These little golden rice balls make a fantastic Italian appetizer to share. Crispy mushroom arancini are perfect for welcoming guests at your next party.

Italians have a fantastic way of using up leftover risotto.

They shape the risotto mixture into balls, stuff the centers with cheese, roll them up into breadcrumbs and deep-fry the bunch to make perfectly crispy tiny balls.

Growing up in Sicily, snacking on this glorious street-food was a MUST, especially because Messina, the city where I was born, is famous for its arancini *and cannoli*.

If you go to Sicily, make sure you cross the Strait of Messina on a ferry boat to Reggio Calabria, or vice-versa.

Not only it's a magical experience, but they sell the best arancini right on the ferry boat, and there's nothing better than overlooking the Mediterranean sea with a warm crunchy rice ball in your hands.

Last week I shared with you this beautiful and seasonal risotto, which I deliberately decided to make in a mammoth amount, in order to satisfy my rice ball cravings the day after.

Using leftover risotto is a genius hack, even if it doesn't follow 100% the traditional recipe.

For this fall-perfect version, I used a saffron and mushroom risotto as a base, but any of your favorite risotto recipes will do.

I made arancini with salmon & peas before, and were just as addicting as these.

Just 6 Ingredients

You won't believe how easy this recipe actually is!

This easy Italian arancini recipe uses the most simple ingredients.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• leftover risotto
• mozzarella
• plain flour
• eggs
• panko breadcrumbs
• vegetable oil
• sea salt and black pepper

How to Make Sicilian Arancini

Making these crunchy and cheesy balls couldn't be easier.

Step 1. Form tiny risotto balls.

Start by dividing the leftover mushroom risotto mixture ( preferably refrigerated overnight, so the rice is nice and sticky) into tiny even balls.

I like to stuff a small piece of cheese into the center of each ball, but you can definitely skip this step if you like.

Step 2. Coat with the breading mixture.

Roll each ball first in beaten eggs, then into breadcrumbs.

I use panko breadcrumbs, as I feel it gives a better, lighter and crunchier consistency than other kinds.

But any breadcrumbs you have at hand would do the job, really. For a gluten-free version, I usually go for brown rice breadcrumbs and substitute regular all-purpose flour with rice flour.

Although it's not strictly traditional, you could also use this homemade breadcrumbs for additional flavour. I use it all the time for making breaded chicken cutlets and it's delicious!

Step 3. Fry them until crispy perfection.

Traditionally you should deep-fry arancini.

Even though you don't need a large amount of oil, to make the whole recipe healthier, you could try to air-fry them or bake them in the oven instead.

Once cooked, serve them straight away nice and hot!

How To Store Leftovers

Freezer: Place cooked rice balls in a tray covered with parchment paper and store in the freezer for 30 minutes, then transfer the balls into an air-tight container or ziplock bag and store in the freezer up to one month. 

Fridge: Store in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

 

These little golden balls are simply delightful and great party material. 

It’s the perfect seasonal snack for welcoming guests at your festive dinner party this season. Plus, they're effortlessly easy to prep beforehand and fry at the last minute.

More Sicilian Recipes To Try:

• Sicilian Pasta alla Norma
• Sicilian Lemon Granita
• Traditional Sicilian Caponata {Vegan+GF}
• Eggplant Spaghetti Sandwiches - Sicilian Doppiette di Melanzane

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!

This post was originally published in November 2016 and updated with more info.