Arancini are Italian rice balls made with leftover risotto. This Sicilian street food is coated in breadcrumbs, and usually fried, but this recipe is air-fried. That gives them a crisp outside. Then you bite through to melty risotto inside.
To make arancini ahead of time for a party or gathering, simply form the cold risotto into balls, and roll the balls in seasoned bread crumbs, as directed in the recipe.
How to make Air-Fried Arancini
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- ½ cup canned no-salt-added chickpeas, undrained
- 1⅓ cups cooked brown Arborio rice, chilled
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 9 pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 9 piquante peppers, such as Peppadew peppers
- ½ cup whole wheat panko or gluten-free bread crumbs
- ¾ cup spicy oil-free pasta sauce, warmed (optional)
Directions
- In a small bowl stir together flaxseed meal and 2 tablespoons water. Let stand 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl mash chickpeas with a fork until nearly smooth. Stir in flaxseed mixture, rice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Stuff a green olive inside each pepper. Divide rice mixture into nine portions. Wrap each rice portion around a stuffed pepper to form a ball.
- Place panko in a shallow dish. Roll each ball in panko, lightly pressing to coat.
- Preheat air fryer to 370°F. Place risotto balls in a single layer in air-fryer basket. (Fry in batches, if needed.) Air-fry 8 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp, turning once. Serve with warm pasta sauce for dipping (if using).
Store leftover arancini in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for about 4 days. Reheating instructions: To reheat, air fry at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. (Exact timing will vary from one air fryer to the next.) While reheating arancini that have already been cooked once, it’s okay to turn them occasionally for even browning.
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