Air Fryer Arancini (Crispy Italian Rice Balls)
Air fryer arancini are crispy Italian rice balls with a golden outside and a cheesy, savory center that you can make without deep frying. They’re a delicious, impressive appetizer, snack, or party side dish!
Have you ever had arancini?
They are crispy Italian rice balls full of creamy, cheesy rice on the inside and a crunchy breaded exterior.
Most of them time, they are deep fried.
But these air fryer arancini give you the same crunchy exterior without the hassle of a deep fryer.
They make a great appetizer for parties, a fun snack for the family, or a tasty side dish to serve alongside pasta, salad, or your favorite Italian inspired dinner.
Serve them with warm marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy a delicious restaurant style appetizer right at home!
Ingredients
To makes you’ll need:
- Water– To cook the rice in.
- Arborio rice– This is a starchy, short grain rice used for risotto and in these rice balls. Don’t use a different kind. The rice’s starch helps hold it together.
- Cheese– Both shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded parmesan cheese.
- Parsley– Chopped Italian parsley.
- Salt
- Breading ingredients– All purpose flour, plain panko bread crumbs, and beaten eggs.
How to Make
Air fryer arancini aren’t hard to make.
Start by making the rice by bringing the water and rice to a boil in a pot on the stove.
Stir occasionally and let the rice cook until the rice has absorbed all the water and is tender.
Remove the pot from heat.
Then stir in the cheeses, parsley, and salt to the rice until everything is evenly combined.
Using a medium/large cookie scoop, scoop balls of the rice mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Repeat until you have used all of the rice mixture.
Pop the tray of rice balls in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill.
While the rice balls are chilling, set up your breading station with one shallow bowl of flour, a second with the beaten eggs, and a third with the bread crumbs.
Roll one rice ball in the flour before dipping it in the egg mixture and then rolling it in the panko to make sure it’s evenly coated.
Repeat this with all the rice balls one at a time until they are all coated.
Put breaded rice balls into the basket of an air fryer, repeating until the basket is full without any balls touching each other.
Air fry the arancini in batches at 370° for 5 minutes, then flip and air frying for another 5 minutes.
Repeat until you have air fried all the rice balls.
Serve the arancini warm with marinara sauce on the side for dipping, and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat the arancini in the air fryer at 300 until it is warmed through and crispy or about 3 minutes.
Tips and Tricks
- Use leftover risotto to make the prep even easier.
- Let the rice cool a bit before you scoop it into balls. It makes it easier to work with and prevents you from burning your hands.
- Serve them with our homemade marinara sauce for a truly delectable pairing, or other tasty dipping sauces like Alfredo sauce or pesto sauce for a variety of options.
Other Air Fryer Appetizers
Air fryer arancini are a yummy appetizer for parties.
Make them and enjoy!
Looking for other air fryer appetizers?
Try these:
- Fried Halloumi Cheese
- Pasta Chips
- Hush Puppies
- Fried Red Tomatoes
- Crispy Crab Bites
- Spicy Asian Wings
- Homemade Hot Pockets
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Air Fryer Arancini (Crispy Italian Rice Balls)
Ingredients
For The Rice Balls
- 1 quart water
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley leaves
- 2 tsp salt
For The Breading
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups plain panko bread crumbs
- 3 eggs beaten
- marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Add the water and rice to a pot and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally, cooking until the rice has absorbed all the water and is tender. Remove the pot from heat.1 quart water, 2 cups arborio rice
- Add the cheeses, parsley, and salt to the rice and stir everything together until evenly combined.1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley leaves, 2 tsp salt
- Using a medium/large cookie scoop, scoop balls of the rice mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Add the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs individually to three separate shallow bowls.1/2 cup flour, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups plain panko bread crumbs
- Working with one rice ball at a time- roll in the flour, then the egg, and finally the panko turning to make sure it's coated evenly on all sides.
- Transfer the prepared rice ball to the basket of an air fryer, and repeat until the basket is full without any balls touching each other and in a single layer.
- Air fry in batches at 370° for 5 minutes, then flip and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Repeat until all the rice mixture's been used.
- Serve the arancini warm with marinara sauce on the side for dipping, and enjoy!marinara sauce
Notes
- Use leftover risotto to make the prep even easier.
- Let the rice cool a bit before you scoop it into balls. It makes it easier to work with and prevents you from burning your hands.
- Serve them with our homemade marinara sauce for a truly delectable pairing, or other tasty dipping sauces like Alfredo sauce or pesto sauce for a variety of options.
Nutrition
