Arancini (Sicilian Rice Balls) Recipe

Name: Arancini (Sicilian Rice Balls)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 2 servings, 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g Risotto Rice (Arborio or Carnaroli); 700 ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock, hot; 1 Small Onion, finely diced; 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 50 ml White Wine; 30 g Parmesan, finely grated; 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter; Salt and Black Pepper, to taste; 2 Medium Egg Yolks, stirred in once the rice has cooled; 150 g Beef and Pork mince, mixed, or all beef; 1 Small Onion, finely diced; 1 Garlic Clove, minced; 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 75 ml Red Wine; 150 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes; 1 tbsp Tomato Purée; 0.25 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 50 g Frozen Peas, defrosted; Salt and Black Pepper, to taste; 50 g Mozzarella, cut into 8 small cubes; 2 Medium Eggs, beaten; 100 g Plain Four, seasoned with salt and pepper; 150 g Dried Breadcrumbs, fine, not panko; 1 litre Sunflower Oil, for deep frying

Arancini are one of the great glories of Sicilian street food - golden, crispy fried rice balls with a molten, savoury filling that reveal themselves only when you bite through the crunchy breadcrumb crust. The name means "little oranges" in Sicilian dialect, a nod to their shape and golden colour, and they're found at every street food stall, bakery, and bar across Sicily and the wider south of Italy.

The classic filling is a rich meat ragù with peas and a cube of melting mozzarella at the centre - though variants with mushroom, ham, and béchamel are equally traditional. This recipe follows the classic Sicilian ragù version, using a fragrant beef and pork mince sauce seasoned with tomato, wine, and a hint of cinnamon - a flavour combination that speaks directly to Sicily's Arab and Norman culinary history.

Arancini take a little time and patience to make, but the process is straightforward and the results are spectacular. They're ideal for a dinner party starter, a sharing platter, or a batch cook - they reheat brilliantly in the oven or air fryer and freeze well both raw and cooked. All ingredients are available at any major UK supermarket.

Ingredients

For the risotto rice base

200 g Risotto Rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)
700 ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock , hot
1 Small Onion , finely diced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
50 ml White Wine
30 g Parmesan , finely grated
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Salt and Black Pepper , to taste
2 Medium Egg Yolks , stirred in once the rice has cooled

For the ragù filling

150 g Beef and Pork mince , mixed, or all beef
1 Small Onion , finely diced
1 Garlic Clove , minced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
75 ml Red Wine
150 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp Tomato Purée
0.25 tsp Ground Cinnamon
50 g Frozen Peas , defrosted
Salt and Black Pepper , to taste

For the filling centre

50 g Mozzarella , cut into 8 small cubes

For the coating

2 Medium Eggs , beaten
100 g Plain Four , seasoned with salt and pepper
150 g Dried Breadcrumbs , fine, not panko

For frying

1 litre Sunflower Oil , for deep frying

Method

Start with the ragù as it needs time to cool. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, fry the onion for 6–7 mins until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Add the mince and brown thoroughly for 6–8 mins. Pour in the red wine and reduce for 2 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered over a low heat for 20–25 mins until very thick and almost dry. Stir in the peas, then remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Tip: The ragù must be very thick and dry - a wet filling will make the arancini collapse during frying. Simmer it down until there is virtually no liquid left.
Make the risotto base. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion for 6–7 mins until soft. Add the rice and stir for 1–2 mins to toast the grains. Pour in the white wine and stir until absorbed. Add the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously and waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, for 18–20 mins until the rice is just cooked and the mixture is thick and stiff - considerably thicker than a standard risotto, as it needs to hold its shape when cold.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan. Season well. Spread onto a large lined tray and leave to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm. Once cold, stir in the egg yolks.

Tip: The rice must be properly cold and firm before shaping - warm or soft rice will stick to your hands and the arancini won't hold together. Don't skip the chilling time.
Set up a crumbing station with three shallow bowls: seasoned flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs.
To shape: with damp hands, take a golf ball-sized amount of rice (about 60g) and flatten it into a disc in your palm. Place a teaspoon of ragù in the centre and a cube of mozzarella on top. Cup your hand to bring the rice up around the filling and roll firmly into a smooth ball. Repeat to make 8 arancini.

