Instant Pot Utica Chicken Riggies combines tender chicken, rigatoni pasta, sweet peppers, hot cherry peppers, and a creamy tomato sauce. This pressure cooker version makes it easy to enjoy a classic Utica dish in one pot.
Growing up in Utica, Chicken Riggies has always been a favorite of mine. My traditional stovetop version uses homemade sauce, but this Instant Pot recipe is a quicker option for busy nights when I’m craving those familiar flavors.
Why I Love This Recipe
- A Taste of Utica: All the flavors of classic Chicken Riggies in an easy Instant Pot version.
- One-Pot Dinner: The chicken, pasta, and peppers cook together for easy cleanup.
- Creamy and Spicy: Alfredo sauce, Romano cheese, and hot cherry peppers make this dish full of flavor.
About the Ingredients ⭐
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Parsley: Add flavor to the chicken and sauce.
- Salt, Black Pepper, and Red Pepper Flakes: Season the dish and add a little heat.
- Sweet Peppers: Red, orange, and yellow peppers add sweetness and color.
- Hot Cherry Peppers: Give Utica Chicken Riggies its signature spicy kick.
- Chicken Breast: Cut into bite-sized cubes for even cooking.
- Rigatoni Pasta: The classic pasta used for Chicken Riggies.
- Marinara and Alfredo Sauce: Create a creamy tomato sauce.
- Mushrooms: Add extra flavor and texture.
- Romano Cheese: Adds a rich, salty finish.
- Olive Oil: Used to sauté the chicken and vegetables.
- Water: Provides liquid for pressure cooking the pasta.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Instant Pot Utica Chicken Riggies
Sauté the Chicken: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the olive oil, cubed chicken, and seasonings. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
Add the Ingredients: Add the rigatoni, water, marinara sauce, sweet peppers, hot cherry peppers, and mushrooms.
Pressure Cook: Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
Release the Pressure: Carefully perform a quick pressure release when cooking is complete.
Make It Creamy: Stir in the Alfredo sauce and grated Romano cheese until everything is well combined.
Serve: Stir the pasta and chicken together, then serve hot.
Tips I Found Helpful 🩵
- Cut the chicken into even, bite-sized pieces so it cooks evenly.
- Adjust the hot cherry peppers and red pepper flakes to control the heat.
- Stir in the Alfredo sauce and Romano cheese after pressure cooking for a creamy sauce.
- Let the pasta sit for a few minutes after stirring. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Questions Readers Ask Most
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Instant Pot Utica Chicken Riggies
Instant Pot Utica Chicken Riggies is made with tender chicken, rigatoni, peppers, and a creamy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 sweet peppers (1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow)
- 3 red hot cherry peppers
- 1 pound chicken breast, cubed
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 28 ounces marinara sauce
- 28 ounces Alfredo sauce
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 4 ounces Romano cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the olive oil, cubed chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Sauté for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside.
- Add the rigatoni, water, marinara sauce, sliced sweet peppers, hot cherry peppers, and mushrooms.
- Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Carefully perform a quick pressure release when cooking is complete.
- Stir in the Alfredo sauce and grated Romano cheese until well combined.
- Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Serve hot.
Notes
Adjust the hot cherry peppers and red pepper flakes to your preferred spice level.
Stir in the Alfredo sauce and Romano cheese after pressure cooking. The sauce will thicken slightly as the pasta sits.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1023Total Fat: 67gSaturated Fat: 38gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 244mgSodium: 2598mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 10gSugar: 14gProtein: 53g
This looks amazing! I think we figured out what is for dinner tonight. Two questions, when do you add the marinara? What kind of romano cheese do you use? Thanks!
I really want to try this but I’m wondering if a tbs of each seasoning is too much?
I did a tsp of each….wayy to much black pepper for me but the other spices were good
3086mg sodium? Wow!!
I’ve been searching for a good recipe since I moved to Sacramento from Syracuse (actually Liverpool). Thank you!
Two questions: What do you do differently on the stove? And do you have a recipe for Utica Greens? They go perfectly with some riggies.
