Sicilian Arancini, or rice balls, are one of the most recognized Sicilian foods throughout the world. These crisp, golden little nuggets are a popular street food all over Sicily. 
Drumroll please... yes, these are the BEST Sicilian arancini! They are indeed my favorite food in the world, next to my mom's potato gnocchi that is. I've been enjoying these golden morsels all my life and it was time for me to learn how to make them and share the recipe with you.
By the way, did you know that arancini means "little oranges" in Italian? This is in reference to their shape and color.
A recipe handed down through generations...or was it?
I recently spent a day with my mother so I could finally document this recipe. A recipe that has been in my family for years, brought over from Sicily by my mother when she immigrated here. A recipe that she learned from my nonna back in the home town.... right?
This could not be further from the truth! Imagine my disappointment when I found out that they never made arancini in her home town. My mother once saw them at a train station in Sicily. She only learned of arancini about ten years after she had arrived in Canada when a friend of my aunt's gave her the recipe. Oh, the deception!
Of course, it all makes sense. Each region of Italy is known for it's local specialties. In fact practically each town has it's own signature dishes. So it would not be surprising that although arancini were available in certain parts of Sicily, in an era without television, radio, computers or internet (horrors!) the people in that small hilltop town with a then population of less than 10 000 would not have known of arancini.
Arancini variations
Arancini are a common street food in Sicily sold in bars and cafes. The traditional filling is with meat sauce with peas (or ragu) that I'm sharing here with you. However, today you'll find several enticing variations served all over Sicily. Some of the most interesting ones I recall include: pistachio; swordfish; al burro; seafood; eggplant (alla Norma); spicy 'nduja sausage and prosciutto and cheese. I've also come across chocolate arancini!
In my recipe, further below, I included a spinach and mozzarella variation that we enjoy at our house.
What type of rice is used to make Sicilian Arancini:
Arborio rice is required to make arancini. This is the same short-grain rice that is used to make risotto. Arborio rice contains more starch than long grain rice, therefore resulting in a creamier texture. It also makes it easier to hold together when you shape the arancini.
Other varieties of short grain rice that work well include Carnaroli or Vialone Nano.
Step by Step Instructions:
The first step is to cook the arborio rice. For extra flavor, we cook the rice in chicken broth. Once cooled, eggs and a mixture of parmigiano and pecorino romano cheeses are stirred in.
Meanwhile, prepare a basic meat sauce with peas. Set aside to cool.
Once these two ingredients are prepared, you are ready to assemble your arancini. The best strategy is to have all the ingredients in bowls forming an assembly line.
Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop rice into your hand and shape into a ball (1). Make an indentation with your thumb in the center (2) of the rice ball and add a spoonful of meat sauce. (3) Close the rice around the filling (4) and roll into a ball.
Once all the arancini have been shaped, dip in egg wash and roll in the breadcrumbs. 
Frying arancini:
- My mother always uses a heavy bottomed pot for frying, as shown below. If you have a deep fryer, you can use that as well.
- The oil must be very hot for frying, but how do you know when it's hot enough? Here's a cool trick that my mother taught me and never fails! Place the handle of a wooden spoon in the hot oil. If the oil immediately begins to bubble vigorously around the handle, it is hot enough for frying.
- Carefully place the arancini in the oil without crowding them. We usually place 7 or 8 at a time but this will vary according to the size of your pot.
- When they are golden, about 3-4 minutes, remove without a slotted spoon allowing excess oil to drip. Place on a paper towel covered sheet pan or tray.
- You're now ready to enjoy your arancini!
Check out my web story with step by step instructions here!
Spinach and mozzarella arancini variation:
Following the same method for traditional arancini, stir in 150 grams defrosted frozen spinach leaves (squeeze out excess water), ½ cup grated parmesan/pecorino cheese and 1 egg for each 250 grams cooked rice mixture. This represents one quarter of the recipe above.
Add 1 inch cube of mozzarella in the center of each arancini instead of sauce mixture. Proceed as outlined above.
