Air fryer arancini, the perfect recipe for an appetizer or aperitif, made with leftover rice and peas and stuffed with cheese cubes. Great when paired with bread cannoli in the air fryer and the timeless air fryer fried gnocchi. I used rice and peas cooked in the multicooker, but you can also use rice with radicchio or rice with artichokes. Generally, I make them in jar cooking, keep them in the fridge under vacuum, and then make various flavors of arancini with vegetables and then “fry” them in the air fryer. A good anti-waste and a good opportunity to bring something different and tasty to the table.
I know, the most common debate is whether they are called arancini or arancine, in doubt, I called them as we do in Reggio Calabria, that is, arancini.
This arancini recipe is egg-free; the breading, in fact, as a friend who is a rotisserie cook taught me, is made with a “mixture” of water and flour and then they are rolled in breadcrumbs.
Now, let’s go make the air fryer arancini!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 5
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 577.92 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 80.28 (g) of which sugars 6.00 (g)
- Proteins 16.48 (g)
- Fat 21.48 (g) of which saturated 7.78 (g)of which unsaturated 4.15 (g)
- Fibers 4.93 (g)
- Sodium 781.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Making Rice with Peas in Pressure Cooker
- 10.5 oz frozen peas
- 1.25 cups Carnaroli rice
- 1 fresh spring onion
- 1.5 tbsp butter
- 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 broth cube
- 1.75 cups water
- 2 pinches salt
- 4.5 oz cheeses (brie-fontina-emmental)
- 0.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.75 cups water
- 3.5 oz breadcrumbs
- extra virgin olive oil (spray)
What You Need
- 1 Air Fryer
- 2 Plates deep
Procedure
Peel and slice the spring onion, put it in the pot and add the butter and oil, sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the peas, the broth cube, the salt, the rice, and the water. Mix well and close the pot. Cook the rice with peas under pressure for 9 minutes. At the end of the cooking, let it rest for 3 minutes with the pot closed and then depressurize. Mix the rice well and then pour it into a large tray, spreading it out a bit so it cools faster.
In the meantime, cut the cheeses into cubes. Distribute the breadcrumbs on a plate and set aside.
With moistened hands, take a portion of rice, about 50 g (2 oz), and compact it well in the palm, creating a hollow in the center.
Place 3-4 cheese cubes in the center
and close the rice over it, compacting well and rolling it into a large ball.
Pour the flour and water into a plate and mix well, until you get a fluid batter. With the help of 2 forks, turn an arancino in the batter at a time, drain it well.
Now, roll the arancino in the breadcrumbs, making sure it adheres well and shaking off the excess. Continue like this until all ingredients are used.
Place 10 arancini in the air fryer basket and spray them with oil. Close the air fryer and start cooking at 390°F for 15 minutes, making sure to shake the basket after 10 minutes of cooking. This way you will have even cooking and browning.
Remove the arancini from the basket and continue cooking the other arancini. Serve them hot and melty.
Extra tips and variations for making arancini in the air fryer
Extra tips and variations for making arancini in the air fryer
Bolognese Arancini in Air Fryer
Prepare a base of rice in the air fryer, let it cool and fill, as in the recipe, with vacuum cooked ragù and peas. Close well, pass them in the batter and in the breadcrumbs and then fry the arancini in the air fryer.
Cheese Arancini in Air Fryer
Follow this recipe to make cheese arancini, and then cook them in the air fryer at 375°F for 17 minutes.
FAQ
Can I freeze some of the arancini?
Yes, you can prepare them, place them on a tray, and freeze them. Once frozen, transfer them to a plastic bag. When you want to fry the frozen arancini in the air fryer, proceed as follows: place them in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes at 300°F. Then, spray them with oil and continue cooking for 10 minutes at 375°F.
