• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Comfortable Food
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cooking
  • Seasonal
  • Regional
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cooking
    • Seasonal
    • Regional
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Appetizer Recipes

    Arancini - Sicilian Risotto Balls

    BY: Ben Rayl PUBLISHED: 5 Jun, '14 UPDATED: 13 May, '21 Leave a Comment

    RecipePrintComments
    5 from 1 vote

    These risotto balls are amazing. They take some effort and time to make, but trust me—they are totally worth it. The texture is awesome—they are crunchy on the outside, then perfectly rich and creamy inside. Flavor-wise, they are off the charts delicious. Everything combines together so well, and like most Italian foods, they contain just a few ingredients that work perfectly together.

    Arancini - traditional sicilian risotto ball recipe.

    These make an excellent appetizer or party food, so if you want to impress you should definitely add this recipe to the menu of your next get together. They also work for a light lunch, with a salad on the side. You can serve them with a dipping sauce if you want—a nice Italian tomato sauce is great, or you can American it up a bit and use something creamy, like a fancy ranch dressing.

    📋 Recipe

    Arancini - traditional sicilian risotto ball recipe.

    Arancini - Sicilian Risotto Balls

    These risotto balls are amazing. They take some effort and time to make, but trust me—they are totally worth it.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved! Share
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 1 hour hour
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 553kcal
    Author: Ben Rayl

    Ingredients
     

    for the risotto:

    • 7 cups chicken broth
    • 2 cups mushrooms - finely chopped porcini
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 cups arborio rice
    • 1 cup white wine - dry
    • to taste salt and pepper
    • 1 cup parmesan - grated
    • 1 egg - beaten

    for the filling:

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ medium onion - finely chopped
    • 1 clove garlic - minced
    • 3 ½ ounces ground beef
    • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
    • 15 oz diced tomatoes
    • ⅓ cup peas - fresh or frozen
    • 1 cup mozzarella - fresh cut into ½
    • 2 eggs - beaten
    • 2 cups breadcrumbs
    • for frying vegetable oil

    Instructions

    for the risotto:

    • In a large heavy bottomed saucepan bring the broth to a simmer. Add the mushrooms, cover and allow the mushrooms to cook for about 5 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms to a plate. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.
    • Put the butter and olive oil in a separate large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has evaporated - about 5 minutes.
    • Increase the heat slightly and stir in the rice. Allow it to toast for a few minutes, stirring it almost constantly.
    • Add the wine and stir and cook until the liquid is absorbed - about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reserved broth and simmer until the liquid is absorbed (stirring very often). Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and creamy - adding more broth by the cupful and stirring often. It should take about 25 minutes.
    • When you've removed the risotto from heat, season generously with salt and pepper, then stir in the Parmesan. Allow the rice to come to room temperature, then stir in the beaten egg and put in the fridge to chill - for at least 1 hour.

    for the filling:

    • Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft - about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
    • Stir in the beef, increase the heat some and cook until browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute or two. Stir in the diced tomatoes and peas and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes - stirring often. Allow to cool.
    • When the risotto is cold, you can start forming the balls. You might want to be near your sink, so you can wet your hands often.
    • Scoop up a handful of the risotto and form it into a tight ball, squeezing out as much air as possible. Use your thumb to make a deep indention in the side of the ball and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in, with a cube of cheese. Use a bit more risotto to cover up the hole, and smooth it into a ball shape again. Keep repeating this process until you've used all the risotto, then put the balls in the fridge to firm up for about 30 minutes.
    • Have your beaten eggs in a shallow dish, and the breadcrumbs in another. Dredge each ball in the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs.
    • Cook in hot oil until browned and crispy on all sides - about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1287mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 320mg | Iron: 5mg

    More Appetizer Recipes

    • Street-corn-dip - featured
      Mexican Street Corn Dip
    • Featured pork meatballs
      Easy Pork Meatballs
    • 20 tapioca flour recipes - featured
      20 Easy Tapioca Flour Recipes
    • Amazing purple potatoes recipes - feature
      20 Amazing Purple Potato Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Chef Ben Rayl

    Hi, I'm Ben!

    I believe comfort food unites us, and I want to inspire you to cook at home with everyday ingredients. It is easier and takes less time than you think, costs less than eating out, and tastes a million times better.Read More

    Feel free to share our recipes on your blog using a photo and link back to the original recipe.

    Cooking How-tos

    • How many ounces in a quart featured
      How Many Ounces in a Quart
    • Jasmine rice
      How to make Perfect Jasmine Rice
    • How to brine a turkey
      How To Brine A Turkey
    • What is wagyu beef explained
      What Is Wagyu Beef?

    Italian Recipes

    • 30 amazing italian chicken recipes - featured
      30 Best Italian Chicken Recipes
    • Focaccia - featured
      Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread
    • Tiramisu - featured-1
      Easy Tiramisu Recipe
    • Different types of pasta - featured
      32 Different Types of Pasta

    Comfort Casseroles

    • Chicken and broccoli casserole
      Chicken Broccoli Casserole
    • Beef enchilada casserole with cheese on top
      Beef Enchilada Casserole
    • Chicken wild rice casserole
      Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
    • Cabbage roll casserole
      Cabbage Roll Casserole

    Best Comfort Recipes

    • Bowl of soup with vegetables and meat
      35 Easy Soup Recipes with Few Ingredients
    • Shredded chicken in a green cutting board
      28 Easy Recipes with Shredded Chicken
    • Chorizo-recipes
      26 Easy Chorizo Recipes
    • Cream of chicken recipes
      20 Easy Cream of Chicken Recipes
    • Panini recipes
      25 Best "Gooey Panini Recipes"
    • Easy kielbasa recipes
      30 Easy Kielbasa Recipes

    Footer

    Subscribe Now

    Never miss a recipe!

    Thank you!

    You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

    .

    About

    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Disclosure
    • Accessibility

    Recipes

    • Dinner Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Appetizer Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes

    More

    • Cooking How tos
    • 35 Easy Soup Recipes with Few Ingredients

    Favorites

    • Bruschetta Recipe
    • Breakfast Casserole with Bacon
    • Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
    • Chicken and Biscuits
    • Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers

    ↑ back to top

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Comfortable Food · All Rights Reserved