Italian Rice Balls, or Arancini di Riso are a classic Sicilian staple that we love to have for Sunday dinner. Parmesan risotto-style rice is stuffed with my homemade ragù with peas, then breaded and deep fried until golden brown and crispy!
Arancini is a really special treat that we love to have for Sunday Family Dinner or for special occasions and holidays. They are crispy and delicious on the outside and creamy and meaty in the middle. My favorite flavor and texture combo!
I love how versatile these rice balls are. You can serve them as an appetizer, side dish and also as a main dish. PLUS, you can customize the filling so they are exactly how you like them!
Jump to:
- 💭 What Are Arancini?
- 🍚 Ingredients to Make Italian Rice Balls
- ⏱️ Kitchen Time Saver
- 🔪 How to Make Sicilian Aracini
- 👩🏻🍳 Chef's Secret
- 💭 Frequently Asked Questions
- ⏲️ How to Make Arancini Ahead of Time
- 🥡 How to Store and Reheat Leftover Rice Balls
- 🍝 More Classic Italian Recipes
- #ScarlatiFamilyKitchen
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
💭 What Are Arancini?
Arancini, Arancine or Arancini di Riso are fried Italian Rice Balls that originated in Sicily. They started as a popular Sicilian street food and now are served in restaurants, cafes and pizzerias all over the world.
"Arancini di Riso" literally means little oranges of rice and perfectly describes their shape and size. They are traditionally stuffed with ragù (meat sauce) with cheese and ofter peas.
🍚 Ingredients to Make Italian Rice Balls
These are all of the ingredients to make the Italian rice balls, all from scratch. Make sure you check out my notes and tips below regarding the key ingredients, as well as variations you can make.
- Rice - I highly recommend using arborio or carnaroli rice for arancini. They are both a short-grain rice that are used for risotto and are high in starch. This is what gives both risotto and arancini it's creamy texture. Leftover risotto can be used, if you have it on hand, you will need approximately 6 cups.
- Ragù - This homemade meat sauce is made using ground beef with peas mixed in. If you have leftover sauce or store-bought sauce, you can simmer that with the meat and then mix in the peas. You want it to be pretty thick, so make sure to reduce it down quite a bit.
- Cheese - I mix loads of parmesan cheese in with the risotto to make it creamy and cheesy. You can also add a cube or shreds of mozzarella cheese into the middle with the meat to make them EXTRA cheesy.
⏱️ Kitchen Time Saver
The sauce and rice can be made at the same time and done the day before. This will help to save time prepping and on the day of serving.
🔪 How to Make Sicilian Aracini
First, start the ragù by sautéing the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil and then adding the ground beef, cooking until it's browned.
Stir in the tomato puree and let the sauce simmer until reduced and slightly thickened. Mix in the peas and then set aside to cool completely.
To make the risotto rice, toast the arborio in olive oil in a pan and then add in your Chicken Stock or Broth. Bring the rice to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer, until the rice is al dente.
Once the rice is cooked, spread it onto a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
Once the rice has completely cooled, mix it with the eggs and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. To make the balls, wet your hands, then take a handful of rice and flatten it in the palm of your hand.
Create a small well in the center and spoon some of ragù with peas into the middle. Wrap the rice mixture around the filling and use your hands to shape it into a ball. This can take a little practice and it's ok if some of the filling seeps out. (It helps to flatten the rice evenly and not too thinly in your hand.)
Place the formed balls on wax paper or parchment and then repeat with the remaining rice and meat mixture.
Once you have all of the rice balls formed, set up a breading station by whisking the eggs in a shallow bowl, adding the flour to another and then finally the breadcrumbs into a third.
Bread the rice balls by rolling them in the flour, dipping them into the egg mixture, and then rolling them in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded rice balls on a sheet pan or wax paper, but do not stack them - they will stick together!
Once all of the rice balls are breaded, fry them in batches, for about 2-4 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the hot oil and then let them drain on paper towels.
👩🏻🍳 Chef's Secret
Tap or shake off excess flour, egg and breadcrumbs so the breading doesn't get too thick and fall off. Use food safe latex gloves for this step to help keep your hands clean!