Tip: Squeeze the rice ball firmly as you shape it - a tightly packed arancino holds together far better during frying than a loosely shaped one. If the rice is sticking, dampen your hands again.
Roll each arancino in flour, then dip in beaten egg, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. For an extra-crispy crust, repeat the egg and breadcrumb steps. Place on a lined tray.
Heat the sunflower oil in a deep saucepan to 175°C. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a breadcrumb into the oil - it should sizzle immediately and turn golden within 30 seconds. Fry the arancini in batches of 3–4 for 4–5 mins, turning carefully, until deeply golden all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Tip: Don't overcrowd the pan - adding too many arancini at once drops the oil temperature, leading to greasy rather than crispy results. Keep the oil temperature consistent between batches.
Serve immediately while the mozzarella centre is still molten. A simple tomato dipping sauce or marinara works brilliantly alongside.

Air Fryer Method

Preheat the air fryer to 190°C for 3–5 mins.
Lightly spray the shaped and crumbed arancini all over with olive oil. Place in the basket in a single layer with a little space between each - cook in two batches if needed.
Cook for 16–18 mins, turning carefully halfway through, until deeply golden and crisp all over.

Tip: The air fryer gives a better result than oven-baking — the circulating hot air crisps the breadcrumb coating more evenly and produces a colour closer to deep-fried. Spraying generously with oil is key to getting a proper golden crust rather than a pale, dry finish.

Alternatives & Variations

Bake instead of deep fry - arrange the crumbed arancini on a lined baking tray, spray generously with olive oil, and bake at 200°C fan / 220°C conventional for 20–25 mins, turning once; the crust won't be quite as deeply golden but the result is still very good and significantly lower in fat
Use all beef mince instead of a beef and pork mix - slightly lower in fat with minimal impact on flavour
Reduce the Parmesan in the rice base to 20g - it's primarily a binding agent here and a smaller amount still works

Replace the meat ragù with a filling of sautéed mushrooms and peas - cook 200g of finely diced chestnut mushrooms in olive oil until completely dry, add 50g of defrosted peas, season well with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cinnamon, and use in place of the meat filling. Keep the mozzarella centre. The result is a genuinely excellent vegetarian arancino that doesn't feel like a compromise.

The coating contains plain flour and breadcrumbs, both of which contain gluten. Swap the plain flour for gluten free plain flour and use gluten free breadcrumbs (available at Tesco and Sainsbury's, or make your own from gluten free bread). All other ingredients are naturally gluten free. Check your stock and tomato tin labels if you have a severe intolerance. The arancini can also be baked rather than fried for added assurance around cross-contamination from shared frying oil.

FAQs

Around 1 hr 25 mins of active prep and cooking, plus at least 1 hour of chilling time for the rice. Plan for around 2 hrs 30 mins from start to table. The good news is most of the work can be done in advance - both the ragù and the rice base can be made the day before.

Rated Intermediate. Each individual step is straightforward, but there are several components to manage and the shaping requires a little practice. The most important things are getting the ragù dry enough, chilling the rice properly, and keeping the oil at a consistent temperature when frying. Once you've made them once, the process becomes much more intuitive.

Yes - they freeze brilliantly. Freeze them raw after crumbing, placed on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Fry straight from frozen at 170°C for 7–8 mins, or bake from frozen at 190°C fan for 28–30 mins. You can also freeze them cooked - reheat in the oven at 180°C fan for 15 mins until hot through and the crust has crisped back up.

Yes - this is one of the best make-ahead starters on the site. The ragù and rice base can both be made up to 24 hours in advance. The shaped and crumbed arancini can be refrigerated on a tray for up to 8 hours before frying, making them ideal for dinner party prep.

A simple tomato dipping sauce or marinara is the classic accompaniment. They also work well alongside a dressed rocket salad with lemon and Parmesan shavings, or as part of an Italian antipasti spread with cured meats, olives, and bruschetta. For a more substantial meal, serve 4–5 per person as a main with a green salad.

Yes - spray generously with olive oil and bake at 200°C fan for 20–25 mins, turning once. The crust won't be quite as deeply golden or uniformly crisp as the deep-fried version, but the result is very good and considerably lighter. The air fryer (see below) gives an even better baked result than the oven.