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*!

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4 from 2 votes

Mushroom Arancini, Italian rice balls

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

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Serving: 8

Author: Andrea Soranidis - The Petite Cook

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 480 g left-over mushroom risotto, cooled
• 100 g fresh mozzarella, well drained and cubed
• 220 g all-purpose flour
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 eggs, lightly whisked
• 200 g panko breadcrumbs
• 400 ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Instructions

• Take a spoonful of risotto and fill it with a cube of mozzarella. Shape the risotto into a small ball. Continue the process until all the risotto is used up.
• In a small bowl, mix the flour with a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper. Place whisked eggs in a second bowl, and breakcrumbs in another.
• Dip each risotto ball into the flour, then into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs, evenly covering it all around. Place the prepared ball on a tray and repeat until all arancini are ready.
• Heat the vegetable oil into a medium saucepan until 170°C/350°F, then fry the arancini in small batches for about 2 min, until crispy and golden-brown on all sides.
• Remove the rice balls from the pan, pat them dry on kitchen paper, and serve immediately.

Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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