6 Arancini and Rice Ball Recipes to Try
Looking for rice balls to serve with drinks or share with friends? These six recipes offer vegetable, meat, and cheese variations, each with a specific cooking tip.
Arancini and Italian Rice Balls
Arancini and rice balls pair breadcrumb coatings with fillings ranging from creamy béchamel to savory meat ragù. Choose among Sicilian variations, Roman supplì—rice balls with stringy mozzarella centers—and a recipe that puts leftover rice to use.
Rice Balls
Rice Balls bring mozzarella, parsley, and a breadcrumb coating to a cheese-rich appetizer. Serve them with drinks or as a starter when friends come over. Black pepper adds a little bite alongside the buttery rice.
Pro tip: you can use leftover rice from a previous meal to make these rice balls.
Pistachio Rice Arancini
Pistachio Rice Arancini give Sicilian rice balls a nutty twist, with pistachio and creamy béchamel. Choose this variation when you want an appetizer without a meat filling. Saffron and caciocavallo cheese add another layer of savory richness.
Pro tip: you can prepare the rice and béchamel the day before, leaving only the shaping for later.
Arancini with zucchini
Arancini with zucchini take a summery turn with tender squash, zucchini blossoms, and thyme. This vegetable-focused variation belongs on the appetizer menu when zucchini is in season. Buffalo mozzarella brings a creamy counterpoint to the breadcrumb coating.
Pro tip: you can use 3.5 ounces of zucchini blossoms if your zucchini don't have flowers attached.
White Ragù Arancini
White Ragù Arancini tuck a savory filling of beef, pork, and peas inside saffron rice. The tomato-free ragù offers an alternative to a red-sauce filling. Caciocavallo and Parmigiano Reggiano lend the rice balls a rich, cheesy finish.
Pro tip: you can substitute provolone or well-drained mozzarella for the caciocavallo.
Arancini with meat and béchamel
Arancini with meat and béchamel combine a hearty beef-and-pea filling with creamy sauce. This Sicilian variation includes cooked ham and mozzarella, giving you a meat-and-cheese alternative to the vegetable versions. Nutmeg brings a gently spiced note to the béchamel.
Pro tip: you should shape the rice while it's still hot to help keep it from crumbling.
Telephone Rice Balls
Telephone Rice Balls, or Roman supplì, have mozzarella centers that stretch into strings when pulled apart. Choose this version for a tomato-based rice ball with pork, chicken livers, and dried mushrooms. The savory filling contrasts with the milky mozzarella at its center.
Pro tip: you should fry the supplì at 356°F, turning them frequently so the coating doesn't darken before the mozzarella melts.
