Go Back
+ servings
5 from 2 votes
Pesto Chicken Arancini
Pesto Chicken Arancini
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Chilling Time
1 hr
 

When it comes to street food, it doesn't get much better than arancini. This pesto chicken arancini is incredible with so much texture and flavor.

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Arancini, Pesto Chicken Arancini
Servings: 18 arancini
Calories: 465 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 3 cups cooked rice preferably day old
  • 1 dash olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 whole onion diced small
  • 2 pinches salt divided
  • 2 pinches black pepper divided
  • 4 tablespoons basil pesto sauce either homemade or jarred, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
  • canola oil for frying
Instructions
  1. First, make sure your rice is cooked and cooled completely, preferably the day before. Then the day of making them, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the ground chicken in it for a few minutes, then add the onion, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch pepper, a tablespoon of the pesto, the dried parsley, dried basil and garlic powder. Let it all cook together for a few minutes, until the liquid has cooked off and the pan is dried. Set it aside to cool. Combine the rice, cooled chicken mixture, the remaining pinches of salt and pepper, the remaining 3 tablespoons of pesto sauce, two of the eggs and the parmesan. Stir it all together thoroughly until it really sticks together well and almost forms a dough. Set up a breading line with the flour in the first bowl, the two remaining eggs whisked together in the second bowl, and the breadcrumbs in the third bowl, followed by a large plate or platter to hold the breaded arancini.

  2. Make little balls of the rice mixture the size of your palm and put each one through the breading procedure with the flour first, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs. When you've breaded all of your arancini, set the platter in the fridge for an hour to set. Once the chilling time is almost up, fill pot with 4-5 inches of canola oil and heat it up on medium high heat. Set a deep fry thermometer in to monitor the heat and make sure it gets to and stays around 350 degrees. Fry the arancini in batches of 6, with each batch taking about 3-4 minutes. They should get completely crisp and golden. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate as you fry them so the grease drains. Serve immediately hot and enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts
Pesto Chicken Arancini
Amount Per Serving (2 arancini)
Calories 465 Calories from Fat 173
% Daily Value*
Fat 19.2g30%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 129mg43%
Sodium 385mg17%
Potassium 385mg11%
Carbohydrates 48.5g16%
Fiber 1.9g8%
Sugar 1.9g2%
Protein 21.9g44%
Calcium 170mg17%
Iron 8.1mg45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.