Tips and suggestions:
- Making arancini can be lengthy but here are some suggestions to make the task more manageable by breaking it down into various steps:
-
- Cook the rice the day before, cool and refrigerate.
- Prepare your meat sauce a day or two in advance and refrigerate. You can also prepare a batch, divide into portions and freeze for future use.
- The assembled arancini can be refrigerated and fried the following day.
- To make appetizer sized mini arancini, use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop your rice.
- You'll probably have leftover meat sauce after you have filled the arancini. No problem, you can serve it with pasta or rice another day!
- Leftover arancini can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Fried arancini can be frozen up to a month. Thaw and warm in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes.
- My mother also usually makes unusually large amounts of arancini because she has to have enough to divide among her children and grandchildren. On this particular day we made 95 arancini! The recipe I'm giving you today is for half that amount. But you may wish to halve it further if you're attempting this for the first time.
A freshly fried batch of arancini will consist of my appetizer, entrée and main dish. Especially when they come out of the fryer: golden and crispy on the outside and soft, moist and cheesy on the inside. If you love arancini as much as I do please let me know by tagging me with #mangiabedda or @mangiabedda on Facebook or Instagram. Don't forget to pin the recipe on Pinterest as well! Buon appetito!
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1 kg Arborio rice
- 10 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 2 cups combination of grated parmigiano cheese and pecorino romano (or only parmesan if you prefer)
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the sauce :
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups white button mushrooms, finely chopped
- ½ pound (225 grams) ground veal/beef/pork
- ¼ cup wine, red or white
- 2 cups tomato passata tomato purée
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
For assembling the arancini:
- 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 ½ cups unseasoned bread crumbs
- 2 litres vegetable oil, (or canola oil) for frying
Instructions
For the rice:
- Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the rice. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, until the broth is absorbed.
- After the rice is cooked, pour into a large shallow dish or pan and allow to cool. Once cooled, stir in the grated cheese and the eggs. Mix well.
For the sauce:
- In a large sauce pan, on medium heat sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the olive oil.
- Add the ground meat and brown, stirring frequently. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute until it evaporates.
- Pour in tomato passata and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover loosely with the lid and simmer for 1 hour until the sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the peas. Set aside to cool.
To assemble the arancini:
- In a deep, heavy bottomed dutch oven, large enough to contain 7-8 arancini, add 2 litres of vegetable oil.
- Prepare two bowls with the breadcrumbs in one and the beaten eggs in the other. Transfer the prepared sauce to a bowl. Now you are ready to assemble your arancini.
- Using a ½ cup measuring cup, scoop the rice into your hand and shape into a ball. Make an indentation in the centre of the rice ball with your thumb and add a spoonful of meat sauce. Close the rice mixture around the meat and shape into a ball.
- Dredge in the egg wash and then roll in the breadcrumbs. It is recommended that you prepare all of your arancini and have them ready for frying.
- In order to check if your oil is hot enough (if not using a deep fryer) place the handle of a wooden spoon in the pot and if the oil begins to bubble and fry around the handle, it is ready for your arancini. Fry 7 or 8 arancini at a time until they are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb extra oil. Serve hot.
Notes
- Cook the rice the day before, cool and refrigerate.
- Prepare your meat sauce a day or two in advance and refrigerate. You can also prepare a batch, divide into portions and freeze for future use.
- The assembled arancini can be refrigerated and fried the following day.
- To make appetizer sized mini arancini, use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop your rice.
- You'll probably have leftover meat sauce after you have filled the arancini. No problem, you can serve it with pasta or rice another day!
- To verify if the oil is hot enough for frying, place the handle of a wooden spoon in the hot oil. If the oil immediately begins to bubble vigorously around the handle, the oil is hot enough for frying.
- Leftover arancini can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Fried arancini can be frozen up to a month. Thaw and warm in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact portion size.
Vincenzo Runco
Need help to make about 200 aranci balls a day. I have a restaurant in Woodbridge
E mail if interested vrunco@rogers.com
Vincenzo
Nadia
Hi Vincenzo, that is quite an undertaking! Unfortunately I live a little too far to help you out but I wish you lots of luck!
Marie
Last time I was in Sicily I bought an arancini mold to make the pyramid shape ones. That’s the shape we use where I’m from, Canicattini Bagni. The mold came with a recipe that is very similar to yours. Last time I made them I used my air fryer and they came out great. I sprayed them with olive oil and that was a game changer.
Nadia
Hello Marie, I have actually never tried using a mold for arancini. I'm sure it is quite useful for the pyramid shapedd ones. Thank you for sharing your tips for making them in an air fryer, I have always wondered if they would turn out good in there. I'm sure my readers will appreciate this tip!
Elizabeth Toma
the arancinni from the mold is MUCH larger...I used mine and your recipie made 19!
Frank M Ortiz
I saw the Arancini on MHz’s series called Montalbano, Detective Montalbano received pyramid shaped “rice balls” from his housekeeper Adelina.
Nadia
Would you believe I have yet to see this series? On my to do list, thank you!
Lucy
1kg of rice is an awful lot of rice! I only use 3 cups - not sure how much that weights but it's definitely not a kilo. Otherwise the recipe is very close the one I use (which has been handed down through my Ragusane family).
Nadia
Hi Lucy, 1 kg of rice is just under 5 cups actually. My mom doesn't make anything in small portions like most Italian moms! But I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for your comment!
A_vita
Ciao! Most of My family came here to NY from Salemi, Sicily. My mom was born and raised In Brooklyn. Mom and Nonna use to make the arancini the same exact way. Growing up, I always spent my summers and weekends with my Nonno and Nonna, and I pretty much learned all that I know from her. Some of my best childhood memories were with her. You would always find my Nonna in her self made house coat cooking up something in the kitchen or on her sewing machine flexing a hem. I miss her so much. .
I’ve been talking about making these again for a while now and then made them for tonight’s dinner. Yes, all in one very long day I made arancini. I’m pooped! My God were they good! Why I waited so many years to make these, I don’t know. Maybe cause it’s a lot of work!
But so worth it! However, I did make enough for an army! Lol It’s just in our nature I guess. You never know who’s going to come over and you’ll have to feed.. Right??
Now it’s my turn to pass this family recipe down to my daughter. Thank you for the read and bringing back some good memories! ❤️🇮🇹👵🏼👩🏻👧🏻
Nadia
Hello! I'm so glad you enjoyed my mom's amazing arancini recipe. They are definitely a labor of love and you are better off making a large batch to share once you're at it, that is what my mom always does. Thank you for taking the time to comment and share yourprecious childhood memories with me!
dimitri cefalu
very much appreciated!
make them every December, and have used various recipes.
yours is one of the most complete, with very thoughtful tips
only wish you had some guidance on how to make the cheese/ham filled ones i used to enjoy in Palermo
Buon Natale
Nadia
Thank you very much Dimitri, I appreciate your lovely comment! I have a few other arancini variations on my blog such as seafood arancini and arancini alla Norma that you may be interested in. But I guess I'll have to put the cheese and ham ones on my list too. Thanks again!
Janet
What brand of breadcrumbs do you use for this recipe?
Nadia
Hi Janet, I use unseasoned Italian breadcrumbs that I find in a plastic bag at my local bakery or Italian grocery store. It's not a name brand as they take unsold bread and grind it into breadcrumbs and sell it. It is also something I often do at home when I have bread that is going stale. I just grind it up in my food processor (or grate it if you don't a food processor as my mom does) and I store it in my freezer so it doesn't become moldy. Hope this helps!
