Arancini AKA Fried Risotto Balls - My favorite restaurant appetizer turned into an easy at-home snack made with leftovers.

This post contains affiliate links.

Before we can talk about arancini, we have to talk about risotto.

Leftover risotto is the main ingredient in arancini. It just so happens I have a few great recipes for risotto that work well in becoming arancini.

For you Instant Pot - ters, I've got this amazing Instant Pot Risotto with Arugula with Parmesan. It comes together super quickly and there isn't as much stirring involved as with the stove-top version.

However, if you are a stove-top risotto person, try out this Vegetable Risotto.

All you have to do put your leftovers in a bowl, add some cheese and an egg and roll it around in breadcrumbs and fry them. Done.

Sure, I mostly order arancini as an appetizer in restaurants but I've got to tell you, arancini makes a great lunch when served over a bed of lightly dressed arugula.

If you really are feeling cheesy, try rolling the risotto mixture around a small piece of mozzarella cheese. You can use fresh mozzarella or for a quick shortcut, use mozzarella cheese sticks cut into small pieces.

Keep this in mind when preparing Arancini AKA Fried Risotto Balls:

If the risotto wasn't seasoned well, be sure to adjust seasoning before creating the ball. The arancini can only taste as good as the risotto was
Same goes if your original risotto didn't have a good amount of parmesan cheese, add a bit more than the ¼ C the recipe calls for
If you don't have a thermometer for the oil, no worries, I don't either. I make sure the oil is hot enough by tossing in a breadcrumb, when it sizzles it's hot enough. Then I knock the heat down to medium to keep it stable.
To serve over arugula, toss the arugula with a splash of lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
Prior to serving, I shave a little parmesan and toss a dash of sea salt on top