Italian Rice Balls Recipe

a plate of italian rice balls with a small bowl of marinara sauce to the side

Making Italian Rice Balls at home is simple with this easy no-fry recipe. Try making Air Fryer Arancini, or oven bake your Risotto Balls for a delicious appetizer or main dish, without any deep frying and using minimal oil.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Arancini, Italian Rice Balls, Risotto Balls

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 323kcal

Author Katie Trant

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

2 cups leftover risotto chilled
2 eggs
1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
small cubes of cheese such as mozzarella, sharp cheddar, or parmesan.
olive oil spray

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, dried oregano, and Parmesan cheese. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
1 ½ cups breadcrumbs, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, 2 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
In another bowl, whisk the eggs together.
2 eggs
Scoop some cold risotto into your hand, and form it into a ball. I like to make fairly small arancini as they hold together better, so using about 2 Tablespoons of risotto per ball. If you would like, press a cube of cheese into the center of the rice, and form the ball around it.
2 cups leftover risotto, small cubes of cheese
Place the risotto ball into the beaten egg, and ensure it is well coated. Use a fork to carefully lift out of the egg, allowing excess egg to drain off.
Place the risotto ball into the breadcrumbs, and carefully roll it around or toss the breadcrumbs on top to ensure it is well-coated.
Transfer the coated risotto ball to a plate, and repeat with remaining risotto.

Air Fryer Arancini

Heat your Air Fryer at 200°C / 400°F for a couple of minutes.
Place the risotto balls into the basket of your Air Fryer, and spray them lightly with olive oil spray.
Air Fry for 5 minutes, then carefully turn them over, spray again, and Air Fry for an additional 3-4 minutes until crisp and brown.

Oven Baked Risotto Balls

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the risotto balls on the baking sheet, and spray lightly with olive oil spray.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crisp and brown.

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only
This recipe works best with risotto that was made the day before and has been chilled overnight in the fridge. If you're making risotto specifically to make arancini, be sure it has chilled for at least one hour in the fridge.
I prefer the crunch of panko bread crumbs, but regular breadcrumbs are fine too. Or, you can do a mix of panko and regular.
If your risotto is too wet and doesn't hold together well, add a bit of the breadcrumb mixture to the risotto, one tablespoon at a time, until the risotto holds together well.
It's really important to use oil spray rather than brushing the risotto balls so you don't brush the breadcrumbs off.
Leftover arancini can be reheated for 5 minutes in the Air Fryer, or quickly reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition