Italian Rice Balls

Italian rice balls are an irresistible recipe made with leftover or cooled-down risotto of any kind coated in crunchy breadcrumbs and fried until perfectly crisp and golden brown.

With a creamy core and a crisp coating, serve them as an appetizer with a delicious homemade marinara sauce on the side to dip them.

There are two main types of rice balls in Italy. Supplì, widespread around Rome and the central regions of Italy. And Arancini, a traditional Sicilian recipe.

While their shape is different, the two recipes are quite similar (although true Sicilians or Romans will tell you otherwise).

They are both made with starchy risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli) flavored with whatever condiment might please you, then cooled, shaped, breaded, and fried in oil.

They are both served as street food or as a snack, and they are both delicious!

In this blog post, we stay true to the Italian tradition; however, we simplified the recipe to make it a little easier without compromising the taste.

You can make our Italian rice balls with any risotto of your choice. We make it with a tomato risotto to which we add eggplant, but you can add any other vegetable such as mushroom, peas, or zucchini.

We take the leftover risotto and shape it into small balls without filling them (my Italian nonna never did). Then, we coat the rice balls in a tasty breadcrumb mixture and fry them in oil.

We’ll also show you how to make air-fried Italian rice balls; however, if you can, try the fried ones because they’ll make your day.

This recipe is suitable for vegetarians and vegans by making a few tiny changes, such as replacing the parmesan cheese in the risotto with vegan cheese and the butter with vegan butter.

You can use most risotto recipes to make rice balls. Here we use a delicious tomato risotto to which we add diced eggplant.

We recommend making the risotto the day before; you can have it for dinner and use the leftovers to make Italian rice balls.

To make the risotto, you’ll need olive oil, onion, garlic, risotto rice (arborio rice or carnaroli rice), vegetable broth, tomato passata, dried oregano, basil, butter (or vegan butter), and Parmigiano Reggiano (or vegan parmesan).

If you like, you can add diced eggplant or chopped mushroom, peas, or chopped zucchini.

You can also use other risotto recipes, such as mushroom risotto, asparagus risotto, zucchini risotto, or pumpkin risotto.

What’s important is that the risotto has cooled down entirely before you try to shape it. Try to make it the day before or use leftovers from the previous day’s dinner, as we do.

You can use homemade breadcrumbs that you make by blending two days old bread in a food processor or purchase them in the supermarket. Panko breadcrumbs are also ok for this recipe.

Milk

We use unsweetened plant milk as an egg replacement to make the breading stick to the rice ball. Soy, almond, rice, and oat milk, are all good options as long as they are unsweetened.

Seasoning

We season the breadcrumb mixture with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano. The garlic powder and oregano are optional.

Oil for frying

We recommend using a vegetable oil made for frying. Alternatively, you can use any vegetable oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut or sunflower oil.

Step 1: Make the risotto

If you already have leftover risotto, skip to Step 2. We recommend making the risotto the day before and letting it cool in the fridge overnight to have a compact rice mixture that is easy to shape.

Wash and dry the eggplant, then cut it into ¼-inch (0.6 cm) dice. You can also use mushrooms, peas, or zucchini here.

Add the vegetable stock to a pot, boil, set the stove to very low heat, and keep hot throughout the recipe.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, fry the finely chopped onion with olive oil for 3 minutes, then add finely chopped garlic and fry for two more minutes.

Add the risotto rice, and stir on medium heat for 2 minutes until translucent.

Add two ladlefuls of vegetable broth, tomato passata, and diced eggplant to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano, and stir well.

Cook the eggplant risotto on a gentle simmer until al dente (15 to 20 minutes), stirring almost continuously, adding two ladlefuls of vegetable broth at a time as soon as the previous broth is absorbed.

When the rice is al dente, turn the heat off and add fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, and butter, or their vegan alternatives.

Stir for 2 minutes with the heat off until the cheese and butter melt completely.

Add an extra ladleful of vegetable broth if necessary; however, keep in mind that the risotto should be a little thicker for making rice balls, and there should be no liquid floating around in the pan.

Tip: we like to make this the night before, have about half of the freshly made risotto for dinner, then store the remaining risotto in the fridge overnight.

Transfer onto a large oven dish, let cool down at room temperature, then store in the fridge overnight or for at least an hour before making the Italian rice balls.

Take the risotto out of the refrigerator. It should look like a compact and sticky rice mixture.

To a small bowl with low edges, add the plant milk. Mix breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano in a container with low edges.

Step 3: Shape the Rice Balls

Take a heaping tablespoon of risotto into the palm of your hand, shape it into a compact ball, dip it in milk, then roll it into the breadcrumbs mixture.

Ensure the breadcrumbs stick to the rice ball by pressing the ball well between your hands.

Repeat until you run out of risotto, arranging the balls on a platter.

Step 4: Fry the Rice Balls

To a pot or saucepan, add the frying oil. It needs to be enough oil to cover the rice balls.

Warm up the oil to 320°F or 160°C on medium-high heat. Check the temperature with a kitchen thermometer. When you reach temperature, turn the heat down to medium.

Gently dip 3 to 4 riceballs in the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes, moving them around so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Please check the oil temperature every 5 minutes to ensure it’s around 320°F or 160°C.

When golden brown and crisp outside, take them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a tray or cooling rack with paper towels to drain excess fat before serving them.

They should look like little oranges.

Preheat the air fryer to 390°F or 200°C for 3 minutes. Arrange the Italian risotto balls into the air fryer basket on a single layer, without overlapping, and drizzle with olive oil.

Cook in batches, depending on how large your air fryer is.

Air fry for 13 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

Tip: if your air fryer has good airflow, there’s no need to turn the rice balls. If not, then turn them gently halfway through.

Roman Supplì with Melty Core

Supplì di Riso is a traditional Roman recipe of fried leftover risotto rice shaped into an egg and filled with melty cheese or vegan cheese.

Here’s the recipe for Supplì di Riso or Roman Rice Balls.

Risotto cakes are essentially the same thing as rice balls, but they are shaped like burger patties instead.

They are then breaded and shallow fried in oil, cooked in the oven, or air-fried. You can serve them on top of a simple chopped salad and have them as a delicious family dinner.

Rice is a versatile and nutritious ingredient, perfect for serving with plant-based protein or with a vibrant salad:

• Italian rice salad with juicy roasted veggies.
• Asparagus risotto vegetaria and vegan, with tender crisp asparagus.
• Zucchini risotto with shredded zucchini. Bright and easy recipe.
• Sticky orange tofu with rice, better than chinese takeout.
• Stuffed bell peppers with rice filling.

If you like Italian rice balls, you might also enjoy these delightful Italian appetizers:

You can find more inspiration in this list of 30 vegan starters, including dips, bread, and veggie-based appetizers.