Cheese Stuffed Rice Balls Recipe - Kudos Kitchen by Renee (2024)

Pan-Fried Mozzarella Cheese Stuffed Rice Balls are crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and stuffed with lots of melted cheese! What's not to love?

For my last birthday, we went out to dinner at an adorably quaint Italian restaurant called Tony Spavone's. Since the owner (Tony himself) likes to croon Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin songsto his patrons as theycasuallyenjoytheItalian delicacies that come out of his traditional Italian kitchen, you can only imagine that the atmosphere isas fun and inviting, as the food isincredibly delicious.

We chose the arancini as our appetizer the night we visited Tony's restaurant.Tony's arancinimade such an impression on me that I needed to recreate those wonderfulfriedrice ballsas soon as possible in my KudosKitchen, and then bring themto you. Since I didn't have Tony's recipe to follow, I improvisedas best I could.And since everyone loves melted cheese, I decided that adding a tiny bit of mozzarella cheese to the center of each crunchy, creamy rice ballwould not be a bad thing. Because after all, who doesn't love melted cheese?

While my recipe for Pan Fried Mozzarella Cheese Stuffed Rice Balls (Arancini di Riso) with Marinara may not be authentically Italian, they are 100% authentically delicious! So much so that I would put them up against Tony's arancini any day of the week. Ha! Ha! I can safely say that because I know it will never happen. LOL But, I'm ready if it ever does!

If you need a good recipe for Easy Classic Homemade Marinara I posted mine a few weeks ago.

Here are the easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions for making Pan Fried Mozzarella Cheese Stuffed Rice Balls with Marinara. If you should have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you if you contact me, or leave a comment in the comment section.

Rinse 1 cup of arborio rice several times under running water. Add 2 cups of chicken or turkey stock to a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Add the rinsed rice, cover, and continue simmering until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender (approximately 22-25 minutes)

Spread the cooked rice out onto a sheet tray to cool completely. If not making the arancini immediately, place the cooked and cooled rice into a container and refrigerate. Cut mozzarella cheese into fifteen 1" cubes. Use water to keep your hands wet (so the rice won't stick to your hands and fingers) and place approximately 1½ tablespoons of cooled rice in the palm of your hand. Place a mozzarella cube in the center of the rice...

...and then gently encase the cheese into the rice by making a ball. Roll each ball into panko breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs into the rice if necessary. Set the panko-crumbed rice balls aside while you heat the oil for pan-frying.

Heat approximately 1 cup of canola oil (until the handle of a wooden spoon releases small bubbles when placed in the oil) in a large, high-sided skillet. Carefully add the coated rice balls to the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Pan-fry the rice balls, turning as needed until they're nicely golden brown. Remove the fried rice balls to paper towels to drain, and season with a sprinkling of salt. Serve hot with marinara sauce, grated Parmesan cheese (not shown), and freshly chopped basil, if desired.

Printable Recipe Card

These Arancini di Riso (a.k.a. Pan Fried Mozzarella Stuffed Rice Balls with Marinara) would make an amazing appetizer (as we had them the night we went out to dinner), or as a delicious side dish for almost any entrée. But, whichever way you choose to serve them, I know you'll enjoy them as much as we do!

Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!

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