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
  1. Saute onion for 2 - 3 minutes, or until softened.
  2. Add Risotto rice to a saucepan and bring to a medium heat. Add white wine and cook until absorbed.
  3. Slowly add ¼ cup chicken stock and simmer until absorbed. Continue to add ¼ cup Chicken stock while cooking frequently until absorbed.
  4. Take the pan off of the heat, stir in grated parmesan.
  5. Allow to cool. Add in one egg, mix, and refrigerate for ate least one hour or overnight.
  6. 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.
  7. Dunk the arancini balls into the egg-buttermilk mixture and then roll around in the bowl of breadcrumbs to coat.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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!
Recipe by Slice of Jess at https://sliceofjess.com/air-fried-arancini-balls-with-creamy-red-pepper-sauce/