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Fusing Mexican flavors with Italian ingredients to create flavorful chicken tinga arancini. Filled with gooey mozzarella cheese in the center and fried to perfection, these little bites are perfect with a spicy Calabrian chile tomato sauce.
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Watch how to make this
What makes this dish special
I still remember very clearly the first time I had arancini in Italy. It was in December, and we were strolling through a Christmas market in Milan. As soon as I spotted a booth selling the popular snack, I knew I had to try it. It was crispy on the outside, nicely seasoned, tender rice on the inside, and incredibly comforting.
I haven't had arancini since then until recently, when I went to dine at Amiga Amore. This Mexican Italian fusion restaurant served chicken tinga arancini, and I was immediately intrigued. After taking one bite, I knew this was an appetizer I had to replicate. Yes, the flavors are unexpected, but the Mexican flavors with the Italian technique go so well together. And that spicy Calabrian tomato sauce is the cherry on the sundae!
If you like the fusion of Mexican with Italian, check out this Mexican meatball sub!
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: You can use chicken breast or thighs for the protein.
- Canned chipotle: Chipotle peppers are smoke-dried jalapeño peppers. When canned, they are typically in adobo sauce, which is a tangy, slightly sweet, and smoky tomato-based sauce. If you don't have canned chipotle, you can use chipotle powder or dried chipotle peppers rehydrated in warm water. Adjust the quantity based on your spice preference.
- Canned tomatoes: You can use canned pureed, diced, or whole tomatoes since the tomatoes will be pureed with the chipotle.
- Arborio rice: A short-grain Italian rice variety known for its high starch content, which gives a creamy texture when cooked.
- Fresh mozzarella: Cut a fresh mozzarella block into the appropriate size for the arancini filling.
- Calabrian chile paste: A paste made from Calabrian chile peppers, which are native to the Calabria region of Italy. It has a medium heat level and a unique, slightly sweet, and fruity flavor. If you can't find Calabrian chili paste, you can use a regular chili paste or red pepper flakes.
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs for the breading.
- Vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and use vegetable stock for the risotto.
Recipe
Chicken Tinga Arancini
Ingredients
Chicken tinga
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
- 1 canned chipotle plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh
- ½ onion peeled
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Risotto
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cup tomato chipotle sauce
- 2 cups reserved chicken stock warm
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons grated cotija
Calabrian tomato sauce
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chile paste
Instructions
- Combine canned diced tomatoes, chipotle, and adobo sauces in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
- Place chicken in a medium pot along with onion, garlic, bay leaf, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pot. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Remove chicken and finely chop. Strain broth, discarding onion, garlic, and bay leaf. You should have 2 cups.
- Combine chopped chicken with half of tomato chipotle sauce, about 1 cup, in a large saute pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Cook risotto. Heat oil in a heavy-bottom wide saucepot or saucier over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until onion is softened and translucent. Add oregano, cumin, and rice, stirring to combine. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add remaining reserved tomato chipotle sauce, about 1 cup. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Add warm reserved chicken stock in ½ cup increments, allowing liquid to absorb fully before adding more. Continue to add stock until rice is al dente, stirring frequently. It should take 2-3 minutes for each addition to be absorbed; if things are moving faster than this, reduce heat to medium-low.
- Remove chicken from sauce with a slotted spoon and add to risotto, stirring to combine. Season risotto with salt and pepper.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread risotto in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface to prevent skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make Calabrian chile tomato sauce. Combine Calabrian chile paste with tomato sauce in a small saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Divide risotto into 30 portions. Shape each portion into a ball, insert a mozzarella cube in the center, and cover the cheese completely to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining cheese and risotto.
- Heat frying oil to 350 degrees F.
- Set up a breading station. Put flour in one bowl, beat eggs in another bowl, and fill the third bowl with breadcrumbs. Dredge the arancini in flour, followed by egg, and breadcrumbs.
- Carefully drop arancini in oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove arancini with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on paper-towel-lined plates. Repeat with the remaining arancini.
