and Tricks
- Let the rice cool to room temperature after cooking. This will help to prevent the balls from falling apart. The best rice to use for Arancini is sushi rice.
- Use wet hands to form the rice into balls. Squeeze the balls tightly to keep them from falling apart.
- Wait until the oil reaches 350˚F before adding the rice balls. Fry the rice balls in batches to ensure that the pot isn’t overcrowded.
Can you Eat Rice Balls Cold?
Arancini are best served warm, just after they’re fried. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven to re-crisp the exterior.
How do you Reheat Arancini?
After the arancini are fried, let them cool to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Arancini can also be frozen. Use a freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer bag. If using a freezer bag, remove as much excess air as possible before sealing the bag.
To reheat refrigerated arancini, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place the arancini on a rimmed baking sheet and heat for about 15 minutes until warm throughout.
To reheat frozen arancini, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place the frozen arancini on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until warm throughout. There’s no need to thaw the frozen arancini.
Italian Rice Balls Recipe
Ingredients
For the Rice Balls:
- 2 cups uncooked Jasmine or sushi rice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1 cup finely diced ham
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup frozen peas thawed
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese cubed
- 1 tsp salt
For Frying:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Set a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium/high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. When hot, stir in the onion and saute for 4-5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the ham and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil.
- Pour in the white wine and cook for about 2 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the chicken broth and salt. Cover and simmer for 15-17 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Stir in the peas and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. The rice should be soft and most of the liquid should be absorbed. Spread the rice mixture onto a large rimmed baking dish to cool.
- When the rice has cooled to room temperature, stir in the parsley and parmesan cheese. Use wet hands to form the rice balls, using a heaping ice cream scoop for each. Stuff each rice ball with a cube of mozzarella cheese and form into a tight ball to enclose the cheese.
- Set up 3 shallow bowls. Place the flour in the first one, the eggs in the second one, and the bread crumbs in the third. Dredge each rice ball in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip one-by-one into the beaten egg allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Repeat until all of the rice balls are ready to fry.
- Add an inch of vegetable oil into a deep pot over medium heat. When the oil reaches 350˚F, add the breaded rice balls in batches without crowding the pot. Cook for 3 minutes per batch, turning to ensure that the balls are golden brown all over. Transfer the cooked rice balls to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle the balls with salt and serve with marinara sauce.
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