• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef Dennis
  • Recipe Index
  • On the Road
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

    Chicken Riggies Recipe

    Published: Sep 14, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

    89 shares
    • Facebook28
    • Email
    5 from 35 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest image for chicken riggies

    Chicken Riggies aka Utica Chicken Riggies is spicy comfort food that takes pasta dishes to a whole new level of deliciousness. The cheesy, creamy tomato sauce is loaded with flavor and can be easily customized to your taste preference.

    Chicken Riggies in a white bowl.

    Chicken riggies or Utica riggies is a popular Italian-American pasta dish native to the Utica area in New York State. They’re a local specialty dish, that you’ll find at almost every restaurant in central New York.

    After one bite you’ll understand why everyone loves this dish with it’s spicy tomato sauce!

    Chicken Riggies in a white bowl.

    The first time I made spicy chicken riggies, it was love at first bite. If your family isn’t a fan of heat, you can always control the spice level by leaving out the spicy peppers. Without the peppers it will make my chicken riggies recipe more like a vodka sauce with chicken.

    If you love spicy pasta dishes make sure to try my Penne Arrabbiata.

    Table of Contents:

    • Ingredients to make Chicken Riggies
    • Ingredient Tips
    • How to make Chicken Riggies
    • Recipe FAQ’s
    • More Recipes You’ll Love!
    • Chicken Riggies
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Notes
      • Nutrition

    Ingredients to make Chicken Riggies

    Ingredients to make chicken riggies.

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Chicken Riggies. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish

    Ingredient Tips

    Hot peppers vs sweet peppers: I used sweet cherry peppers instead of hot cherry peppers. They still had a fair amount of heat to them, but if you like a lot of heat you can use hot peppers instead of sweet peppers. For added heat you can also add red pepper flakes to the spicy tomato cream sauce.

    Bell Peppers: When it comes to bell peppers I usually pick red peppers, as they always seem a little sweeter to me. I added yellow peppers for color, but feel free to use green peppers or which ever peppers you have on hand. Cubanelle peppers can also be used. They have a sweet taste with a little heat.

    Romano vs Parmesan: People always ask me why I use Pecorino romano cheese instead of parmesan cheese. Romano has a sharper flavor that tends to stand out more in dishes. Parmesan is a good cheese and has a nutty flavor that is less salty, creating a more mellow flavor. I also like the finer grated texture that most romano cheeses have, parmesan can have more of a grated look to it and because of that it doesn’t melt into the sauce as easily.

    Red wine vs white wine: When adding wine to a dish, its always best to use a wine that pairs well with the dish. Cooking with the same wine you’ll be serving with the dish is always the best choice, but you can use white or red to make this regional specialty. If you’d rather not use wine in this dish, you can substitute chicken broth for the wine.

    Chicken thighs vs chicken breasts: This traditional pasta dish from upstate New York was originally made with thighs but you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. The thighs tend to stay moist and dark meat has more flavor than white, but you can use either to make this dish.

    Pasta Choice: This dish is called chicken riggies because it uses rigatoni pasta. Rigatoni is the best choice since the noodles hold a lot of sauce, but you can also use penne, or ziti to make this pasta dish. If you’ve got pasta lovers in your household, the best pasta available is De Cecco. You’ll find their iconic blue boxes at most grocery stores.

    Onions: Some recipes add a chopped yellow onion to the dish when you add the peppers. I didn’t see them in the original recipe, but you can add them for additional flavor. I have also seen olives and mushrooms in different versions of chicken riggies, so feel free to add those if you like.

    Crushed tomatoes vs tomato puree: I always use San Marzano tomatoes to cook with and they only come as whole tomatoes in juice. I use a handheld immersion blender to puree them. Feel free to use either type of tomato you like, including jarred marinara sauce. Tomato paste can be used but isn’t the best choice as you’ll need to add more liquid to the dish.

