Cauliflower Rice (Arancini) Balls

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These Italian Cauliflower Rice Balls (Arancini) are made with cauliflower in place of rice! Lower in carbs and baked or made in the air fryer!

I love Italian rice balls, which are traditionally filled with rice, sausage and cheese, rolled into balls, breaded and fried. My lighter versions swaps the rice for cauliflower rice and rather than frying, I made them in my air fryer or oven!

I’ve had this concept in my head for a few months and wasn’t sure if it would work! How would I get the cauliflower to hold together to form a ball? I played around in my kitchen using frozen riced cauliflower, adding Italian sausage and marinara to add flavor to the cauliflower and shredded mozzarella to hold it all together like glue. It worked like a charm! I tested them out in my air fryer and oven, both came out great, although I think the air fryer ones were a little more golden and certainly a lot quicker. Serve them with marinara for a delicious way to enjoy cauliflower rice a whole new way!

How To Make Cauliflower Rice Balls (Arancini)

Cauliflower Rice Ball Tips and Variations:

The trick is to add the mozzarella cheese while the cauliflower is still hot so it all melts together. Then let it cool a few minutes before rolling them up into balls.
For perfect balls, take 1/4 cup measuring cup, spray it with cooking spray and fill it. Level it, then use a small spoon to scoop it out into your palm, then roll.
If you have problems with it sticking to your hands (I did not) you can add a little oil to your hands.
To make them meatless, swap out the sausage for 1/3 cup peas and add more salt or Parmesan cheese for flavor.
To make them gluten-free, swap the breadcrumbs for gluten-free crumbs.

More Arancini recipes:

Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole
Baked Mini Sausage and Spinach Arancini

More Cauliflower Rice Recipes

Mexican Cauliflower “Rice”
Cauliflower Fried “Rice
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower “Rice”
Cauliflower Rice Biryani
Cauliflower Rice Arancini

Cauliflower Rice Arancini

4.74 from 93 votes

Ingredients

▢ 1 Italian chicken sausage link, casing removed (2 3/4 oz)
▢ 2 1/4 cups riced cauliflower, frozen works great
▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 2 tablespoons homemade marinara, plus optional more for serving
▢ 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella
▢ 1 large egg, beaten
▢ 1/4 cup bread crumbs*, or gluten-free crumbs
▢ 1 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano or parmesan*
▢ cooking spray

Instructions

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat up with spoon as it cooks as small as you can, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower, salt and marinara and cook 6 minutes on medium heat, stirring until the cauliflower is tender and heated through.
Remove from heat and add the mozzarella cheese to the skillet and stir well to mix. Let it cool 3 to 4 minutes, until it’s easy to handle.
Spray a 1/4 cup measuring cup with cooking spray and fill with cauliflower mixture, leveling the top. Use a small spoon to scoop out into your palm and roll into a ball. Set aside on a dish.
Repeat with the remaining cauliflower, you should have 6 balls.
Place the egg in one bowl and the breadcrumbs in another.
Add the parmesan to the crumbs and mix.
Dip the ball in the egg, then in the crumbs and transfer to a baking sheet. Spray the top with cooking spray.
If baking in the oven, bake 425F 25 minutes, until golden. If making in the air fryer, bake 400F for 9 minutes turning halfway until golden.
Serve with marinara sauce, for dipping.

Last Step:

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Notes

*half of the crumbs get tossed, the n.i. and smart points accounts for that.

Nutrition

Serving: 3 balls, Calories: 257 kcal, Carbohydrates: 15.6 g, Protein: 21.5 g, Fat: 11.5 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 95.5 mg, Sodium: 644 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 2.5 g

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FAQs

What is the difference between arancini and rice balls? ›

There are two main recipes of the fried rice balls: the Roman suppli, and the Sicilian arancino. The main difference between the fried rice balls is that suppli are made with arborio rice and mozzarella, while arancini are made with arborio rice, mozzarella, and the addition of beef and peas.

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How long to heat up arancini in air fryer? ›

To reheat, place in oven (or toaster oven) preheated to 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or reheat in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Arancini can be served with any sauce you like, although a plain marinara (or tomato sauce) is the most common accompaniment.

Keep Reading ›

Why is my arancini rice not sticking together? ›

If you don't have a lot of time to chill the rice, make sure it's spread out as thin as possible. It's important for the starches to gel in order for the rice balls to stick together. The minimum amount of time that I have chilled the rice is 1 hour, and the arancini held together successfully.

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What temperature should arancini be? ›

For each ball, roll 2 tablespoons risotto into a ball. Press 1 mozzarella cube into the center and roll to enclose. Coat lightly with flour, dip into milk mixture, then roll in bread crumbs to coat. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large deep saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

How to get rice balls to stick together? ›

Notes. Use Freshly Cooked Rice: For the best results, it's generally recommended to use freshly cooked rice when making onigiri. Freshly cooked rice is warm, moist, and sticky, which makes it easier to shape into the desired form and ensures that the onigiri holds together well.

Cauliflower Rice (Arancini) Balls - Air Fryer Recipe (2024)