Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe (2024)

This Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe is an easy snacks recipe and the BEST finger food recipe ever!

Our Fried Cheese Balls are the best easy appetizer recipe and perfect for Game Day Recipes, Football Party Food, afterschool kids snacks and more!

Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe (1)

Easy Fried Cheese Balls Recipe

Aside from travel, food is my thing. I think it's mostly because each new bite takes you on a bit of an adventure. Can't make it to Chicago for St. Patty's Day and watch the river go green? The next best thing is to grab yourself a real Chi-Town hot dog and take a bite. A weekend trip to Vietnam not exactly in your budget?

No worries, a steaming bowl of Pho can bring the taste of Vietnam right to you!When fond memories of walking down quiet Roman alleywaysfind me browsing through my travel photos, pining for vacation days past, I look to Italian food to make me feel like I am there again - without the steep airfare.

Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe (2)

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If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips and similar recipe ideas, hit the Jump to Recipe button for the printable recipe card.

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Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe

Typically, Fried Cheese Balls are made from risotto. But with non-stop travel this month and a schedule so full that I am running out of room on my daily agenda, I'm pulling out my Minute® Rice and calling it a legit substitute.

It's that time of year and I bet that most of you are dealing with the same holiday-madness that we are over here! This Fried Cheese Balls Recipe, made with Minute® Rice, makes a perfect party appetizer as well as a great meal all on their own.

The holiday parties are in full swing, that famous "Super" FootballSunday is fast approaching and sometimes, a girl just wants a taste of Italy. Whatever the case is in your own home, I have ya covered with this super easy Fried Cheese Balls recipe - and I guarantee you that the kids will love it!

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Are you looking for other Appetizer Recipes like my Easy Fried Cheese Balls Recipe?

I love making easy snacks and appetizers, like our favorite Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms recipe! Check out some of our most recent appetizer and finger food snacks like these Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls!

  • Goat Cheese Wraps
  • Ham and Cheese Stromboli
  • Slow Cooker Cheesy Spinach And Artichoke Dip Recipe
  • Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers With No Rice

See more Appetizer Recipes →

How to Make this Italian Arancini Easy Fried Cheese Balls Recipe

Ingredients you will need to make our Fried Cheese Balls

  • 2CupsCooked Minute® Rice White Rice
  • ½CupGrated Parmesan Cheese
  • 3Eggs
  • Cubed MozzarellaI used ½ inch pieces of cut up string cheese
  • ½CupItalian Breadcrumbs
  • ½CupPanko
  • Oilfor frying
  • Marinara Saucefor dipping

Instructions for how to make Fried Cheese Balls

Pour enough oil to fill heavy-bottomed pot about 5 inches. Heat over medium flame until oil is *375.

In large mixing bowl, combine the rice, Parmesan and 1 egg. Get in there and use your hands like grandma did to completely combine mixture.

Grab enough mixture to form a cheesy rice ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Tuck a cube of mozzarella in the middle.

The trick here is to squeeze it good and firm. If you don't you will end up with fried goop.

No one wants that. Repeat until all mix is used. This should make about 8-10 cheesy rice balls.

In shallow dish, mix Panko and breadcrumbs together. Set aside. In small bowl, whisk those last 2 eggs. Dip each rice ball in the eggs and then roll them in the Panko.

Your oil should have reached *375 degrees F by now. Carefully slide 3 of the panko coated rice balls to the pot.

Fry them until golden brown (about 2 minutes) Use a slotted spoon to remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate. Toss on a pinch of salt. Continue to slide, fry, drain until all cheesy rice balls are fried.

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Serve with warm marinara sauce. ENJOY!

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If you love this Fried Cheese Balls recipe as much as we do, please leave me a 5-star review below and help me share this recipe on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

If you do make the recipe, I hope you’ll share that you tried it on Pinterest! I love it SO MUCH when readers share their feedback!

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To print this Homemade Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe, simply click the recipe card below!

I know that many people still like to print out recipes and keep them in a recipe binder, or simply have the printed recipe sitting in front of them when it comes time to cook!

