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Home » Recipes

Crispy Barley Risotto Cakes

Published: Feb 8, 2022 by Kristi · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Who knew that that cold barley risotto from the fridge could be transformed into these crispy, creamy, cheesy Barley Risotto Cakes? Seriously, leftovers never tasted so good. If you've got leftover risotto in the fridge, barley or otherwise, you are minutes away from a deliciously quick lunch or dinner.

These Barley Risotto Cakes are so delightful, I might consider making a double batch of risotto to ensure that I have enough left over for this easy meal later in the week. I would even consider making a batch of barley risotto on a lazy Sunday afternoon and tossing it in the fridge for the sole purpose of making these cakes on a busy weeknight. Yes, they are that simple and delicious.

Cripsy Barley Risotto Cake next to a lemon wedge and salad.

Why This Recipe Works

  • If you've ever ordered arancini at an Italian restuarant, these Barley Risotto Cakes are a very similar concept. Arancini hail from Sicily and are basically deep fried rice balls stuffed with cheese, ragu, or some other kind of savory filling. They are, quite obviously, DELICIOUS. I've used the same basic idea here but instead of balls we have cakes, and instead of rice, leftover barley risotto.
  • And did I mention these cakes are stuffed with creamy, melty Danish havarti cheese?
  • No messy deep frying here. Just a quick pan fry in a small skillet and these cakes are as crispy as can be.

The Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Crispy Barley Risotto Cakes.
  • The recipe assumes you have leftover barley risotto on hand, possibly from this recipe here. But this technique works with any type of risotto, whether it's made of barley, rice or another grain.
  • Panko bread crumbs create the ultra-crispy exterior of these cakes, and a beaten egg helps the bread crumbs adhere.
  • The filling is simply a little shredded Danish havarti cheese. No Havarti? No problem! Any melty cheese works well here, especially fontina or even mozzarella.
  • These tasty cakes are fried in a shallow layer of vegetable or canola oil until crispy and heated through.
  • Finally, a little lemon wedge squeezed on top of these cakes right before diving in is the perfect finishing touch.

How to Make This Recipe

  • Retrieve your cold leftover risotto from the fridge (cold works best). If you have a cup leftover, you can make about two cakes. Divide the leftover risotto into two half cup portions.
  • Make a divot in the center of each cake and fill with a scant tablespoon of shredded cheese. Carefully mold the risotto up and around the cheesy center.
  • Barley risotto cakes on a plate next to shredded cheese, breadcrumbs and beaten egg.
  • Barley risotto cakes chopped with shredded cheese.
  • Uncooked and uncoated barley risotto cakes on a plate.
  • Pat the cakes firmly together in your palms. If you are having any trouble getting them to stick together, use DAMP hands during this step.
  • Coat each cake in egg and then in panko, pressing down on the crumbs so that they adhere to the cakes.
Uncooked barley risotto cakes on a plate.
  • Pour enough vegetable oil in to a small skillet so that it has a depth of around ¼ of an inch. Heat oil over medium heat.
  • Add cakes to the pan and cook until golden brown and warmed through, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat down to medium low if the cakes are browning too quickly.
  • Transfer the cakes to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve with lemon wedges.
Barley risotto cakes on a paper towel-lined plate.

Expert Tips

  • If your risotto has mushrooms or some other type of vegetable added to it, you may need to remove some of them in order to get the cakes to stick together. The barley risotto is sticky, but not not mushrooms so if there are too many, they will prevent the cakes from wanting to stay together.
  • Pat the formed cakes together FIRMLY and with damp hands if necessary before coating in the beaten egg and panko bread crumbs. You don't want to have these fall apart on you while you are trying to coat them!
  • Monitor your heat carefully while the cakes are cooking. You want to make sure that the outside doesn't brown before the inside has a chance to become creamy and cheesy. Start them over medium heat, and then turn to medium low if they seem to be browning too quickly.

FAQs

Do I have to use barley risotto in this recipe?

Nope! Any kind of leftover risotto works.

What should I serve with these Barley Risotto Cakes?

I recommend a simple green salad for an easy side. Add a lemon wedge to squeeze over it all just before tucking in and you are in business.

A close up of barley risotto cake on a fork.

Related Recipes

Looking for other tasty barley recipes to try? I've got several here on the blog:

  • Creamy Barley Breakfast Porridge
  • Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Barley and Fall Vegetables
  • Summer Harvest Barley Salad with Corn, Zucchini and Tomatoes
  • Barley Salad with Asparagus, Red Pepper and Spinach

Please give these easy Barley Risotto Cakes a try and let me know how they turn out! They are leftovers on a whole new level.

Cripsy Barley Risotto Cake next to a lemon wedge and salad.

Crispy Barley Risotto Cakes

Crispy on the outside, creamy and cheesy on the inside.  These easy Barley Risotto Cakes are a great way to transform leftover risotto into something really special.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: dinner, lunch, winter
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Keyword: barley risotto recipe, rice cakes, risotto recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 2 cakes
Calories: 309kcal
Author: Kristi

Ingredients

  • 1 cup leftover Barley Risotto chilled
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Danish havarti cheese mozzarella or Fontina would also be fine
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Coarse salt for sprinkling
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  • Divide the leftover risotto into two equal portions.  Form each portion into a 3 inch wide cake.
  • Make an indentation in the top of each cake with your thumb.  Put 1 tablespoon of cheese inside each indentation and carefully mold the risotto around the cheese. Firmly pat the cakes together so that they stick together, using damp hands to help the process along if necessary.
  • Beat egg in a shallow dish and transfer panko bread crumbs to a second shallow dish.
  • Coat each cake in egg and then in panko, pressing down on the crumbs so that they adhere to the cakes.
  • Pour enough oil into a small skillet so that it reaches a depth of about ¼ inch.  Heat oil over medium heat. Add cakes to the pan and cook until golden brown and warmed through, about 4 minutes per side.  Monitor the heat carefully and turn to down to medium-low if the cakes are browning too quickly. Transfer cakes to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 3mg

If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Crispy Barley Risotto Cakes and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.

More Nordic/Scandinavian Recipes

  • Vanilla Overnight Oats with Cinnamon
  • White Swedish Glögg with Elderflower Liqueur (Mulled White Wine)
  • Homemade Pickled Mustard Seeds
  • Danish Apple Trifle

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren

    October 07, 2020 at 1:40 pm

    Delicious and so easy! I made a barley risotto last night that didn't turn out so well. and this recipe saved me having to toss the rest out.

    Reply
    • Kristi

      October 07, 2020 at 2:36 pm

      Hi Lauren,

      I'm glad this recipe came to your rescue when you needed it! Sometimes I think I like the risotto cakes better than the risotto itself. It's a toss up, for sure. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. A so appreciate it!

      Kristi

      Reply
  2. Amy

    January 17, 2021 at 6:36 pm

    5 stars
    Crispy, delicious and fun to make! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kristi

      January 18, 2021 at 9:51 am

      Hi Amy,
      Thanks for your feedback! These risotto cakes are one of my favorite "leftovers" ever. So glad you enjoyed them!

      Kristi

      Reply

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