Italian Rice Balls

A white plate is lined with a napkin and topped with several golden-brown, round falafel pieces. They are crispy and speckled with herbs, arranged closely together on the plate.

5 from 1 vote

These Italian Rice Balls are a delicious crispy, deep fried ball of rice. My family has been making this recipe for decades, so it is considered a tried and true dish! They are loaded with flavour from the Italian parsley and freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. Don't let these intimidate you to make as they only require 7 ingredients. They are the perfect make ahead appetizer or side dish for any gathering. I hope you love these as much as my family does.

Prep Time45

Cook Time6

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: appetizers, italian rice balls, italian rice balls recipe, rice balls, rice balls recipe

Servings:

Equipment

1 deep fryer or a large, deep frying pan

Ingredients

2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or less if you are using a frying pan
2 cups arborio rice
4 eggs beaten
2 cups water
2 cups unsalted chicken stock
1.5 cups parmigiano reggiano grated fine
3/4 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped fine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Begin by rinsing your arborio rice really well.
Add it to a medium sized pot, along with the water and chicken stock.
Bring it to a boil, cover and let simmer on low heat until cooked.
Once the rice has been cooked and no liquid remains, set aside and let cool completely.
Tip: cook the rice according to package instructions, as each package will vary slightly.
Add your seasoned breadcrumbs to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Add your cooked rice to a large mixing bowl along with your beaten eggs, shredded parmigiano reggiano, fresh Italian parsley, salt, and garlic powder.
Using your hands, begin by mixing everything together, squeezing the rice in between your hands.
Tip: you want the rice to break down, so keep mixing and squeezing the mixture in your hands repeatedly. Do this for about 5 minutes.
Once everything is mixed well, and you can roll the rice into a ball without them being too sticky, you can begin to form into balls.
Using a cookie scoop that is about 3/4 inch round (to ensure the rice balls are similar in size) scoop out your rice. Form into round balls using the palms of your hands and then add to your breadcrumbs, covering on all sides. Repeat.
Tip: roll all of the rice balls out first, and then add them to the breadcrumbs one at a time, using one hand to add the rice balls to the breadcrumbs, and the other hand to add the breadcrumbs to the rice balls.
To a deep fryer or large deep frying pan, add your oil. If you are using a frying pan, you want enough oil that 80% of the rice ball is covered when you add it to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add your rice balls, working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, and fry for 4-6 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and enjoy right away!

Nutrition