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
These rice balls can easily be made vegetarian. You can simmer the peas in marinara along with other veggies, like mushrooms and fresh spinach, until reduced and use that as your filling. You can also mix a bit of marinara with shredded mozzarella to use as a cheesy stuffing.
Arancini is so versatile and can be served with lots of different dishes. They can be served as an appetizer before a meal, as a side along with Braciole or seafood or as a main dish with Homemade Pasta or other Italian classics.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⏲️ How to Make Arancini Ahead of Time
Unfried - The rice balls can be shaped and breaded a day or two before frying. Store them on a sheet pan, wrapped in plastic wrap, then take them out while the oil heats.
Fried - Fry the arancini, let them cool completely and then store them on a sheet pan wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a 400˚ oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Freeze - Individually wrap the balls after they cool and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen balls completely in the refrigerator and then reheat as directed above.
🥡 How to Store and Reheat Leftover Rice Balls
Leftover rice balls should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last about 3-5 days and can be reheated in the microwave, oven or air fryer.
🍝 More Classic Italian Recipes
If you loved this Italian Rice Balls Recipe, check out these other classic Italian recipes that I know you will love too!
📖 Recipe
Italian Rice Balls (Arancini di Riso)
Ingredients
Meat Ragu Filling
- 2 Teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ cup diced yellow onion
- ⅛ cup diced carrots
- ⅛ cup diced celery
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 14 ounces tomato puree
- ½ cup frozen peas
Risotto Rice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups arborio rice, or carnaroli rice
- 5 cups chicken stock , or broth
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
Assembly
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 1-2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
- Italian gravy (affiliate link), or marinara for serving
Instructions
Ragù Meat Filling
- Heat a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat with the olive oil. Add in the onions, carrots and celery and season with the salt and pepper. Saute the vegetables for 3-5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add the ground beef and cook, while breaking it up, for 2-3 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Add the tomato puree and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer for 30-45 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened.
- Stir in the frozen peas and cool completely in the refrigerator.
Parmesan Risotto Rice
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat with the olive oil.
- Once the oil shimmers in the pan, add the rice and toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned.
- Stir in the chicken stock or broth (affiliate link) and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes. The rice should be al dente and most of the liquid absorbed.
- Spread the cooked rice into an even layer on a sheet pan and cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Once cooled, mix in a large bowl with the eggs and parmesan.
Assembling the Arancini
- Wet your hands and then flatten a small handful of the rice in the palm of your hand and create a small well in the center.
- Spoon a little bit of the ragù mixture into the middle and wrap the rice around it, using your hands to gently form it into a ball with the filling in the middle. Make small to medium sized balls for an appetizer or side dish and larger balls for a main dish.
- Place the formed ball onto wax or parchment paper and repeat with the remaining rice mixture.
- Set up a breading station with three small bowls or shallow dishes. Whisk the eggs in one dish, place the flour in another and the breadcrumbs in the third.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot or deep fryer, heat the oil over medium heat to 350˚F.
- While the oil is heating, bread the rice balls by rolling them around in the flour, then dipping them into the egg, and then lastly rolling them around in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat them completely on all sides and shake off any excess before moving to the next step.
- Working in batches, fry the arancini in the hot oil, for 2-4 minutes. Gently roll them around in the oil, until they are golden brown on all sides.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the arancini and then place them on paper towels to drain the excess oil.
- Serve immediately on top of sauce or with the sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Vegetarian - Simmer the peas in marinara along with other veggies, like mushrooms and fresh spinach until reduced and use that as your filling. You can also mix a bit of marinara with shredded mozzarella to use as a cheesy stuffing.
- Make Ahead - The sauce and rice can be made the day before to save time. The rice balls can also be breaded and stored unfried on a sheet pan wrapped in plastic 1-2 days ahead of time. To fry the balls ahead of time, follow the instructions for cooking, then cool them completely. Store them on a sheet pan wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator no more than 1 day ahead of time.
- Freeze - To freeze, wrap the fried and cooled arancini individually in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen balls completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Leftovers - Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- Reheating - Reheat leftover or made ahead arancini in a 400˚ oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
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