I can't wait for you to try this Cheesy Rice Balls Recipe!

Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe (11)

Fried Cheese Balls

Jennifer

This Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe is an easy snacks recipe and the BEST finger food recipe ever!

4.92 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snacks

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Cooked Minute® Rice White Rice
  • ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 3 Eggs
  • Cubed Mozzarella I used ½ inch pieces of cut up string cheese
  • ½ Cup Italian Breadcrumbs
  • ½ Cup Panko
  • Oil for frying
  • Marinara Sauce for dipping

Instructions

  • Pour enough oil to fill heavy-bottomed pot about 5 inches. Heat over medium flame until oil is *375 degrees F.

  • In large mixing bowl, combine the rice, Parmesan and 1 egg. Get in there and use your hands like grandma did to completely combine mixture. Grab enough mixture to form a cheesy rice ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Tuck a cube of mozzarella in the middle. The trick here is to squeeze it good and firm. If you don't you will end up with fried goop. No one wants that. Repeat until all mix is used. This should make about 8-10 cheesy rice balls.

  • In shallow dish, mix Panko and breadcrumbs together. Set aside. In small bowl, whisk those last 2 eggs. Dip each rice ball in the eggs and then roll them in the Panko.

  • Your oil should have reached *375 by now. Carefully slide 3 of the panko coated rice balls to the pot. Fry them until golden brown (about 2 minutes) Use a slotted spoon to remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate. Toss on a pinch of salt. Continue to slide, fry, drain until all cheesy rice balls are fried.

Keyword appetizer, Cheese

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

See! How easy was that to grab a quick bite of Italy? Minute® Rice100% Whole Grain Brown Rice is a yummy and nutritious option too.

It has the same nutritional value as regular long cooking brown rice, but is ready in just 10 minutes. Both Minute® Brown and White Rice are gluten free, too.

There's also the new Minute® Multi-Grain Medley, which is a blend of four gluten-free foods and made with 100% whole grains, including long grain brown rice, Thai red rice, wild rice and quinoa. It also takes only 10 minutes to cook!

There are so many different things you can do with Minute® Rice!Between Minute® White Rice, Minute® Whole Grain Brown Rice, Minute ® Multi-Grain Medley and Minute® Ready to Serve Rice products.

Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe (12)

You can make everything from rice pudding to Aros Con Pollo (that's Chicken and Rice for you non-Miami folk), to casseroles and easy side dishes, the possibilities are endless - and super quick - with Minute® Rice!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Rice.

Italian Arancini Fried Cheese Balls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in arancini? ›

Image of What are the main ingredients in arancini?
Rice is a cereal grain, and in its domesticated form is the staple food for over half of the world's human population, particularly in Asia and Africa, due to the vast amount of soil that is able to grow rice. Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa or, much less commonly, O. glaberrima.
Wikipedia

Why do my arancini fall apart when frying? ›

If it is not properly chilled, it will fall apart in the hot oil instead of forming crisp, glistening, orbs filled with molten cheese. Serve these arancini with warmed tomato sauce or even pesto, and crown them with a flurry of gremolata or plain lemon zest for brightness.

Does arancini contain cheese? ›

But this arancini recipe starts at the very beginning, flavoring the Italian rice balls with Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice, and garlic and stuffing them with gobs of mozzarella. It's a labor of love that will inspire devotion in anyone you serve them to—reason enough to give it a try.

What does arancini mean in Italian? ›

Arancini derives from the Sicilian plural diminutive of aranciu ('orange'), from their shape and colour which, after cooking, is reminiscent of an orange.

How do you keep arancini from falling apart? ›

7 - Refrigerate your arancini for 4 hours before dipping in the batter and breadcrumbs. This sets it so that it becomes firmer and won't fall apart. Some also place their arancini in the freezer for 2 hours before frying although I didn't try this (and you may have to increase your frying time).

What is the original arancini? ›

It seems the first documented form of arancini date back to the 19th century. Surprisingly, the first arancini were sweet and were made using ingredients such as ricotta cheese, sugar, spices, and milk. With the arrival of ingredients from the “New World” everything changed.

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