Transform that leftover Chinese takeout rice into these legit Sriracha Bacon Fried Rice Balls!  The perfect  creative game day recipe to impress all your friends!

When Asheley is at work and I need to get some recipes done for Shared Appetite, in comes our awesome babysitter, Amanda, to the rescue!  She's really great with baby girl and Olivia absolutely loves her.  And it just so happened that this past time when Asheley got home from work and Amanda began packing up to go home, these Sriracha Bacon Fried Rice Balls were just coming out of the fryer.

I'm always looking for eager taste testers, and I totally caught Amanda eyeing the heck out of these creative rice balls.  Let's just say she stopped packing up and decided to hang out for a bit and help me out... for official scientific testing purposes, of course.  She ate one... and another... and another 4 or 5.

Yea, these Sriracha Bacon Fried Rice Balls are kinda addicting.

The hardest decision you'll have to make is who is worthy enough to share your balls with.

So anyone else out there habitually over order at Chinese take-out joints?  I just get way too excited.

Anyway... we obviously had a fridge packed with leftovers, including a full pint of veggie fried rice.  And while I was thinking hard about a legit game day menu for Superbowl Sunday... boom, the idea hit me.  Sriracha Bacon Fried Rice Balls were born.

They are spicy.  They are cheesy.  And they are golden brown crispy goodness.

Oh, and did we even talk about the sriracha ranch dipping sauce?  Oh heck yes.

Sriracha Bacon Fried Rice Balls

Need Sriracha?  Yea you do... Huy Fong Sriracha is the real deal.  Accept no substitutions.

And no, don't use breadcrumbs... Panko is where it's at!

Sriracha Bacon Fried Rice Balls

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• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 16-20 Rice Balls 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 pint (approximately 3 cups) vegetable fried rice
• 2 eggs
• 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Sriracha, divided
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups Panko
• Kosher salt
• ½ cup Ranch dressing
• Vegetable oil, for frying

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Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine fried rice, eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon sriracha (or more, to taste). Chill for 2 hours (or freeze for about 20 to 30 minutes).
2. Carefully roll mixture into 1" diameter balls, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. The balls will feel very loose and fragile. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until solid.
3. Whisk ¼ cup flour with ¼ cup water in a small bowl. Once smooth, whisk in remaining ¼ cup water to make a slurry. Place panko in a medium bowl and season with Kosher salt. Working quickly, dip each rice ball in the flour-water slurry, and then fully coat in panko crumbs. Place back on parchment lined baking sheet and freeze 30 more minutes, or until ready to fry.
4. Meanwhile, combine ranch dressing with 2 teaspoons Sriracha (or more to taste) in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. In a large skillet, pour enough oil to reach ½ way up the rice balls. Heat over medium/medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer reaches 350° F. Fry the rice balls, in batches, for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with Kosher salt, and devour.

• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 10 mins

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