Laura
Beautiful! I live for arancini. In Sicily they make a batter instead of egg wash before the crumbs. It’s a simple mixture of flour and water to coat the ball. The crumb sticks well and the coating is a different texture. I’ve just returned home from a month in Sicily, visiting family and overeating. Love the post 🤍
Nadia
Hi Laura, I also just returned from a Sicilian vacation and tried so many wonderful variations on the classic ragu filled arancini that I must soon recreate at home! I have heard of the batter instead of egg wash coated arancini but for this recipe I chose to stick to my mother's version. Perhaps I will give it a try one day! Thank you for your comment!
holly
WENT TO ITALY ON VACZTION A FEW YEARS AGA AND ATE ARANCINI EVERYPLACE I SAW THEM, I LOVE THEM. MY FAVOURITE WERE IN VENICE NOT FAR FROM THE GLASS MUSEUM, I DAW THEM IN THE WINDOW OF A LITTLE BISTRO. WE WENT TO EAT IN A SHADED GARDEN AND THEY WERE NOT OFFERED DO WE HAD TO SIT IN THE BAR, PUB AREA TO EAT THEM , WORTH IT,
Nadia
Hi HOlly, they are definitely one of my favorite foods!
Anna
Hello my name is Anna and I’m from Catanzaro Calabria, and I have been all over Italy! I just want to say that arancini are known throughout Italy and not just Sicily… I’m talking way back in the 70’s… they originated from Sicily! Also my recipe is the same as this one except I add some provolone cheese after filling them with the meat and pea sauce! So many different ways to fill them!! They are so… deliziosi!!
Nadia
Hi Anna, I have definitely seen arancini throughout Italy as well. I just found it so interesting, not to mention surprised, to hear that my mom did not know about arancini growing up in Sicily. My children love theirs with some cheese added to the center as you mentioned! And yes for sure there are so many ways to fill them, all so delicious. Thanks for your comment!
Carrie
These were amazing! Spot on!!
Nadia
So glad you enjoyed them!
Cathy
I live in Woodbridge Ontario,but I’m originally from Castelvetrano,Trapani .In my family we used to make aranci in 2 ways with the ragu and the other with porcini mushrooms prosciutto cotto and gruyer cheese . Instead of the egg in the rice we used butter and parmigiano and we used to dip them in the egg but for some reason in this country doing that the oil would become too sudsy and it would overflow from the pot so I switched to a batter of just flour and water. It works like a charm and it doesn’t alter the flavor we love them and we have a feast every time.I have shared them with all of my friends and they’re always a hit . Thank you for sharing this recipe I hope it helps someone who has the same problem as me .
Nadia
Hi Cathy, nice to meet you! I have read about the method using flour and water, basically a pastella, but I've never tried it. I have also not experienced the sudsiness that you described either. But thank you for sharing your experience, it may help others as well.
Zoya perkovic
Thank you for shareing, I'm going to try for my family loves them
Nadia
Hello Zoya, arancini are definitely one of my favorite foods in the whole world and so I made sure to document my mom's recipe properly. Hope your family enjoys them as much as I do!
Lisa
Do these taste any good baked in the oven instead of frying??
Nadia
Hello Lisa, I have in fact never tried baking my arancini although I have heard of people who have. If I had to try I would probably spray them with cooking oil so that they brown and become crisp when baking. I imagine they probably would not hold their shape as well and may flatten a bit when baking. But I'm sure it's worth a try! Please let me know how they turn out if you give it a try and thanks for your question!
Joe Palermo
Hi, I always bake my Arancini so I don’t have to use so much oil or fat. Baking is fine and you can get very good results. I do bake them at a high 200 c temperature for about 20 mins or less and turn them halfway through or when I see they are getting dark on top. I also add small amount of grated parmesan cheese into the beaten eggs and rice to keep them from falling apart in the oven.
Nadia
Hi Joe, thanks so much for sharing this with me. I will definitely have to try it!
Liliana
My mother was from Palermo where arancini are a street food. When she would make them for us, it was a time to celebrate as the whole family loved them. Unfortunately, I never documented her recipe although I helped her make them many times. So now I make them using my interpretation of my mother's recipe.
Thanks for sharing your mother's recipe. It's so important to document family recipes for future generations.
Pina
So glad you finally have this documented!! But I can't believe it wasn't a family recipe!! Oh well, now it will be 🙂
Etta
Finally, we get the right measurements!!
Delicious!!