Air Fryer Arancini (Cheese Stuffed Rice Balls!) - Gonna Want Seconds (2024)

One of our family FAVORITES to make in the air fryer is this air fryer arancini recipe!

They’ve got a ridiculously crisp and crunchy shell, stuffed with creamy risotto and gooey cheese. Although typically enjoyed as a snack, we work these into our breakfast, lunch and dinner routine (seriously, they’re THAT good!).

Serve them alongside air fryer chicken parmesan for the PERFECT air fryer recipes dinner that’ll have everyone smiling!

Now let’s get rolling!

What I Love About This Air Fryer Arancini Recipe

Breaded and fried risotto stuffed with cheese?? What’s not to love?! But if I had to select a few reasons:

• ALL the reasons why you love your air fryer: your house doesn’t smell like fried food, it’s not drenched in oil, EASY clean up, and I feel less guilty eating it!
• It combines my FAVORITE foods! Cheese, risotto, and breadcrumbs. YUM!
• This is an awesome recipe to make with the fam — the kids have a blast rolling and stuffing the risotto balls.
• Great to make ahead and store in the freezer.

How To Make Arancini

Here’s how to throw together this air fryer arancini recipe:

First, we’ll make a risotto – I use a variation of Emerald’s arancini recipe — If you have a family favorite risotto recipe, use that instead!

As with any risotto recipe, you’ll want to be present as you cook the rice, as the rice must soak up the liquid before adding more. This is why there’s a range in the amount of chicken stock to add — the amount used will vary depending on the heat and thickness of your pan.

Now, important step! Taste the risotto and add salt to your liking. Since we will be adding different amounts of chicken stock into the rice, I can’t give you an exact amount — but I will tell you that I added 3 cups of chicken stock and 1 teaspoon of rice.

The last thing you want after all this is under salted arancinis…

Then we’ll let the risotto chill. After that stir in an egg, and we’ve got the base for our arancini!

Now, let’s form the arancini. I like to use a tablespoon to make them a uniform size. Stuff a piece of cheese in the center, and roll the ball between your hands to form a smooth surface.

Next up: breading. Prep 3 bowls and a clean plate to place breaded arancinis on. Dip them in the flour, then shake to clear off any excess. Dip them in the whisked eggs, then in the breadcrumbs. Repeat until you’ve breaded all your arancinis.

Now the easy part – air frying. Spray your arancinis with oil, then place them in a single, non-touching layer in the air fryer tray. Air fry at 400 F for 12 minutes.

Allow these to cool slightly before serving (you won’t BELIEVE how hot the cheese is inside!) and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You’re minutes away from enjoying these air fryer arancini! Just a few additional tips and tricks:

Ingredient Notes

The ingredient list is pretty standard, just a few items I’d like to point out:

• The rice. We’ll be using Carnaroli or Arborio rice — these are two varieties of risotto rice. I’ve seen them at Krogers and Walmart, but if your local store doesn’t have them, grab a bag online!
• Mozarella. Grab a block of low moisture mozzarella, or use cheese sticks cut into small pieces!

Storing Tips

As with most air fryer recipes, these are best served immediately — but if you do have leftovers, store them in the fridge.

To reheat, you’ll want to “recrisp” the breadcrumbs along the surface a bit (which won’t happen in the microwave). I find this is best to do in the oven or toaster oven.

Can You Freeze Them?

Yes! Now we’re talking!

Make your air fryer arancini, but don’t fry them. Place them on a cookie sheet with a bit of space between each. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 1 hour (this prevents them from sticking together). Now, place all the arancinis in a large resealable baggie in the freezer.

When you’re ready to cook the frozen arancini, place them in the fridge overnight, then air fry!

Recipe Variations

We LOVE the simplicity of this recipe as is, but as always, there are ways to add a twist! Here are some ideas:

• As mentioned above, you can use your favorite risotto recipe to make these. Try a mushroom, garlic or spinach risotto instead!
• Stuff your arancinis with a different type of cheese — cheddar, swiss, anything “meltable” will work!
• Add some ham, prosciutto or pancetta to the filling along with your cheese.

Reader Interactions