    How to make Chicken Riggies

    Collage showing how to make recipe.
    • Pat the boneless skinless chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
    • Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet (or dutch oven) over medium heat and cook the chicken until fully cooked (5-6 minutes per side). Place the chicken on a plate and tent with foil. *Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken is at least 165 degrees F.
    • Add the chopped bell peppers to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes. The peppers should be soft and start to brown.
    • Add the chopped garlic cloves to the mixture and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Don’t let the garlic burn!
    • Add the cherry peppers to the pan and continue cooking for another minute.

    Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta al dente, per package directions. When you drain the pasta, make sure to reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.

    Collage showing how to finish making recipe.
    • Add the red wine to the pan, scraping all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Increase the temperature to medium-high heat and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the liquid reduces by half.
    • Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the mixture cook for another five minutes.
    • Add the heavy cream to the sauce, stirring to mix it into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to thicken.
    • While the sauce is simmering, cut the chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces.
    • Add the chicken to the sauce and mix well. Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and salt as needed (remember the cheese will add a little more salt to the dish)
    • Add the cooked pasta and grated romano cheese (or parmesan cheese) to the sauce and mix until well blended and the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce.

    If you like a more heavily seasoned pasta dish, you can add your favorite italian seasonings to the sauce.

    Chicken Riggies in a deep skillet.

    If the sauce is too thick, add ½ cup (or more) of reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 1 minute to bring it back up to temperature. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken riggies is at least 165 degrees F.

    Chicken Riggies in a white bowl.

    Garnish the chicken riggies with chopped fresh basil and grated romano cheese. Add a tossed salad and crusty bread and you’ve got a feast that you’re whole family will love!

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Why is it called chicken riggies?

    The Chesterfield restaurant claims they invented chicken riggies in 1989. But chef Michael Geno says it happened a full decade before that, in 1979, at the Clinton House (located in a Utica suburb). Chef Geno claims he created the dish (made with rigatoni) for a group of “doctors, lawyers, and union guys that frequent the restaurant on Monday nights to play cards.” The card players began to refer to the meal as the “riggie dish” and began asking for it every week.

    What is chicken riggies sauce made of?

    Chicken riggies is a chicken and rigatoni dish made with a spicy, creamy tomato-based sauce. The sauce is made with crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, and grated romano cheese. It gets its heat from hot cherry peppers. The key to getting the right consistency of the sauce is adding starchy pasta cooking water to the dish after the chicken and rigatoni has been added.

    Can I use a different kind of pasta?

    Absolutely. While rigatoni is traditional (hence the name “riggies”), you can use other pasta shapes. Penne, ziti, and cavatappi are also good choices.

    More Recipes You’ll Love!

    • overhead view of chicken pepperoni on a white plate
      Chicken Pepperoni with Linguine
    • partial view of Tuscan chicken and sausage on a white plate
      Tuscan Chicken and Sausage with Pasta
    • overhead partial view of chicken cacciatore over linguine in a white bowl
      Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
    • Arrabbiata sauce with penne
      Easy Arrabbiata Sauce with Penne Pasta

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    Chicken Riggies in a white bowl.
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 35 votes

