Recipe at a glance
- Estimated yield: 18–24 rice balls
- Prep: about 30 minutes
- Cooking: about 50 minutes
- Additional time: about 120 minutes (resting, rising, chilling or freezing, where required)
- Total: about 200 minutes
Equipment: A deep heavy pot, frying thermometer and instant-read thermometer; keep oil below halfway up the pot.
Times and yields are planning estimates, not results from a documented kitchen test. Follow the texture and temperature checks in the method; optional overnight rests take longer. Measurements use US cups and spoons unless stated otherwise.
Arancini are Italian stuffed rice balls that are typically filled with cheese, tomato sauce, and ground meat, and then fried until crispy. Here’s a recipe for making arancini at home:
Ingredients
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup diced cooked ham
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the Arborio rice and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter. Spread the rice thinly in a shallow container, cool promptly and refrigerate until cold and firm. Do not leave rice at room temperature to dry; cool ideally within one hour.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ham, mozzarella and tomato sauce for the filling. Finely mince the onion and soften it in a teaspoon of oil, then cool and mix into the filling. Taste the cold rice and season it separately.
- With damp hands, flatten a small portion of cold rice in your palm, add a teaspoon of filling, then enclose it completely with rice to form a ball about 2 inches across. Repeat, keeping filling away from the outside so the balls seal.
- Dip each ball in the beaten eggs, then roll it in the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs to adhere.
- In a large, deep saucepan, heat the vegetable oil to 350°F. Carefully drop the rice balls into the oil and fry in small batches until golden and the centers reach 165°F (74°C). Allow roughly 5–8 minutes, but check with a thermometer; reduce the heat slightly if the coating darkens too quickly.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the arancini from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Serve the arancini hot, garnished with fresh parsley or grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Storage and serving
Cool promptly in shallow containers, ideally within one hour, and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use within 24 hours. Reheat rice only once, until steaming hot throughout and reaching 165°F (74°C); discard uneaten rice after that reheating. Limit perishable food to two hours out of refrigeration, or one hour above 90°F (32°C). Food-safety guidance.
Editorial update: October 23, 2026. Ingredient and method consistency reviewed; a documented kitchen test is still needed.
