These Italian Arancini di Riso aka Arancini Siciliani are made with rice and stuffed with meat in sauce, peas and mozzarella and cheese. And, yes, these are the ingredients that comfort food is made from.
Rice Balls are often served as an appetizer and topped with a Marinara Sauce, for a delicious tangy flavor.
If you like rice then you will want to try my recipe for Braciole di Riso, my Riso al Forno or Seafood Risotto.
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Arancini are a staple in Italian culture. They are made any time of the year but enjoyed on December 13 on the feast of Saint Lucy. But you can enjoy them any time of the year. They are made in any size and often stuffed with a ground beef in a tomato sauce, peas and mozzarella cheese.
If you like rice balls then you will also like other Italian traditional dishes like pasta al forno, pasta alla norma and pasta with anchovies.
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Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- versatile stuffing ingredients allow you to customize the filling
- comfort food perfect for snacking or as a side dish
- great tasting and kid friendly
- perfect as a party appetizer in smaller portion sizes
Ingredients Needed
Arancini are made with basic ingredients like arborio rice, parmesan cheese, peas, ground meat, tomato sauce and breadcrumbs.
How to Make Italian Arancini Di Riso
Cook the rice on the stove top or in a rice cooker until al dente or almost cooked through. Drain rice and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. You can make the rice ahead to save time.
Place the cooled rice in a large bowl. Add eggs, parmesan cheese and the tomato sauce or tomato paste .
Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of rice in the palm of your hand, make a hole in the centre and stuff peas and mozzarella. Cover with more rice on top and squeeze the rice with both hands to form a ball, turn and press as you shape the ball.
Place the ball of rice into the bowl of breadcrumbs and cover the rice ball with breadcrumbs. You can pick it up too and press the rice ball in the palm of your hands to make sure the breadcrumbs stick well.
Fry the rice balls in a deep fryer or in a medium sized saucepan at 325℉ until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
Once golden transfer using tongs onto a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Serve with marinara sauce (optional)
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for a maximum of five days. You can also freeze for later.
To reheat, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
Top Tips
Do not overcook the rice.
Drain your rice and let it sit in the colander and cool down completely. You will not be able to use the rice right away because [hot rice ] plus [raw eggs] equals rice scramble!
These Italian arancini rice balls can be fried in a deep fryer or a saucepan that has at least 3 inches of vegetable oil. For best results use an oil that has a high smoke point. Your oil should be at least 325°F hot.
If you do not have a thermometer, test the oil by placing some leftover rice or a little bit of breadcrumbs in the oil and when the oil reacts by fizzing, it should be ready.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some variations for the filling of your rice balls:
- Meatless - leave out ground meat in tomato sauce for a vegetarian option
- Prosciutto & Sun Dried Tomatoes - make a stuffing of prosciutto and sun dried tomatoes to fill your arancini rice balls
- Brown Rice - use brown arborio rice for a whole grain version
P.S. Traditional filling consists of ground beef in a sauce, with peas and mozzarella. Be creative - run with this, the possibilities are endless.
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
To make arancini di riso you’ll need a rice with a high starch content. The higher the starch content, the easier it will be to get the rice to stick together. For the perfect Arancini you will need either "Italian Style" rice or arborio rice.
Yes, arancini can be eaten cold but are best eaten when hot and served with marinara or a tomato meat sauce.
Yes! When you are ready to eat them, pop them in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Recipe Details
Arancini di Riso - Italian Rice Balls
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caEquipment
- arancini maker mold (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice uncooked
- 3 extra large eggs
- 3 tbsp marinara sauce or 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup peas cooked
- ¼ cup ground beef in tomato sauce (pre-cooked, optional)
- ½ cup mozzarella (or 4 cubes of mozzarella)
- 1 cups breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Cook the rice on the stove top or in a rice cooker until al dente or almost cooked through. Drain rice and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Place the cooled rice in a large bowl. Add eggs, parmesan cheese and the tomato sauce or tomato paste . If you don't have tomato sauce/paste on hand, skip it! Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl.
- Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of rice in the palm of your hand, make a hole in the centre and stuff peas (and ground beef in sauce) and mozzarella in the hold. You can also combine all of the stuffing ingredients together ahead of time. (ground beef in sauce is optional)
- Place a little more rice on top and squeeze the rice with both hands to form a ball, turn and press as you shape the ball.
- Place the ball of rice into the bowl of breadcrumbs and cover the rice ball with breadcrumbs. You can pick it up too and press the rice ball in the palm of your hands to make sure the breadcrumbs stick well.
- Carefully place the rice ball on a tray or plate and let rest while you make the other arancini.
- Fry the rice balls in a deep fryer or in a medium sized saucepan at 325℉ until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Once golden transfer using tongs onto a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with marinara sauce (optional)
Notes
Top Tips
Do not overcook the rice. Drain your rice and let it sit in the colander and cool down completely. You will not be able to use the rice right away because [hot rice ] plus [raw eggs] equals rice scramble! These Italian arancini rice balls can be fried in a deep fryer or a saucepan that has at least 3 inches of vegetable oil. For best results use an oil that has a high smoke point. Your oil should be at least 325°F hot. If you do not have a thermometer, test the oil by placing some leftover rice or a little bit of breadcrumbs in the oil and when the oil reacts by fizzing, it should be ready.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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