Rice Arancini

Name: Rice Arancini
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 1 lb rice; 5 cup water; 3.3 oz aged caciocavallo cheese; 1 oz butter; oz saffron; 1 tbsp coarse salt; 5 oz ground pork; 6.7 oz tomato paste; 2.7 oz peas; 1.7 oz white onions; 1.7 oz red wine; oil; salt; black pepper; 1.7 oz fresh caciocavallo cheese; 4 oz cooked ham; 4 oz mozzarella; 6.7 oz flour; 11.7 oz water; 1 pinch salt; 6.7 oz breadcrumbs; 12.5 cup oil

Ago Tanfossi

Chef and recipe curator at Global Cucina

Published on March 15, 2026

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Rice arancini, a pride of Sicilian cuisine: discover the recipe to make this typical street food at home, with a filling of meat sauce and ham!

Rice arancini are not just a street food, but a tribute to the ability of rice to enclose complex and profound flavors. The combination of warm meat sauce, cured ham, and creamy, perfectly cooked rice creates a balance that evokes the essence of Sicilian cuisine: intensity without excess, freshness without compromise. The recipe stands out for its precision in cooking the rice, which should be soft but not sticky, and for the skillful use of saffron and caciocavallo cheese, which add a touch of refinement to every bite.

Capolavoro Score 5/5 · 19 votes

Instructions

1
To prepare the rice arancini, first cook the rice in 1,2 l of boiling water with coarse salt; in this way, once cooked, the water will be completely absorbed and all the starch will remain in the pot, thus obtaining very dry and compact rice). Stir occasionally. Cook for about 15 minutes; a few minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the saffron and mix well.
2
Once all the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and add the butter and grated cheese, then mix well to combine everything. Pour and spread the rice on a large, shallow tray, then cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and let cool completely for a couple of hours at room temperature; the plastic wrap will prevent the surface of the rice from drying out.
3
Meanwhile, prepare the meat sauce filling: peel and finely slice the onion. Sauté the chopped onion in a pan with oil, then add the ground meat, salt and pepper. Brown over high heat, then deglaze with wine.
4
At this point, add the tomato puree, adjust with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat with the lid on for at least 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking, add the peas. If necessary, you can add a little hot water, but keep in mind that the meat sauce should be thick and not liquid.
5
While the peas are cooking, cut the mozzarella, cooked ham, and fresh caciocavallo cheese into cubes. Now that all the fillings are ready, once the rice has cooled completely, you can form the arancini; to help you shape them, keep a bowl of water nearby so you can moisten your hands.
6
Take a couple of tablespoons of rice at a time (about 120 g), then press the mound on the palm of your hand to form a hollow. Fill each arancino with cubes of mozzarella and ham. This type of filling is traditionally called "al burro" (with butter).
7
Then cover the filling with rice and shape it, giving it a round shape. Proceed in this way to fill about half of the arancini, then fill the other half with a teaspoon of meat sauce.
8
Add a few cubes of caciocavallo and shape the rice, giving it a pointed shape. Now that all the arancini are ready, prepare the batter: in a bowl, pour the sifted flour, a pinch of salt, and water gradually.
9
Mix thoroughly with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Dip the arancini, one at a time, into the batter, making sure to cover them completely.
10
Finally, roll them in breadcrumbs. In a pot, heat the oil to a temperature of 160-170, then fry 1-2 arancini at a time, so as not to lower the temperature of the oil.
11
When they are golden brown, you can drain them and transfer them to a tray lined with absorbent paper. Enjoy the rice arancini while they are still hot!

Ago's Notes

Adjust the salt according to the salt content of the preserves.

May the flavors embrace each other as good friends do, and may every bite be a tribute to respecting the ingredients. Enjoy your meal and may your table always be full of joy.

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Rice Arancini

Ago Tanfossi

Chef and recipe curator at Global Cucina

Published on March 15, 2026

Rice arancini, a pride of Sicilian cuisine: discover the recipe to make this typical street food at home, with a filling of meat sauce and ham!

Capolavoro Score 5/5 · 19 votes

Instructions

To prepare the rice arancini, first cook the rice in 1,2 l of boiling water with coarse salt; in this way, once cooked, the water will be completely absorbed and all the starch will remain in the pot, thus obtaining very dry and compact rice). Stir occasionally. Cook for about 15 minutes; a few minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the saffron and mix well.

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and add the butter and grated cheese, then mix well to combine everything. Pour and spread the rice on a large, shallow tray, then cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and let cool completely for a couple of hours at room temperature; the plastic wrap will prevent the surface of the rice from drying out.

Meanwhile, prepare the meat sauce filling: peel and finely slice the onion. Sauté the chopped onion in a pan with oil, then add the ground meat, salt and pepper. Brown over high heat, then deglaze with wine.

At this point, add the tomato puree, adjust with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat with the lid on for at least 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking, add the peas. If necessary, you can add a little hot water, but keep in mind that the meat sauce should be thick and not liquid.

While the peas are cooking, cut the mozzarella, cooked ham, and fresh caciocavallo cheese into cubes. Now that all the fillings are ready, once the rice has cooled completely, you can form the arancini; to help you shape them, keep a bowl of water nearby so you can moisten your hands.

Take a couple of tablespoons of rice at a time (about 120 g), then press the mound on the palm of your hand to form a hollow. Fill each arancino with cubes of mozzarella and ham. This type of filling is traditionally called "al burro" (with butter).

Then cover the filling with rice and shape it, giving it a round shape. Proceed in this way to fill about half of the arancini, then fill the other half with a teaspoon of meat sauce.

Add a few cubes of caciocavallo and shape the rice, giving it a pointed shape. Now that all the arancini are ready, prepare the batter: in a bowl, pour the sifted flour, a pinch of salt, and water gradually.

Mix thoroughly with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Dip the arancini, one at a time, into the batter, making sure to cover them completely.

Finally, roll them in breadcrumbs. In a pot, heat the oil to a temperature of 160-170, then fry 1-2 arancini at a time, so as not to lower the temperature of the oil.

When they are golden brown, you can drain them and transfer them to a tray lined with absorbent paper. Enjoy the rice arancini while they are still hot!

Rice Arancini