    Chicken Riggies

    Chicken Riggies aka Utica Chicken Riggies is spicy comfort food that takes pasta dishes to a whole new level of deliciousness. The cheesy, creamy tomato sauce is loaded with flavor and can be easily customized to your taste preference.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time40 minutes mins
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course: Entree, pasta course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 932kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb rigatoni
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 cup bell peppers chopped
    • 2 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
    • 3 cherry peppers chopped (hot or sweet peppers) seeds and stems removed
    • 1 cup dry red wine
    • 28 oz crushed tomatoes San Marzano crushed by hand or with immersion blender
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
    • ½ – 1 teaspoon table salt season to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
    • ¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated – locatelli brand is my preference
    • 1 cup reserved pasta water use if needed
    • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley finely chopped for garnish
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta aldente, per instructions on the package.
    • Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
    • Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken until fully cooked (5-6 minutes per side). Place the chicken on a plate and tent with foil.
      Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken is at least 165 degrees F.
    • Add the bell peppers to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes. Peppers should be soft and start to brown.
    • Add the chopped garlic to the mixture and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Don't let the garlic burn!
    • Add the cherry peppers to the pan and continue cooking for another minute.
    • Add the red wine to the pan, scraping all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
    • Increase the temperature to high heat and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the liquid reduces by half.
    • While you're finishing up the chicken riggies, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to package instructions for al dente.
    • Add the tomatoes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the mixture cook for another five minutes.
    • Add the cream to the sauce, stirring to mix it into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer until it begins to thicken.
    • While the sauce is simmering, cut the chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces.
    • Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
    • Add the pasta and chicken to the sauce and mix well until the pasta and chicken are well coated with sauce.
      If the sauce is too thick, add ½ cup (or more) of reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 1 minute.
    • Add the grated Pecorino Romano to the pan and blend into the ingredients. Add a little more of the pasta water if the sauce is starting to look too thick.
    • Garnish with chopped basil, and serve with additional grated cheese.

    Notes

    Hot peppers vs sweet peppers: I used sweet cherry peppers instead of hot cherry peppers. They still had a fair amount of heat to them, but if you like a lot of heat you can use hot peppers instead of sweet peppers. For added heat you can also add red pepper flakes to the spicy tomato cream sauce.
    Bell Peppers: When it comes to bell peppers I usually pick red peppers, as they always seem a little sweeter to me. I added yellow peppers for color, but feel free to use green peppers or which ever peppers you have on hand. Cubanelle peppers can also be used. They have a sweet taste with a little heat.
    Romano vs Parmesan: People always ask me why I use Pecorino romano cheese instead of parmesan cheese. Romano has a sharper flavor that tends to stand out more in dishes. Parmesan is a good cheese and has a nutty flavor that is less salty, creating a more mellow flavor. I also like the finer grated texture that most romano cheeses have, parmesan can have more of a grated look to it and because of that it doesn’t melt into the sauce as easily.
    Red wine vs white wine: When adding wine to a dish, its always best to use a wine that pairs well with the dish. Cooking with the same wine you’ll be serving with the dish is always the best choice, but you can use white or red to make this regional specialty. If you’d rather not use wine in this dish, you can substitute chicken broth for the wine.
    Chicken thighs vs chicken breasts: This traditional pasta dish from upstate New York was originally made with thighs but you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. The thighs tend to stay moist and dark meat has more flavor than white, but you can use either to make this dish.
    Pasta Choice: This dish is called chicken riggies because it uses rigatoni pasta. Rigatoni is the best choice since the noodles hold a lot of sauce, but you can also use penne, or ziti to make this pasta dish. If you’ve got pasta lovers in your household, the best pasta available is De Cecco. You’ll find their iconic blue boxes at most grocery stores.
    Onions: Some recipes add a chopped yellow onion to the dish when you add the peppers. I didn’t see them in the original recipe, but you can add them for additional flavor. I have also seen olives and mushrooms in different versions of chicken riggies, so feel free to add those if you like.
    Crushed tomatoes vs tomato puree: I always use San Marzano tomatoes to cook with and they only come as whole tomatoes in juice. I use a handheld immersion blender to puree them. Feel free to use either type of tomato you like, including jarred marinara sauce. Tomato paste can be used but isn’t the best choice as you’ll need to add more liquid to the dish.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 932kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 734mg | Potassium: 1032mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1898IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

    More Pasta Recipes

    • tomato basil pasta in a white bowl.
      Tomato Basil Pasta (15 minute pasta)
    • Lemon ricotta pasta in a white bowl.
      Lemon Ricotta Pasta
    • cream cheese pasta in a white bowl.
      Easy Cream Cheese Pasta
    • pasta with olive oil and garlic in a white bowl (pasta aglio e olio).
      Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic (pasta aglio e olio)

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Tammy

      September 29, 2023 at 2:44 pm

      A very comforting dish for the winter months ahead. I love the creamy red sauce here…sounds so good, Dennis!

