Arancini Balls – Easy Rice Balls

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Having grown up in an Italian family, arancini balls were a typical dinner dish. They are breaded, fried balls of rice and cheese. Some people add different ingredients to arancini balls, for instance, my aunt added peas which I was not a fan of. Making arancini balls can be time consuming because of work involved in making the rice. But I recently discovered a cool shortcut that makes easy arancini in a fraction of the time. Read along to find out how to make this simple recipe.
Arancini Balls - This easy recipe features a short cut to cut down on cooking time. Cheesy crispy arancini balls in less than 30 minutes! #riceballs #arancini #aranciniballs


Arancini Balls

My secret to easy arancini is to use a quick cooking rice like Minute Rice. It really cuts down on the cooking time.

Ingredients to make arancini balls

Making the arancini balls

The process of making this arancini balls recipe could not be easier. Boil water, add the Minute Rice and cook according to package directions. After 5 minutes, you will have fluffy white rice.
rice in a pot

When the rice is ready, put it in a large bowl and add an egg, some of the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.
seasoned rice for rice balls

Use your hands to form into small balls. I actually made various sized rice balls. When I was a kid my family made large rice balls. If you went to the local pizzerias in the Italian neighborhood where I grew up, the arancini balls were huge – larger than a baseball! These days I see rice balls are made much smaller, so make whatever size you prefer.
Beat two eggs in a bowl and dip the formed rice balls in the egg.
easy arancini recipe

Next, roll around in the bread crumbs until the ball is completely covered.
arancini recipe easy

Cooking the arancini balls

Place the oil in a pan so that when the arancini are added, the oil will cover or nearly cover them. Heat oil until it is 350 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, drop in balls in batches of four until they are cooked through and the outside has turned a deep golden brown. You can also cook these in a deep fryer.
frying rice balls

Remove the arancini balls from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. If you'd like, you can warm up some marinara sauce for dipping and serve the sauce with the rice balls.
When you open up the arancini, you will see all the rice and cheesy goodness inside. Yum!
Arancini Balls - This easy recipe features a short cut to cut down on cooking time. Cheesy crispy arancini balls in less than 30 minutes! #riceballs #arancini #aranciniballs

These arancini make a great side dish. You can also experiment with the ingredients inside. I think bits of cut of salami or pepperoni would taste delicious mixed with the rice.
Arancini Balls - This easy recipe features a short cut to cut down on cooking time. Cheesy crispy arancini balls in less than 30 minutes! #riceballs #arancini #aranciniballs

5 from 7 votes
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Arancini Balls

Arancini Balls - This easy recipe features a short cut to cut down on cooking time. Cheesy crispy arancini balls in less than 30 minutes!

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Keyword arancini balls, arancini balls recipe, arancini recipe easy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 288 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Minute Rice cooked
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella
  • 3 eggs 1 for rice mixture and 2 beaten for coating the rice balls
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • dash pepper
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs use 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs in rice mixture and 1/2 cup to bread the rice balls
  • 2 cups oil for frying
  • marinara sauce for dipping

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Minute Rice according to package directions.

  2. When the rice is ready, allow it to cool and then put it in a large bowl and stir in 1 egg, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/8 teaspoon salt, dash of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.

  3. Use your hands to form into small balls.

  4. Beat two eggs in a bowl and dip the formed rice balls in the egg.  Roll the rice balls around in the bread crumbs until they are completely covered.



  5. Place the oil in a pan so that when the arancini are added, the oil will cover or nearly cover them. Heat oil until it is 350 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, drop in balls in batches of four until they are cooked through and the outside has turned a deep golden brown.

  6. Remove the arancini balls from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. If you'd like, you can warm up some marinara sauce for dipping and serve the sauce with the rice balls.

Recipe Notes

 

 

 
Nutrition Facts
Arancini Balls
Amount Per Serving (8 g)
Calories 288 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 75mg25%
Sodium 275mg12%
Potassium 62mg2%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 208IU4%
Calcium 143mg14%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Please note the calorie and fat content listed in the nutritional information is much higher than it actually is since the program I am using is counting the total oil used for frying, not just the oil that is absorbed into the arancini.

This nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using online calculators. Your nutritional information may vary depending on numerous factors.

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If you liked these arancini balls, you'll love:

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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

These are so good! An interesting little side note is that, while these are Italian, there is a very similar dish in Thailand!

Reply

5 stars
I can see why these are traditional. They are easy to make but they look so delicious! In fact, this is exactly what I need this weekend – thank you! 🙂

Reply

5 stars
YUM! These arancini balls really hit the spot! And they are perfect to add to my game night party appetizer list too. I love an easy, finger food.

Reply

How do you make the balls with rice mixture? I tried these today and it stuck all over my hands making it difficult mine were the size of golf balls!!
But they were amazing loved your recipe thanks!!

Reply