- Sprinkle grated cotija on top of chicken tinga arancini and serve with Calabrian chile tomato sauce.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare chicken
This chicken tinga arancini requires a few steps, including cooking the chicken, cooking the risotto, and assembling the rice balls. Fortunately, you can prepare several of the elements in advance.
To begin, prepare the chicken tinga by pureeing 2 cups of canned diced tomatoes, 1 canned chipotle, and 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce in a blender until smooth. This tomato sauce is the main flavor component for both the chicken and the rice.
In a medium pot, combine boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, onion, garlic, bay leaf, water, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees.
Then, remove the chicken and strain the stock, reserving it to make the risotto. Finely chop the chicken, and mix it with half of the tomato chipotle sauce. Make sure to chop the chicken into small chunks so that it's easier to incorporate into the rice.
Simmer the chicken with the sauce, letting the meat absorb those flavors. Season with salt and pepper and set it aside while you prepare the risotto. Feel free to cook the chicken up to 2 days in advance.
Step 2: Cook risotto
Next, for the risotto, sauté chopped onion and garlic in oil in a wide saucepot or saucier until softened. Add oregano, cumin, arborio rice, and tomato chipotle sauce, and simmer until almost all of the sauce has been absorbed.
Then, gradually add the reserved warm chicken stock, about ½ cup at a time, waiting until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid before adding more. If you made the chicken the day before, reheat the stock so that it's warm.
The key to making successful risotto is not only the warm broth, type of rice, and adding broth gradually, but it's also about frequently stirring.
Stirring helps release the starch from the rice grains, creating the luscious, creamy consistency associated with a well-prepared risotto. It also helps with even cooking and prevents the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
If the rice is cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low. Continue to stir and simmer until the rice is al dente. Then, add the chicken, removing it with a slotted spoon from the sauce to avoid adding too much extra liquid.
Season the rice once again and transfer it to a sheet pan or baking dish, spreading the risotto in an even layer. Place plastic wrap directly touching the surface so that skin doesn't form. Chill the risotto for at least one hour or up to 3 days. The rice must be completely cooled to help it keep its shape while frying.
Step 3: Assemble arancini
Now it's time to form the arancini. For the assembly, shape the chilled risotto into 30 portions. You can also use a mini ice cream scooper to make sure each portion is the same size.
Shape the portions into a ball and insert a cube of fresh mozzarella in the center of each. Reshape the ball, covering the cheese completely with the rice.
Then, prepare a breading station with flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in another, and breadcrumbs in a third. Dredge each risotto ball in flour, making sure to cover the entire surface. Next, dip it in the beaten eggs and finally, coat it in the breadcrumbs.
If you're preparing the arancini ahead of time, you can at this point place the arancini in the refrigerator until ready to fry.
Step 4: Fry and serve
Let's get frying! Heat oil to 350°F and carefully drop the arancini into the oil. You will most likely have to fry in batches.
Remove the chicken tinga arancini with a slotted spoon and drain the excess oil on paper towels. If you're serving the arancini at a later time, you can reheat them in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
Serve the fried arancini sprinkled with grated cotija and accompanied by the Calabrian chile tomato sauce for an amazing appetizer. And yes, while this combination may sound foreign, it is indeed amazing. Thank you, Amiga Amore, for the inspiration!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can prepare the arancini the day before and store them in the refridgerator until ready to fry.
- Store: Arancini is best served immediately; however, you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat the arancini in the fryer, air fryer, or oven at 350 degrees F.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can prepare the risotto up to three days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to shape the arancini.
Feel free to experiment with other cheeses, but make sure they melt well. Smoked mozzarella or fontina could be tasty alternatives.
While traditional arancini are fried for a crispy exterior, you can try baking them at a high temperature for a healthier alternative. Spray the arancini with cooking spray or drizzle with oil and bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
It's recommended to fry the arancini first and then freeze them. Reheat in the oven for a crispy texture.
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