Spanish Leftover Rice Fritters

These Spanish-Style Rice Fritters, known as Buñuelos de Arroz, are what simple comfort food is all about. We’re talking a light crispy texture on the outside with an incredible flavor in the inside, easy to make and done in just 30 minutes. But the best part? They’re made using leftover rice.

The leftover rice I used is just your typical steamed white rice. But you can mix things up and use other types of rice. To make the batter, I used all-purpose flour. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, just substitute for the same amount of gluten-free flour.

I paired these rice fritters with a simple yet delicious aioli. Made with just garlic, saffron, mayonnaise, lemon juice and olive oil. You can pair them with other sauces. In this link, you will find four other sauces that work amazing with these fritters.

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: Make sure to cook the fritters on a medium heat and nothing higher. Otherwise, they will brown too quickly on the outside and not fully cook in the inside. You can make the batter ahead of time. It will hold for up to 3 days in the fridge.

For the saffron in this recipe, choose whole threads from Golden Saffron so you can measure the amount called for.

Break up cold rice clumps before mixing the fritters. For a fresh rice main dish rather than a way to use leftovers, see Spanish vegetable rice.

How to Make Spanish Leftover Rice Fritters

TO MAKE THE RICE FRITTERS

1. Add the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the middle, crack in the egg and whisk the egg, then add in the club soda and whisk everything together until you get a creamy batter, then add in the onion finely chopped, finely grate in the garlic, finely grate in the carrot (peeled), add in the chopped parsley, sweet smoked Spanish paprika and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together.
2. Add in the cooked rice and grated cheese, give it one final mix until well mixed together
3. Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
4. After a couple of minutes start adding in spoonfuls of the batter, all evenly spaced out and in a single layer, cook in batches, fry the fritters for 3 minutes per side or until golden fried, as you finish each batch, transfer the fritters into a dish with paper towels.
5. Add in the cloves of garlic roughly chopped into a mortar, along with the saffron and a pinch of sea salt, using a pestle pound down on the ingredients until you get a paste-like texture, then add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil and season with sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until you get a creamy texture.
6. Transfer the aioli into a small bowl and place over a serving dish, decorate the fritters around it and garnish with fresh parsley, enjoy!

Shape the fritters to a similar size for even browning. Serve with the saffron aioli for baked potatoes as a dip if you want a creamy contrast.