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- Makes 9 arancini
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These cheese-free arancini are crisped to golden-brown perfection in an air fryer so you get a satisfying crunch without the unhealthy oil. Each creamy rice ball is stuffed with green olives and piquant peppers to create a tangy center that contrasts nicely with the garlicky Arborio rice. A coating of bread crumbs ensures a crispy exterior while a side of spicy marinara makes for a delicious dipping sauce. Serve air-fried arancini as an appetizer, or pair them with a green salad to create a fantastic vegan Italian meal. Be sure to make a double batch if you don’t want these bite-sized beauties to disappear too quickly!
Tip: To bake instead of air-fry, preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place arancini on a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
For more vegan appetizers, check out these tasty ideas:
- Smoky Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
- Greek Stuffed Mini Peppers
- Roasted Tomato, White Bean, and Olive Bruschetta
- Or take a look at our full collection of vegan party appetizers
By Juliana Hale,
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- ½ cup canned no-salt-added chickpeas, undrained
- 1⅓ cups cooked brown Arborio rice, chilled
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 9 pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 9 piquante peppers, such as Peppadew peppers
- ½ cup whole wheat panko or gluten-free bread crumbs
- ¾ cup spicy oil-free pasta sauce, warmed (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl stir together flaxseed meal and 2 tablespoons water. Let stand 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl mash chickpeas with a fork until nearly smooth. Stir in flaxseed mixture, rice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Stuff a green olive inside each pepper. Divide rice mixture into nine portions. Wrap each rice portion around a stuffed pepper to form a ball.
- Place panko in a shallow dish. Roll each ball in panko, lightly pressing to coat.
- Preheat air fryer to 370°F. Place risotto balls in a single layer in air-fryer basket. (Fry in batches, if needed.) Air-fry 8 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp, turning once. Serve with warm pasta sauce for dipping (if using).
Comments (1)
(5 from 1 vote)These were delicious, and nice and crispy in the air fryer. The 1/2 cup undrained chickpeas was unclear to me, though...how much liquid was supposed to be in that 1/2 cup? I scooped them out of the can with very little liquid, figuring I could always add it in, but it worked fine like that.