      Reply
    2. Sarah James

      September 29, 2023 at 12:42 pm

      5 stars
      I was intrigued by riggies, a new one on me. Our family loves a spicy pasta sauce so pinning to try at the weekend.

      Reply
    3. Sean

      September 28, 2023 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      I love a spicy tomato sauce and this was phenomenal. I had not heard of this before but I will be making this often.

      Reply
    4. Bernice

      September 26, 2023 at 4:42 pm

      wow, this is definitely a regional dish as I’ve never heard the term ‘riggies’ before unless it’s used to refer to those in the oil and gas sector lol.
      Looks like a great pasta dish to me and worth a try on any night of the week.

      Reply
    5. Marta

      September 25, 2023 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, you really took me back with this one, Dennis! I miss NY so much and this chicken riggies recipe really made me nostalgic. Thanks so much for another great recipe.

      Reply
    6. Johann Kimurek

      September 24, 2023 at 6:54 pm

      5 stars
      Born and bred in Utica I was happily surprised to see this recipe. I have a couple other chicken riggie recipes and look forward to trying yours. Living in SC now cherry peppers are impossible to find. Jarred banana peppers ( hot or sweet) work, too., ,

      Reply
    7. Diane

      September 24, 2023 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      This is very good. I’ve made this recipe several times. I’m sorry that I haven’t commented yet. I always come back to this recipe. Very good as written. I added some sweet Italian sausage this time tonight along with the chicken thighs. Very nice to create the basic recipe and then make changes as you see fit. Very nice recipe and easy to make.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Pinterest image for chicken riggies


    My name is Dennis Littley or “Chef Dennis” as I’m known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Fan Favorites

    • loaf of homemade artisan bread on a wooden cutting board
      Almost No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe
    • 2 Maryland crab cakes on a white plate
      Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes
    • chicken parm with pasta on a white plate
      Chicken Parmesan Recipe
    • seasoned crispy chicken legs on a foil wrapped tray
      Best Baked Chicken Legs {Drumsticks}
    • side view of slice of bee sting cake being taken out of full cake
      German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) Recipe
    • Tiramisu with a fork on a white plate
      Best Tiramisu Recipe {step by step}
    • overhead view of barbecued half racks of baby back ribs on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
    • overhead view of veal parm and linguine on a white plate
      Restaurant Style Veal Parm Recipe

    Featured In

    Collage showing where Ask Chef Dennis has been featured.

    Popular Posts

    • crispy seasoned chicken leg quarters on a white platter
      Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
    • cropped-Gunniess-Beef-Stew-13.jpg
      Authentic Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
    • overhead shot of baked crab imperial on a white plate with sauteed greens and roasted potatoes
      Maryland Style Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
    • close up of half a chicken salad sandwich on a white plate
      Best Chicken Salad – Deli Style
    • oysters rockefeller with a slice of lemon on a bed of rock salt on a white platter
      How to Make Restaurant Style Oysters Rockefeller
    • sliced dry rub roasted brisket with cilantro and tomatoes on on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Beef Brisket Recipe
    • rack of pork with end cut off
      Oven Roasted Rack of Pork {Pork Rib Roast}
    • sliced meatloaf with the rest of meatloaf on a white platter
      Classic Meatloaf Recipe with Zesty Glaze

    Footer

    Pinterest image for chicken riggies

    ↑ back to top

    INFO

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    SUBSCRIBE

    Sign Up Today and start getting my easy-to-make restaurant-quality recipes!

    CONTACT

    • About
    • Contact
    © 2009-2023 · Ask Chef Dennis ·

    Proud Member of:
    Mediavine Publisher Network