Gooey, cheesy rice enclosed in golden crunchy crumb. Need I say anymore? The Italians are genius, GENIUS!
Cheesy Italian Arancini Balls
I received one of those “no brainer” questions a few weeks ago. It went like this:
“Nagi, would you be interested in attending a small lunch to sample and learn about Riccadonna sparkling wines? Massimo Mele will be cooking up an Italian feast!”
It took me about 2 seconds to hit Reply and send “YES!” straight away.
Oh, then I went back to check the date and make sure I was actually free – but really, I would have made it fit into my diary. 😉 I mean, who in their right mind would turn down a champagne lunch with Chef Massimo Mele cooking?? Even if you haven’t heard of him, with a name like Massimo, you can’t mistake his heritage!
At this lunch, Massimo cooked up a 4 course Italian Feast which was, unsurprisingly, phenomenal. A modern, fresh take on classic Italian ingredients, all paired with a different Riccadonna sparkling wine. And guess what? I got the RECIPE CARDS!! You can download a copy of them here. 🙂
In addition to dining on an incredible 4 course Italian feast, I got to learn more about Riccadonna sparkling wines. We had a different sparkling wine for each course, all delicious!
The fact is, when it comes to champagne, I am a bit of a snob. I love real French champagne but as luck would have it, I can’t actually afford a $70 bottle to indulge in every week. 🙁 So for every day purposes, I am quite careful about which champagnes and sparkling wines I purchase because unlike wine, you don’t always get what you pay for. The quality of champagne and sparkling wines you get for $15 varies quite a lot – in my personal, humble opinion.
Riccadonna Prosecco for me is a guaranteed hit every time. What I find unique about it is that the bubbles are so delicate, it is almost like drinking a wine but with the extra little fizziness. Also it’s really light, quite dry and not sweet – it’s refreshing actually. More refreshing than most wines, less fizzy than cheap champagnes. All round – great value for money which is what I’m all about! 😉
So in the spirit of sharing something a little special today that pairs so beautifully with Riccadonna Prosecco, I’m doing something a little different.
I LOVE deep fried food. I have a theory that anything can be made to taste great when it’s deep fried. But I rarely do it myself at home because of clean up and… well, my hips. 😂
HOWEVER…these Cheesy Italian Arancini Balls are WORTH the effort! Besides the fact that they are eye-rollingly delicious, they are so good for make ahead. I’m thinking about a party I’m catering for my mother for Christmas and was keen to test these out.
Also, I didn’t actually use as much oil as I expected to. I used a saucepan, I just feel safer. And because of the small size of these balls, they are easy to handle as opposed to, for example, fried chicken which you would struggle to fry in a saucepan!
How to re-use oil
The oil can be reused twice because the Arancini Balls aren’t heavily seasoned with spices, as opposed to heavily seasoned food like Southern Fried Chicken which taints the oil with flavour.
To re-use the oil, cool in pot, line mesh colander with a single layer of paper towel, strain oil. Store until required – personally would stick to savoury rather than sweet.
Try Stay-Crispy Honey Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Japanese Karaage, Mongolian Beef, Schnitzel or Southern Fried Chicken!
I was actually quite amazed at how well they reheated in the oven! They honestly tasted like they were cooked fresh, the shell was incredibly crisp, the round shape held up perfectly, and the inside was molten and delicious!
They can be served plain. I personally do not think a dipping sauce is required because they are loaded with cheesy flavour. However, I have also provided a quick marinara dipping sauce. Just don’t make the mistake I made, hmm…! Fishing out that Arancini Ball out was rather messy! 😉
Oh – do you need more convincing that these are worth making? Will this photo convince you? 😉
Before I sign off, one last thing. Most Arancini Ball recipe either require 30-40 minutes active stove time to make the risotto rice for these balls OR they are made with precooked ordinary rice which I personally feel does not have anywhere near the same creaminess.
So I use a compromise. I make BAKED risotto so you get the same creaminess, with far less effort. 🙂
Party season is coming up. Thanksgiving, Christmas…..
These are a MUST try! Honestly, I would not share these if I didn’t think they were worth the effort of (semi) deep frying. – Nagi x
PS Instructions for how to consume: sip of Riccadonna Prosecco, bite Arancini, sip Prosecco, bite Arancini….and continue repeating until the earlier of: no more Arancini balls left or bottle is emptied. 😉
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Cheesy Italian Arancini Rice Balls
Ingredients
Baked Risotto
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion , finely diced (white, yellow, brown)
- 1 1/2 cups risotto rice (arborio)
- 1/2 cup white wine (or substitute with broth/stock or water)
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth/stock
- 1 cup milk
Rice Mixture
- 1 egg
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley , or 1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pepper
Coating
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking oil (I used vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add rice and stir until grains turn translucent. Add wine and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed/evaporated.
- Add chicken broth and milk. Stir, bring to simmer, cover, then transfer to oven. Baked, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. Add Rice Mixture Ingredients and mix to combine. Cover and transfer to refrigerator for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Coating
- Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl, eggs in another (lightly beaten) and panko in a third shallow bowl.
