We coat them in breadcrumbs, pan-fry or air-fry until perfectly golden brown and crisp, and serve them on a simple side salad with a homemade marinara sauce. Did you make risotto last night and have some leftover in the ridge? Then you are going to love our risotto cakes recipe! While resting in the refrigerator overnight, the rice absorbs all the flavor from its condiment, and it becomes more compact and tasty, making it perfect for shaping into small cakes. This recipe is easy and quick, and in less than 30 minutes, you’ll have the tastiest leftover dinner you’ve ever made. We shape the risotto into small patties that we then coat in a tasty breading. The best way to cook risotto cakes is by frying them in oil or cooking them in the air fryer. Oven baking them is also possible. To make a complete meal, serve them on our simple salad as a side dish, with a small bowl of our marinara sauce next to them as a dip to make one of the best dinners ever. I mean it; kids will go nuts over this recipe (and so do we).
Ingredients
Risotto Leftovers
To make crispy risotto cakes, you’ll need leftover risotto sitting in the fridge for at least a few hours and up to three days. It’s easier to shape leftover risotto than freshly made risotto, so if you are planning to make this recipe from scratch, our tip is to make the risotto at least half a day in advance so that it has time to rest in the fridge and get more compact and easy to shape. You can use most types of risotto, from mushroom risotto to asparagus risotto, from zucchini risotto to pumpkin risotto. Today we are using leftover tomato risotto and eggplant risotto.If you are interested in making risotto here’s a simple tomato risotto recipe. You’ll need olive oil, onion, garlic, risotto rice, vegetable broth, tomato passata, dried oregano, basil, butter (or vegan butter), and parmesan cheese (or vegan parmesan).Generally, risotto you made with some cheese, such as parmesan or a vegan cheese substitute, works well the next day because the cheese acts as a binder.Risotto with large pieces of condiments might not stick together as well, so you might want to remove those pieces before shaping the cakes or push them deep inside the rice cake.
Oil for Frying
You can use olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, or other vegetable frying oil with a high smoke point. If you decide to air-fry or bake the risotto cakes in the oven, you can lightly drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil before cooking them.
Plant Milk
We dip the risotto cakes in unsweetened plant milk before dredging them in the breadcrumbs mixture so that the latter sticks better. You can use unsweetened soy, almond, oat, rice, or other unsweetened milk. Plant milk is an excellent substitute for a beaten egg to make this recipe lighter and healthier with less cholesterol and saturated fats.
Condiments
To make a tasty coating, we add sea salt or kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano to the breadcrumbs. There are no complex rules here; you can change the spices and herbs based on what you have.
Instructions
Serving Suggestions
Variations
Oven-baked risotto cakes
Preheat the oven to 390°F or 200°C. Arrange the rice cakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes; flip them around until golden brown (another 10 minutes).Oven-baked risotto cakes are a little drier than fried ones, so you might want to add a squeeze of lemon juice on top and plenty of marinara sauce.
Step 2: Shape Risotto Cakes
Take about two tablespoons of leftover risotto in your hands, and press it together into a rice patty. Dip the risotto patty in the milk first, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, compacting well with your hands until completely covered. Arrange the risotto cakes on a platter and set them aside while you prep the oil for frying. The rule of thumb is that you want enough oil to reach halfway up the rice cake. Heat oil on medium-high heat to 320°F or 160°C, preferably checking with a kitchen thermometer. At this temperature, the oil is hot enough so that the cakes won’t absorb much of it and not too hot to burn the breadcrumbs before the rice is warm throughout. Cook 3 to 4 risotto cakes at a time on medium heat, for about 5 minutes on each side and 10 minutes in total, or until golden brown and crispy. If the oil gets too hot, turn the heat down to medium-low. Transfer cakes to a tray with paper towels to absorb excess oil before serving them. You can add a few lemon wedges to squeeze on the right before eating, fresh chives or parsley, and a pinch of salt flakes. Check out our best vegetable side recipes and these 25 sides to eat with risotto for more ideas. From sauté asparagus to grilled zucchini, we are sure you’ll find the perfect side dish for these crispy risotto cakes. Cook in batches, depending on how large your air fryer is. Air fry for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Tip: if your air fryer has good airflow, there’s no need to turn the cakes around. If not, then turn them gently halfway through.
Storage
Risotto cakes are best eaten straight out of the frying pan while still warm and crispy. Store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Reheat in the microwave.
Questions
Risotto Recipes
For many more dinner ideas, check out our mains category page.
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