Yes, these broccoli and herb rice balls were designed as a way to use leftover and yes, they don’t necessarily constitute a full meal – but also YES, they are crispy, delicious, and really, really easy. So I felt like they had earned their spot on the blog.
Plus! They are so versatile. You don’t have to do this with broccoli, you can do it with any batch of leftover rice, herbs and roasted vegetable!
I call these the lazy take on arancini, but let’s be honest, these are nowhere close to the traditional Italian risotto street food, but what they are are easy, fun and delicious, plus, ready in no time. It’s just another fun way to make sure I’m limiting my food waste while still enjoying what I cook. And the variations are endless, if you ever try it, I’d love to see your riff on it.
Table of contents
Ingredients for these crispy rice balls
- 1 cup cooked short grain white rice
- 1/3 cup roasted broccoli, or any vegetable of choice, leftovers work great here!
- 2 tablespoons tender herbs such as chives, parsley or dill, very finely chopped
- 3 tabelspoons Primal Kitchen’s Tangy Whip or a standard mayonnaise or aioli
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
The best way to prepare these leftovers rice balls
The beauty of these crispy rice balls is how easy they are – and you can do them all from leftovers if you prefer! If the rice is leftover, reheat it with a damp paper towel on top to regain some of its stickiness. If it’s freshly made, you can skip this step.
Then just finely chop the leftover vegetables into pieces no bigger than a bean, the smaller the better. Add the herbs to the vegetables and chop into a big pile. In a large bowl, combine the rice, vegetables, herbs and mayonnaise and stir to make a sticky mixture. Season with a pinch of salt.
Using a slightly damp hand, roll the rice mixture into 6 even sized balls. This takes some practice, but is worth it for these rice balls.
Then just place a nonstick pan over medium heat and add the avocado oil. Pan fry the balls in two batches, rotating the balls every two minutes so that all the sides get nice, golden and crispy.
Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces!
Looking for other crispy & easy snacks like these rice balls?
Well, snacks is in the name! Here are a few that I am loving recently:
And that’s it for these broccoli and herb rice balls!
If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Broccoli & Herb Rice Balls
Equipment
- 1 large high-sided nonstick pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked short grain white rice
- 1/3 cup roasted broccoli or any vegetable of choice, leftovers work great here
- 2 tablespoons tender herbs such as chives, parsley or dill very finely chopped
- 3 tabelspoons Primal Kitchen's Tangy Whip or a standard mayonnaise or aioli
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- If the rice is leftover, reheat it with a damp paper towel on top to regain some of its stickiness. If it's freshly made, you can skip this step.
- Finely chop the leftover vegetables into pieces no bigger than a bean, the smaller the better. Add the herbs to the vegetables and chop into a big pile.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice, vegetables, herbs and mayonnaise and stir to make a sticky mixture. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Using a slightly damp hand, roll the rice mixture into 6 even sized balls.
- Place a nonstick pan over medium heat and add the avocado oil.
- Pan fry the balls in two batches, rotating the balls every two minutes so that all the sides get nice, golden and crispy.
- Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauces!
