These rice balls Polpette di Riso are slightly different than Italian Arancini di Riso. Made with similar ingredients but shaped slightly different.
Shaped like a flatter meatball but made with Italian Style rice, parsley and egg.
Like rice? Try my recipe for Italian Arancini di Riso, my Riso al Forno, my Seafood Risotto or Mushroom Risotto recipe on the site.
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Polpette di Riso also knows as rice croquettes or as my mom called them Braciole di Riso can be made any time of the year and are made with ingredients right in your pantry. This was one of those side dishes my mom made as side dish to our main dish.
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- reduce waste by using leftover rice
- great taste that kids will love
- comforting taste and texture
- easy to make
Comfort food was always on my mom's mind when she made dishes like Rigatoni al Forno, Lasagna al Forno or Tagliatelle with Traditional Bolognese Sauce.
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Ingredients
Simple ingredients is all it take to make these polpette di riso like: arborio rice, parsley, egg, cheese, salt and breadcrumbs.
See recipe card for details.
How to Make Polpette di Riso
Make rice in a rice cooker or on the stove top and cook until al dente. Drain only if necessary, but do not run under water. Set aside to cool down completely.
Place the rice in a bowl and add eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and mix thoroughly.
Fill a bowl with breadcrumbs.
Place about 3 tablespoons of the rice mixture into your hands and press down rotate and form a narrow shaped ball.
Place the ball of rice into the bowl of breadcrumbs rolling it gently until it is covered in breadcrumbs. Pick it up the ball and press down and roll the ball again to secure the breadcrumbs in place.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Repeat making the rice balls until all the rice mixture is finished.
Sauté garlic in vegetable oil until fragrant, then discard garlic.
Fry the rice balls until slightly golden on the bottom then use two forks to turn over gently.
Once golden and cooked, remove and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Storage:
Any leftover balls of rice can be stored in an airtight contain refrigerated for up to 4 days.
These rice balls can also be frozen for consumption later. Just thaw out in the refrigerator overnight or in microwave.
Top Tips
Using cold water to wet your hands is helpful when shaping the balls of rice.
Wait until the bottom of the rice balls are golden before flipping them to the other side.
If oil is shallow, you may need to fry on all sides to ensure that they are cooked.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some ideas on how you can make your polpette di riso unique:
- Cheese - replace parmesan with your favorite cheese like mozzarella
- Peas - add peas to the mixture
- Whole Wheat Rice - substitute whole wheat rice for a healthier option
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Orzo is is traditionally made of flour but looks very similar to grains of rice.
Translated it means "meatball". However polpette are often made from other ingredients including fish, chicken and some times vegetables.
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Recipe Details
Polpette di Riso (Rice Meatballs)
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
- 2 cups Italian style rice or Arborio rice uncooked
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp pecorino romano cheese grated
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Make rice in a rice cooker or on the stove top and cook until al dente. Drain only if necessary, but do not run under water. Set aside to cool down completely.
- Place the rice in a bowl and add eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and mix thoroughly.
- Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl.
- Place about 3 tablespoons of the rice mixture into your hands and press down rotate and form a narrow shaped ball.
- Place the ball of rice into the bowl of breadcrumbs rolling it gently until it is covered in breadcrumbs. Pick it up the ball and press down and roll the ball again to secure the breadcrumbs in place. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat making the rice balls until all the rice mixture is finished.
- Sauté garlic in vegetable oil until fragrant, then discard garlic. Fry the rice balls until slightly golden on the bottom then use two forks to turn over gently. (you can also use a deep fryer). Fry all sides if the oil is not deep enough to cook the sides.
- Once golden and cooked, remove and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Notes
Top Tips
Using cold water to wet your hands is helpful when shaping the balls of rice. Wait until the bottom of the rice balls are golden before flipping them to the other side. If oil is shallow, you may need to fry on all sides to ensure that they are cooked.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.
AmyG says
These reminded me of the rice croquettes my mom used to make. Delicious, my family loved them. Nice to see traditional recipes that bring back memories!