Have you ever tried Arancini? An Italian appetizer made using risotto filled with cheese, breaded and deep fried to crispy perfection. And Arancini Made with Leftover Risotto keeps the time down and you can have them a whole lot faster!

I absolutely love Risotto of all kinds and have been making it regularly for the best part of two decades. We enjoy all kinds like the Butternut Squash Risotto, Pea & Mint Risotto, Lemon & Asparagus Risotto and so much more. And when you have risotto leftovers, it just makes good sense to make Arancini Balls.

Why You Want to Make The Arancini Balls

• Great way to use up leftovers – If you make risotto, you may easily end up with leftovers and this is a great way to use them up.
• Prep ahead of time – These can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge covered until frying time..
• Delicious – They are so flavourful and just downright delicious
• Versatile – You can honestly make these with any flavour of leftover risotto.

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Ingredients To Make The Arancini

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• Leftover risotto – for this recipe I used leftover risotto. You can always make your risotto fresh, just remember that this will add at least 40 extra minutes to the total time.
• Cheese – I used fresh mozzarella and cut it into small cubes. You could use small pearl mozzarella as well.
• Dry ingredients – I used both flour and dry bread crumbs to coat the Arancini balls.
• Eggs – are used to coat the Arancini balls.
• Vegetable oil – this is the best choice for frying the Arancini balls.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be located at the end of the post in the recipe card.

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Instructions

There is no way around it, this is a time consuming dish to make. And if you are making the Risotto fresh, be prepared to be in the kitchen for an afternoon. When I read recipes that say “This is so quick to make….”, it isn’t.

1. Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out balls of rice, about the size of a golf ball. Form them into patties and lay out on a baking tray.
2. In the center of each rice patty, place a cube or two (depending on the size) of the fresh mozzarella. Using both hands, fold the rice completely around the mozzarella making sure it is completely encased in the rice.
3. Put the flour in one bowl. The breadcrumbs in another bowl. And whisk the eggs into another bowl.
4. Lightly roll each Arancini ball in the flour, then dip in the egg and coat with the breadcrumbs. Repeat for all balls. Put them on a large plate or a baking tray.
5. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy bottomed saucepan set over medium heat. You want enough oil to go up about 2 – 3 inches of the pan. The oil needs to reach about 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
6. Fry the Arancini balls in batches. Cook each side for 3 – 4 minutes. They will be fully cooked when they are dark golden brown.
7. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. They are great on their own but you can serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

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Tips For Getting The Arancini Perfect

• Leftover risotto works best – It’s best to work with cold risotto when making this risotto. It holds together much better than freshly made risotto. If using fresh made risotto, let it stand a few hours before trying to form it into balls.
• Set up an efficient working station – For these Arancini balls we are dipping them into egg, flour and bread crumbs. So you want to be organized and make sure you have everything set up before you start making the rice balls. This will make the process much easier.
• Make sure they are sealed properly – after you add the cheese to the center, make sure it’s is completely sealed inside the rice. Otherwise, you risk the cheese coming out while frying.
• Fry at the correct temperature – test the oil before adding a batch or arancini balls to the saucepan. Add one ball and make sure it sizzles. If it doesn’t sizzle, it means the oil isn’t hot enough. If oil isn’t hot enough when frying, the arancini will absorb the oil and they will be greasy. The best temperature for frying these is 350 degrees C/180 f

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Can I make These in Advance

• Prepare and Refrigerate Before Frying – You could get them all prepared, cover them and pop them in the fridge until you want to fry them.
• Fry, Drain and store in the fridge to reheat later – Yes, you can even fry them in advance and reheat in the oven. Simply take the fried Arancini out of the fridge and place them on a baking tray. Reheat in a preheated 350 degree F/180 C oven for about 15 minutes.

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What’s Great To Serve with Arancini Rice Balls

Serve these as a starter to the Shrimp Linguine in a White Wine Sauce or the Easy Garlic Mushroom Spaghetti. They would also go really good alongside the Oven Roasted Italian Green Peppers and the Garlic Mushrooms.

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Here’s a Few Risotto Recipes That you Could Use For The Arancini

• Pea & Mint Risotto
• Mushroom & Leek Risotto
• Portobello Mushroom & Spinach Risotto

Frequently Asked Questions

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Get The Recipe!

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