Sicilian Arancini Sliders with Spicy Marinara
Golden, crispy risotto spheres pressed into soft slider buns, each one bursting with molten mozzarella and served with a vibrant, chile-amplified mari...
12 sliders
Italian Cuisine
🟡Intermediate★★★☆☆
Aug 2, 2025
33 views
Ingredients
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6 cups
Low-sodium chicken stock
kept hot in a small pot
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3 whole
Large egg yolks
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3 whole
Large eggs
beaten with 2 Tbsp water
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1 cup
Parmigiano-Reggiano
freshly grated
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1 cup
All-purpose flour
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2 cups
Fine dry breadcrumbs
preferably panko
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1 medium
Yellow onion
minced into ⅛-inch dice
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2 cups
Arborio rice
room temperature
🥛
8 oz
Whole-milk mozzarella
cut into ½-inch cubes, chilled
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28 oz
Crushed San Marzano tomatoes
with juices
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3 tablespoons
Unsalted butter
divided
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4 cups
Vegetable oil
for deep-frying
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½ cup
Dry white wine
preferably Pinot Grigio
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12 mini brioche
Slider buns
lightly toasted
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4 whole
Garlic cloves
thinly sliced
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½ teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons
Extra-virgin olive oil
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¼ cup
Fresh basil leaves
torn
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1½ teaspoons
Fine sea salt
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1 loose cup
Baby arugula
for garnish
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2 tablespoons
Calabrian chile paste
or 1 tsp red-pepper flakes
Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other
Instructions
Step 1
Begin the risotto by setting a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and the extra-virgin olive oil, swirling until the butter foams but does not brown—this combination gives flavor and prevents burning.
Step 2
Stir in the minced yellow onion with a pinch of salt; sweat for 4–5 minutes until translucent and sweet, not colored. The salt draws moisture, ensuring even cooking.
Step 3
Add the Arborio rice and stir continuously for 2 minutes until every grain is glossy and opaque at the edges; this toasting drives off excess starch and sets the stage for creamy yet distinct grains.
Step 4
Deglaze with the dry white wine; let it hiss and reduce until the pan just begins to look syrupy, about 90 seconds. The alcohol cooks off, leaving bright acidity.
Step 5
Ladle in just enough hot low-sodium chicken stock to barely cover the rice (about 2 cups). Stir slowly but constantly with a silicone spatula, coaxing starch from kernels into the liquid. When streaks expose the pan bottom for a second or two, add another ladleful. Repeat until the rice is al dente with a tiny opaque core, 16–18 minutes total. You should use 5–5½ cups stock and end with risotto that mounds rather than flows.
Step 6
Off heat, vigorously fold in the remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; the residual heat creates an emulsified, glossy texture. Season with 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Spread the risotto on a parchment-lined sheet pan, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and refrigerate for 30 minutes—cooling firms the rice for easy shaping.
Step 7
While the rice chills, prepare the spicy marinara. Set a heavy saucepan over medium heat, film with 2 teaspoons olive oil, and sauté the sliced garlic until edges are gold, 60–90 seconds. Add the Calabrian chile paste and bloom for 15 seconds to release its fruity heat.
Step 8
Pour in the crushed San Marzano tomatoes with their juices. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the raw tomato edge is gone. Season with a pinch of sugar if needed, then fold in torn fresh basil. Hold warm.
Step 9
Line a tray with parchment. Scoop ¼-cup portions of chilled risotto and press a cube of chilled whole-milk mozzarella into each center. Encase completely, rolling into tight spheres—the size of golf balls—to prevent blowouts during frying.
Step 10
Set breading stations: flour seasoned with salt, beaten large eggs with water, and fine dry breadcrumbs. Roll each sphere in flour (shake off excess), coat in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs, pressing so the crumbs adhere; repeat the egg-and-crumb step for an extra-crispy armor.
Step 11
Heat the vegetable oil to 350 °F in a heavy, high-sided pot. The oil should be deep enough to submerge the spheres. Fry 3–4 spheres at once to avoid crowding, turning gently once, until deep golden and the internal cheese begins to escape—about 2½ minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over paper towels, season immediately with salt.
Step 12
Split and lightly toast the slider buns. Spoon a ribbon of spicy marinara onto the bottom bun, perch a hot arancini sphere, add a pinch of baby arugula for peppery bite, cap with more marinara if desired, and serve immediately while the mozzarella pulls into Instagram-worthy strands.
✨Chef's Tips
- ★For restaurant-level creaminess, finish the risotto 2 minutes shy of al dente; it will carry-cook while cooling and again during frying, preventing mushy centers.
- ★Maintaining 350 °F oil is critical: below 325 °F, spheres absorb grease; above 365 °F, crumbs burn before cheese melts. Clip a thermometer to the pot and adjust heat in small increments.
- ★Shape arancini with slightly damp hands; the moisture prevents sticking and yields smoother spheres that hold their breading.
- ★Make-ahead: bread the spheres, set on a tray, and freeze 1 hour. Once solid, transfer to a zip bag; fry directly from frozen, adding 45 seconds to cooking time—perfect for stress-free entertaining.
- ★Turn leftovers into a plated entrée by halving the arancini and serving over a pool of the spicy marinara with a soft-poached egg and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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