- Measure out a level (packed) ice cream scoop of rice mixture (about 2 1/2 tbsp) and roll into a ball. (Note 2)
- Roll in flour, then dredge in egg mixture, then coat in panko, pressing to coat. (Note 3) Repeat with remaining mixture.
Cook
- In a medium saucepan, pour in 1″/2.5cm depth of oil and heat over medium high heat.
- Toss in a breadcrumb and if it starts sizzling immediately, the oil is hot enough.
- Carefully transfer a few balls into the hot oil, using a spoon. Turn frequently so they cook golden evenly, and when they are a deep golden brown, remove onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Repeat with remaining balls.
To Serve
- Serve with Marinara Sauce (optional) (Note 4) sprinkled with finely chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
No nutrition today. Because these are…you know. Fried. 😉
This post is sponsored by Riccadonna who hosted the lunch and asked if I would like to share what I thought about Riccadonna sparkling wine. As someone who has been sipping on Riccadonna for years, I was pretty darn thrilled to accept! N x
Nagi I am making these this weekend for a family reunion were having for my hubby’s family, can I use herbs de Provence in the risotto? I have done them before but never baked risotto and I use small Pearls of Mozzarella in the center and Pecarino Romano mixed into the risotto.
YES those herbs will be fabulous! 🙂 N xx
Can I deep fry these? Also, do you recommend preparing them with the breadcrumbs and putting them in the fridge overnight and frying next day? Or do you recommend fryingfirst , then refrigerating and placing them in the oven next day?
Yes I deep fry these. And yes you can crumb them and refrigerate overnight, they go nice and crunchy!
This is by far the BEST arancini ball recipe. I made this for a group of guests and they were a huge hit. Very easy to make and my gosh, AMAZING! Thank you so so so much for sharing.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Keti! Thank you for sharing your feedback. 🙂 N x
I am making these now. I used vegetable broth, as my son in law is a vegetarian. I’m sure they will be yummy. I love risotto. Have never baked it. Much easier than the stir method
YES it certainly is! 🙂 N xx
The first time we had these was in Bolongna, Italy. I instantly fell in love! I have been wanting to make these and came across your recipe on Pintrest. I have to say these are spot on to what we had in Italy. Malto bene, Brava!
Awwwwww! I am SO JEALOUS! Italy has been on my “wait wait” list for years and years ? I am so pleased you enjoyed these Lorie, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Hi Nagi. I’m looking to make these for a Christmas Open House that I’m hosting. Expecting about 50-75 people. Could you make them smaller and still come out the same? More of a “one-bite” morsel. Would prefer to make them ahead and freeze them as I’m doing about 10 different appetizers and would like to make as much ahead as possible. Do they taste the same if frozen?
Hi Kim! Yes these are great made even smaller! 🙂 And because they are fried, they work great reheated! Cook, cool ,freeze then bake to reheat. SO GOOD!
Thank you, I was also wondering at what stage would be best to freeze. So cook completely then just reheat.
Hi Brigette! I have frozen cooked ones, then reheated in the oven. They worked great! N x
Hi Nagi!
Have you ever tried freezing them and then reheating them? Would you loose the crispiness? Would love to always have some handy for unexpected get togethers!
Hi Nicole, yes it works great!
My favorite thing on the Carabbas menu are those little Aranciini balls. And I watch a lot of Food Network, so I was a bit intimidated by risotto — but I read your recipe. Sounded within my skill set 🙂
I’ve not finished, I’m waiting for the 3 hour cool.
But I tasted them, and they are yummy. This time, I’m following the recipe. But next time, I think I’m going to toss in some Italian sausage 🙂
Thank you for breaking down an intimidating dish to a degree that I now know I can make it!
Oooh I hope you loved it! Thank you for your lovely message! N x
Hello,
Must say firstly that I have tried a number of your recipes and they have been wonderful successes. Thank you so very much.
Now I have to make arancini balls for a party but they must be gluten-free. Can you suggest a gluten-free alternative to the panic bread crumbs?
Thank you again,
Angela
Hi Angela, I am so sorry for the late response 🙁 I’ve had a bad week so far! Have you tried blitzed popcorn? It’s a brilliant sub! Same for blitzed rice crackers 🙂
Nagisan, my former in-laws (outlaws??) used to make something just like this but they would put a meatball in the middle of it!! They were delicious!! I never got the recipe, but this seems almost exactly like it! I can’t wait to try this! (Plus a bonus recipe for baked risotto!! YES!!)
GASP! A meatball surprise inside??? YES YES YES!!!
Hi Nagi,
This recipe looks great! I am planning on making them for a party but I want to make them a few days ahead of time. Would you recommend storing them in the refrigerator for a few days before I serve them, or is the freezer better? And how would you recommend storing them? Thank you for your help!
-Maria
Hi Maria! I would recommend frying them until golden, letting them cool them refrigerating them for up to 3 days. Then spray with oil and reheat in the oven to make them lovely and crisp again!
Nagi! I feel like i just have to leave comments here and there about your recipe that I’ve made so that everyone will know how good they are! I am usually not that type of person who leave a comment but in your case it’s different because every recipe is right on!
