Air Fried Arancini Balls with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Raise your hand if you’re satisfied with a plate of appetizers for dinner? I am! These Arancini Balls are easy, cheesy and oh-so-delish!

I absolutely love the combination of bacon, cheddar and chives. So that’s exactly what we stuffed into this classic recipe to mix things up! Want some other fusion-app inspo? Make sure to check out these Buffalo Meatball Taquitos, my Roast Beef Sandwich Sushi on Crispy Rice Cakes, and this muffin-tin version of Cheesy Fried Pickles (which just so happens to be the most popular recipe on my site – here’s a video)! 😉

WATCH US MAKE THIS ON THE GRAM!

INGREDIENTS FOR SUPER YUMMY ARANCINI BALLS:

This recipe requires prep a day beforehand, but trust me… it’s worth it. You’re going to start out with my friend Lara’s family recipe for risotto. If you’ve followed along on social, you’ll actually know that she’s more than just a friend, she’s my super-fantastic culinary assistant here on my little corner of the internet! She’s the bees knees and I’m so grateful for her. We collaborated and made up this recipe together, and I must say… we make a great team. Here are the ingredients you’ll need…

FOR LARA’S FAMILY RISOTTO:

Onion
Olive Oil
White Wine
Risotto Rice (Arborio)
Chicken Stock
Grated Parmesan Cheese

FOR THE ARANCINI BALLS:

Eggs
Bacon
Cheddar
Chives
Italian Breadcrumbs
Heavy Cream
Colby Jack
Cooking Spray

FOR THE RED PEPPER SAUCE:

Jarred Roasted Red Peppers
Garlic
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano
Red Pepper Flakes
Butter
Heavy Cream
Salt

The sauce is so AMAZING – I wrote an entire blog about it! Tastes great with fries, on burgers, mixed with pasta… it’s seriously magic.

HOW TO MAKE THIS FABULOUS APP:

Saute onion for 2 – 3 minutes, or until softened.
Add Risotto rice to a saucepan and bring to a medium heat. Add white wine and cook until absorbed.
Slowly add 1/4 cup chicken stock and simmer until absorbed. Continue to add 1/4 cup Chicken stock while cooking frequently until absorbed.
Take the pan off of the heat, stir in grated parmesan.
Allow to cool. Add in one egg, mix, and refrigerate for ate least one hour or overnight.
The next day, whisk together 3 eggs and buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Add 1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs to a second bowl. Then, mix the cooled risotto with cooked and chopped bacon, shredded cheddar, minced chives and 1/4 cup Italian Breadcrumbs. Roll into meatball-sized balls and stuff a 1/2 inch cube of Colby Jack into the middle. Seal and roll together.
Dunk the arancini balls into the egg-buttermilk mixture and then roll around in the bowl of breadcrumbs to coat.
Set the arancini on a plate. You will most likely need to work in two batches. Place the first plate in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow the balls to slightly harden while you work on the second plate. This recipe will create roughly 20 balls, depending on size.
Preheat the air fryer to 360F. Spray the racks with cooking spray, as well as the arancini balls before transferring half of them to the air fryer. Evenly divide the balls among both racks. Air fry for 6 minutes, swap racks, and air fry for 6 more.
Once browned, transfer the Arancini Balls to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Serve with your favorite sauce (red pepper sauce recipe within blog post), sliced baguette, a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

The Only Shakshuka Recipe You’ll Ever Need

My Favorite Air Fryer Falafel Sandwiches

Incredibly Yummy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

How To Make Smashed Potatoes In The Air Fryer

Italian BLT Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomato Mayo

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL RECIPES

Air Fried Arancini Balls with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Raise your hand if you're satisfied with a plate of appetizers for dinner? I am! These Arancini Balls are easy, cheesy and oh-so-delish!

Ingredients

FOR LARA'S FAMILY RISOTTO:

1 small White Onion
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
½ cup White Wine
1 cup Risotto Rice (Arborio)
4 cups Chicken Stock
½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

FOR THE ARANCINI BALLS:

1 Egg + 3 Eggs for Wet Dredge
6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 oz. Shredded Cheddar
2 tbsp. Minced Chives
¼ cup Italian Breadcrumbs + 1 cup Italian Breadcrumbs for Dry Dredge
¼ cup Heavy Cream
8 oz. Colby Jack, cut into cubes
Cooking Spray, as needed

FOR SERVING:

Sliced Baguette
Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
Grated Parmesan, as needed
Red Pepper Sauce for dunking, optional

Instructions

Saute onion for 2 - 3 minutes, or until softened.
Add Risotto rice to a saucepan and bring to a medium heat. Add white wine and cook until absorbed.
Slowly add ¼ cup chicken stock and simmer until absorbed. Continue to add ¼ cup Chicken stock while cooking frequently until absorbed.
Take the pan off of the heat, stir in grated parmesan.
Allow to cool. Add in one egg, mix, and refrigerate for ate least one hour or overnight.
The next day, whisk together 3 eggs and buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Add 1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs to a second bowl. Then, mix the cooled risotto with cooked and chopped bacon, shredded cheddar, minced chives and ¼ cup Italian Breadcrumbs. Roll into meatball-sized balls and stuff a ½ inch cube of Colby Jack into the middle. Seal and roll together.
Dunk the arancini balls into the egg-buttermilk mixture and then roll around in the bowl of breadcrumbs to coat.
Set the arancini on a plate. You will most likely need to work in two batches. Place the first plate in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to allow the balls to slightly harden while you work on the second plate. This recipe will create roughly 20 balls, depending on size.
Preheat the air fryer to 360F. Spray the racks with cooking spray, as well as the arancini balls before transferring half of them to the air fryer. Evenly divide the balls among both racks. Air fry for 6 minutes, swap racks, and air fry for 6 more.
Once browned, transfer the Arancini Balls to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Serve with your favorite sauce (red pepper sauce recipe within blog post), sliced baguette, a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:

Depending on the air fryer that you are using, cooking times may vary. I made these with my Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer. It has double-layer capacity, which allows me to cook items in larger batches. It’s also a dehydrator, toaster, rotisserie, and bakes / broils.
I prefer Italian breadcrumbs for this recipe verses panko, as I feel that it coats the risotto mixture better. If you try panko breadcrumbs instead, make sure to leave a comment so I can check it out!
The Red Pepper Sauce is super easy to make. All you do is puree 24 oz. of jarred red peppers, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano, and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes in a food processor. Add 2 tbsp. salted butter to a sauté pan over medium heat. Allow to slightly brown and then pour in the red pepper mixture. Bring to a simmer, while constantly stirring. After a few minutes, whisk in the heavy cream and add salt, to taste. Serve immediately.
Other sauces you might enjoy include my South American Chimichurri, a drizzle of this Alabama White Sauce, or my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Basil (a milder version than the red pepper sauce listed above).