Arancini

The main reason is warm or too crumbly rice. The rice must be cold (at least 2 hours in the refrigerator) and sticky — Arborio or short-grain rice cooked with Parmesan works best. Proper three-step breading is also essential: flour → beaten egg → breadcrumbs. If the balls crack in the oil, the temperature is too high — fry at 170–175 °C for a stable, even crust.

Yes. Brush the breaded balls with a thin layer of olive oil (or use an oil spray) and bake at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes, turning once halfway through. The crust will be slightly less crispy than deep-fried, but still golden. For extra crunch, use panko instead of regular breadcrumbs. This method also works well as a lighter, oil-free option.

The classic choice is firm pizza mozzarella — not fresh mozzarella in brine, which is too wet and creates a soggy interior. Good substitutes: provolone, fontina, young caciocavallo, or Edam — all melt and stretch well. Cut the cheese into 1×1 cm cubes: too large pieces burst through the rice, too small ones dry out. Aged cheeses like Parmesan or Pecorino are only suitable for mixing into the rice itself.

It is better to freeze before frying: shape and bread the balls, place on a tray, freeze for 2 hours, then transfer to a bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Fry directly from frozen at 160 °C for 8–10 minutes (not 170 °C — the inside needs more time to heat through). Already cooked arancini can also be frozen and reheated in the oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes, but the crust will be softer.

Replace the egg in breading with: a mixture of 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water (whisk and let thicken for 5 minutes), aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas), or a simple flour slurry (3 tbsp flour + 4 tbsp water). For the filling, use vegan melting cheese or cubes of mashed potato with herbs instead of mozzarella. Vegan arancini can also be baked without deep-frying.