I’ve tried this recipe and my husband loved it! (He’s not easily please i have to tell you, dont get me wrong, he always tells me that everything I cook taste great, but i know when he really loves it or he just playing nice, lol). The only problem i found with this recipe is the amount of time it took to roll the arancini into balls that makes me impatient sometimes. So i just made as much as i can bear with it and leave the rest in the fridge for me to roll (and fried) later (when i feel like it ?, lol). But there’s nothing wrong with your recipe, its great as usual, My family loves it including my toddlers! Thanks Nagi! ❤️
THANK YOU TASH!!! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed these!!! Hint: I am like that too. I was making potato cakes today, I got bored halfway through and put the rest in the fridge. Tonight, I made one giant pattie. 🙂 So you could make a giant arancini “cake”, then cut it into wedges to serve. OR make slices – so form a rectangle/square, cut into pieces then coat them in panko. MUCH FASTER!!! 🙂
Nagi, for how long and at what oven temperature should the arancini be reheated.
Looking forward to fixing for Bookclub gathering, along with sipping Riccadonna.
Maisie
Hi Maisie! I reheat them in a hot oven – 200C/390F fan forced for around 12 – 15 minutes, until the crumb goes crispy again 🙂 Hope you enjoy them!! (And the Riccadonna!!)
HI – I am new to making these as well, and when you say white wine, are you using the prosecco to cook with, or are you just using it as a pairing to drink with? If so, what kind of white wine are you using in the recipe? Thanks so much, they look delicious!
Hi Jen! I use plain white wine 🙂 Prosecco would work great too BUT it would lose bubbles before drinking it! (Unless you plan to DRINK THE PROSECCO while cooking!!! Te he – now that’s an idea!!)
These look fantastic! I only wish you would include the “3 hours in the refrigerator” as part of the prep time 🙁 I’ve never made anything like this before, but my husband has been after me to learn to make them, and I figured I’d give it a go. I had intended on surprising him with these for dinner, but I didn’t realize right away I had to refrigerate them…guess he’ll just have to wait for tomorrow! 😛
I’m terribly sorry about that! I am trying to figure out the best way to incorporate inactive cook time into my recipe template. 🙁
Not a problem! I’m sure they will taste just as delicious tonight! 🙂
Nagisan, I can’t drink any alcohol but without any drink, I can just eat those yummy cheesy rice balls! I am going to make this for Christmas break up day(the last school day lunch):D
No sake?? 😉 Oooh, what a way to finish the school year! I am so looking forward to meeting you Shihoko! (As is my mother!!!)
I could totally eat 100 arancini balls without drawing breath! The combination of arancini and prosecco sounds wonderful and perfect for Christmas drinks. When can I come round to eat these babies!
I bet your arancini balls kick @ss 😉 In fact, why I didn’t think of checking your site for a recipe is beyond me! N x
Oooooh I LOVE LOVE LOVE Prosecco… I think I could drink it daily 😉 And omg your arancini look fabulous!! I tried to make some once using leftover rice (because I was being lazy and didn’t feel like making risotto lol), and they were so BLAH :/ Total waste of frying! I can’t wait to try your baked risotto and your arancini version, as I know my whole family will just chow down and love every second of it 🙂
Same here! It’s definitely my “go to” for affordable bubbles! 🙂 N x
Wow… Nagi, these look sooooo delicious! I have never tried aranini before. But I love a good crunchy bite. And baked risotto? Bravo! Going to try soon!
You must!! I know it’s not the uber authentic way to do it, but honestly, I bet no one can tell the difference especially for arancini balls! 🙂
I’ve had arancini in Italian Restaurants in Boston. A Brit with a culinary arts degree and celiac disease I now spend my time as a national speaker and writer on food for gluten free diets in US. So also can’t enjoy someone else doing the work and my eating arancini. I actually intended to make some last week with leftover risotto but as we all know, there’s no leftover. I love the aebelskiver pan idea, I have the pan, you could use very little oil and still have fried flavour without pan of oil and would keep round shape which would disappear on flat baking sheet. BTW Amazon does non stick aebelskiver pans for far less money that traditional cast iron. Like you, I hate standing over pan to cook risotto so I actually make mine in electric pressure cooker, 11 minutes, beats 40.
I heard about making risotto in a pressure cooker the other day!! That’s incredible, I have to try it. 🙂 My friend swears it is 7 minutes. 7 minutes!!
time really depends on psi of pressure cooker, some are less than 15 psi. Plus I noticed a difference between adding cold stock, hot or boiling. 2 minutes to pressure versus 10. then just 9 minutes to cook, mine isn’t 15 psi. Made some last night, dried out gluten free breadcrumbs since gluten free bought panko is horrible. But very late breakfast today and dinner out tonight, so not making them for lunch.
I love both prosecco and arancini! Together, it just makes perfect sense being Italian and all! This all looks so pretty and perfect. I love how cheesy they are too, will totally be making these.
Phew! So glad you approve! 😉 Mind you though, I love dry prosecco with almost anything. I find it really versatile!!