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
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!!
I have to admit, I’ve never had arancini. But every time I see a recipe for them, I’m intrigued. They look just so perfect!! Your photos sold the idea, and I’ll be making this very soon. I’ll report back on the outcome. Can’t wait to try.
Oh and that wine looks amazing! I’ve been craving white wine (especially sparkling!) for quite some time. Can’t wait for January to indulge! ?
No! Never tried arancini balls? Shine, it will change your life. You will never go back! N x
I would like you to know,,,,that this happens to be one of my favorite foods…IN THE WORLD. Yes… it is. Really. In fact it’s so important to me.. I am working on the vegan version. Of course I am 🙂 And I am so jealous you got invited to this fabulous tasting dinner! Ahhhh I so wish I lived near you so I could join you on these escapades.
ME TOO! Seriously. I love it that much. But so rarely treat myself to it!! 🙂 Can’t wait to see the vegan version. Risotto is so creamy anyway, I think it will work really well!
I love arancini balls. They are always a treat. i would love them a lot more too with a glass of sparkle.
Sparkle + deep fried golden crunchy balls of gooey cheese and rice = match made in heaven. 🙂 Always said you have fabulous taste Tania!! N x
These arancini balls look to die for! Although, in my opinion, most everything goes well with prosecco 😉
How right you are Tracy! <3 N x
Love arranchini, but I’ve never made them myself! Deep frying is the way to go with them! Love the cheesy inside. Wine tasting is always fun and I;m so glad you were able to attend this one. I just need to stop being lazy and try the recipe with the baked risotto.
I know what you mean Mira. I must admit Arancini balls are reserved for special occasions for me too! 🙂 N x
I don’t usually deep fry at home, but I may just have too make a special exception for these cheesy arincini balls. These will be perfect for our next family game night. Do you think they would freeze well?
They freeze wonderfully Ann! And I am with you – I’m not a fryer at all usually. Only for very special occasions!! N x
I looove arancini. These look great so you definitely got me in the mood for them. Baking is a wonderful time saver too! That’s what we do for catering. Good thinking 🙂
Thanks Sabrina!!! I know, aren’t arancini’s the BEST?! 😉
I totally understand your quick replying to the email with: YES. I recently was invited to the wine tasting and lunch on Niagara on the Lake and I was hoping the whole week that nothing will go wrong. I honestly wanted to be there so badly. It was fun experience. These cheese Italian balls go perfectly with Riccadonna wine. Looks delicious!
Oooh, that sounds delightful!!! I would have responded just as quickly to that too!! N x
I had no idea other people were afraid of deep frying! With respect to getting rid of the oil, I hope you know not to throw it down the drain. For some reason, oil collects together and can cause major problems in waterways. There is a device called an Actifryer that uses very little oil. Me, I have an aebelskiver pan, which looks like a small cast iron skillet with muffin holes in it. It is used on the stop top and could be used for these small balls.
Some cars/trucks have been modified to run on used fry oil instead of gasoline. A famous musician, whose name I can’t recall, has one. A band (maybe with same guy) converted their tour bus. Probably they don’t take donations, though 😉
Thanks for including the recipe for baked risotto. I can see arancini on my table in the near future.
Gosh no! Ever since i was a child, I knew that oil had to be discarded properly because my mother used to leave it in the fryer to cool then transfer back into the bottle to discard in the bin. 🙁 So that’s what I have always known to do!! My friend has an air fryer which she swears by. It sounds quite similar. 🙂
Hey Nagi,
Great article, awesome recipe. I thoroughly enjoyed these snacks on my trip to the lovely island of Sicily.
Sicilians are a very proud and independent bunch, they don’t like to be called Italian, they are Sicilian. I strongly suggest you re-name these to Cheesy Sicilian Arancini :). Nowadays they are made all around Italy but they are a Sicilian creation.
Keep up the great work.
Oh my gosh – do you know, I seriously did NOT know that! Thank you so much for letting me know! I really love learning more about food and cuisines from readers. 🙂 I am not sure I can rename them, I think that stuffs up the post! I did it once and had all sorts of tech problems. 🙁 Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!! N x
I’ve always wanted to make arancini balls, ever since my first experience only 10 years ago. Up till then, I never knew how amazing a ball of rice in a breadcrumb coating could taste. I’ve seen so many recipes for arancini balls, but all the easy ones require frying. And I abhor frying anything. I promise to give your recipe a go, but I will stick to baking, as I am so much better at controlling the oven than I am hot oil in a frypan!
Hope you have a most fun and fantastic trip to the US! Very jealous of your trip, almost as much as I am jealous of your wonderful lunch with Massimo!
I am not a fan of frying either. 🙂 Honestly, I am pretty sure the last time I fried was maybe February of this year? And it was for a lunch so I made loads of stuff just to make the most of the rare moment!!! Baking really works well too, I have a pumpkin arancini ball I posted previously which was baked. 🙂 I made the effort to fry these because it was for a special occasion!! N x
Hi Nagi! I’m just relieved to know you are safe! 🙂
what an elegant looking appetizer! I’m terrified of deep frying … that’s a cooking method I’m not trying at home! only in commercial kitchens! I did download the recipe cards tho!
Oooh! I hope you enjoy them! I’m looking forward especially to making the fig 🙂
These are perfection in the form of a ball Nagi! I’m already craving them!
THANKS SHADI!! I must admit, this is one of the best things to come out of my kitchen this year…..probably because I rarely deep fry!!
Nagi these arancini balls look incredibly delicious, great pictures showing all that gooey goodness. I’ve never had arancini balls but they totally seem doable with your step by step photos. I think my kids would love these too, so I will have add this onto my list of recipes to try from your site!
Thank you Shinee! Coming from someone who is such a great cook, I appreciate it! 🙂
I love arancini so much! I always make them if I have leftover risotto. I love the idea of doing a baked risotto intended for arancini–makes so much sense!
Hi Mary! We’re soul mates when it comes to arancini balls, that’s for sure! 😉 Baked is really lovely! Same crunch and flavour, it just doesn’t come out quite as evenly golden. 🙂