I do need to put up a Utica Green’s recipe I think I can email you a link to Utica Greens recipes 🙂
For stovetop, I would cook pasta to aldenti, Saute the chicken in olive oil garlic, Add your veggies, Tomato sauce and you can use either heavy cream and Romano cheese or you can add a Alfredo sauce. I try to do slightly more alfredo then tomato sauce 🙂 Cook over a low heat until all the veggies are tender. Then add in your pasta 🙂 I hope this helps enjoy a taste of home 🙂
Thanks! Can’t wait to try these with some yummy Utica Greens.
I grew up in Utica. This looks tasty. I do remember all the great Italian food.
I’ve never used a red hot cherry pepper, would I get them in the fresh produce section? Also how spicy is this dish? My husband is a baby with heat.
We absolutely loved this dish. I didn’t add the cherry peppers and we thought it still had plenty of kick! It just took my IP forever to come to temp so I would definitely allow 15 minutes or heat your water and sauce in advance. Thanks!
I grew up on McGills riggies…. these taste very similar, in fact, they’re better! I dislike the riggies that some restaurants have that are more tomato based. This sauce comes out so creamy! This will be my go to recipe. Only thing I did differently was cooked the rigatoni separately on the stove, diced a onion and minced garlic instead of the powders. Absolute perfection!
Yay happy you liked it
I grew up near Utica. Transplanted to NC 20+ years ago. I haven’t had chicken riggies in years! Gonna be making some next week. Thanks for sharing!!
Fyi, My local supermarket sells “It’s A Utica Thing” sauces. One is Chicken Riggie Sauce in a 24 oz. jar. Nutrition Facts are reasonable re: carbs and sugars. Sodium is little high, 654mg for 1/2 Cups.
Yeah we don’t use that stuff here lol
I agree! I don’t really care for the Utica Thing sauce. But, it is better than nothing, I guess, if you can’t make it yourself. It is expensive, too. I’m sure bc it is a small business they have to pay top dollar for the manufacturing and distribution.
I don’t care for any sauce in the jar
Wonderful recipe that I have used many times now. Thank You! Most recently did this gluten free with just being cautious as to using all GF ingredients.
I am from Utica and live in South Carolina now. I missed Riggies and these are the best and so easy. I will say I did not add the water or cook the noodles in the Instant Pot.
I did this recipe from what they posted. It was delicious!! My husband thought it was delicious!!
Here’s what I will say…I LOVE fresh onion and garlic, instead of powdered. I do not poo poo the powder at all! If you’re in a hurry, this will ABSOLUTELY taste delicious!! If I have time; hop, I will add fresh onion and garlic! Pretty much, everything else was on point! Just my preference!! Five stars from us, no matter how you make it!
I am from Rome,NY but now live in Texas. We love riggies! We made the recipe last night in our Ninja Foodi. They turned out great! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
As an Italian girl living in upstate NY, I’m very discerning (read: picky) when it comes to riggies! So let me say with authority: this recipe is delicious! And it’s as easy and forgiving and it is yummy. The only changes I make are that i usually just cook frozen chicken thighs in my IP first, since I’m not a good planner, and use them instead of sauteing the fresh chicken. Makes no difference. Also, i don’t like canned alfredo so I just add some 1/2 and 1/2 at the end. Hands down, best riggies recipe I’ve found yet on the internet. For our family, who looks them spicy but not nuclear, we’ve found the perfect combination is 2 diced hot cherry peppers and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper.
Thank you for posting this awesomeness!!!
LOL I don’t make them on the stove this way but this was the easiest way in the instant pot
Thank you! This recipe is the bomb! I grew p in Binghamton and visited Utica many times. Only had chicken riggies for the first time about 2 years ago and craved it ever since. Love, love, love your recipe. 💯
Wow. I usually make chicken riggiies using the “original chicken Riggies recipe” I found online . I was given a jar of the bottled riggies sauce and a lb of rigatoni as a gift at christmas, so being in a hurry tonight, I made them in my newly purchased
instant pot Duo, using your recipe. OMG, I’ll never go back to the old way and becasue it’s so easy/ And now, I can make it more frequently.. I had to cook another 2. Minutes becasue it was too al dente for me, but that’s the beauty of the instant pot. You can easily adjust cooking time to suit your taste.
Are the cherry peppers chopped or kept whole?