Chicken Riggies
Chicken Riggies AKA Utica Chicken Riggies has the right amount of heat in a rich and creamy cheesy sauce that is on top of Al dente rigatoni pasta with chicken, and tender vegetables.
I’m from central New York, and I’m serious about my chicken riggies. Riggies are a local specialty dish, and you can find them at almost every restaurant in the area. We even have competitions to see who makes the best riggies this is Riggie Wars where local restaurants compete to see who makes the best riggies.
You can also find my recipe for Instant Pot Utica Chicken Riggies.
What is Utica Chicken Riggies?
Utica Chicken Riggies is an Italian-American rigatoni pasta dish that is made in Utica, New York. There are many variations to this dish but the basic recipe is with chicken, cherry peppers, tomato sauce with spices, heavy cream, and cheese.
If you have never had this dish before, I suggest trying it! The creaminess of the heavy cream combined
The Original Recipe is from a chef at Chesterfields Restaurant In Utica NY.
Why You Will Love Chicken Riggies
- One-Pot Meal. This dish comes together very easily.
- Creamy, Cheesy, and Spicy.
- You can control the amount of heat in each dish.
- A new way to have pasta night.
Ingredients for Chicken Riggies
- Chicken breast
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- Italian seasoning
- crushed red pepper flakes
- Onion
- Green bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Baby Bella mushrooms
- Hot cherry peppers
- garlic
- red wine, cabernet
- chicken bouillon paste
- tomato sauce
- heavy cream
- grated parmesan cheese
- Rigatoni pasta
- Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
Step-by-Step Chicken Riggies Recipe:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat add the olive oil, chicken breast, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
- Cook until no longer pink on the outside. About 5 minutes.
- To the pot or dutch oven add the onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and cherry peppers and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and red wine and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken bouillon paste, tomato sauce, and heavy cream.
- Stir until incorporated and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir until fully incorporated and slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix.
- Put in a serving dish and garnish with Romano cheese or grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
Tips & Tricks
- Chicken stock can be substituted for the paste. Use 1 cup of strong chicken stock and use 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1 cup of heavy cream instead.
- For a more spicy pasta add more cherry peppers and crushed red pepper flakes.
- For a more mild pasta omit the crushed red pepper flakes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
You can freeze in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
You can reheat chicken riggies in the microwave for 1 minute or on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
You can use jarred sauce but it’s cheaper and easier to use crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.
More Recipes from Utica:
Print Recipe
Chicken Riggies
Chicken Riggies AKA Utica Chicken Riggies has the right amount of heat in a rich and creamy cheesy sauce that is on top of Al dente rigatoni pasta with chicken, and tender vegetables.
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken breast, sliced (about 2lbs)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 Onion, sliced
- 1 Green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 Red bell pepper, sliced
- 6oz Baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 3 Hot cherry peppers, chopped
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- ½ Cup red wine, cabernet
- 2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon paste
- 1 ½ Cups tomato sauce
- 1 ½ Cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ Cups grated parmesan cheese
- 1lb Rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained
- Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat add the olive oil, chicken breast, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
- Cook until no longer pink on the outside. About 5 minutes.
- To the pot or Dutch oven add the onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and cherry peppers and cook until softened about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and red wine and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken bouillon paste, tomato sauce, and heavy cream.
- Stir until incorporated and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir until fully incorporated and slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked rigatoni and mix.
- Put in a serving dish and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 1768mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 27g
I never heard of Chicken Riggies and then came across your recipe and had to try it. Very Good and easy to make. The next day when I reheated, I added a few more hot cherries and a couple Tbls. Of the juice from the jar. Next time I make it, I’m going to only cut cherries in half and add a small amount of juice at the end before serving.
Thanks for sharing the recipe
Five Star
I’ve made Chicken Riggies a number of times. This recipe is fantastic. I just changed a few things. I saute the chicken until golden, then remove before its cooked. I proceed with recipe, adding mushrooms too. I use pepperoncini instead of cherry peppers. Add a little of the juice too.
Add back the chicken toward the very end. It cooks thru and is tender!