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One Pot Spicy Chicken Riggies

January 17, 2014 by Morgan 116 Comments

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One Pot Spicy Chicken Riggies. That's right, this delicious meal is made in just one pot, from cooking the chicken to making the sauce, to boiling the pasta! And you won't believe how insanely delicious it turns out. One of my favorite recipes of all time.
One Pot Spicy Chicken Riggies. That's right, this delicious meal is made in just one pot, from cooking the chicken to making the sauce, to boiling the pasta! And you won't believe how insanely delicious it turns out. One of my favorite recipes of all time.

6 years ago, my then-roommate and good friend, Allie, asked me to make her something “spicy with chicken” for her birthday dinner.  I wanted to make something that she’d never had before, and after scouring the web for inspiration, I became smitten with the idea of making Chicken Riggies.  I’d never heard of them before stumbling across the delicious-sounding recipe, but they’re the signature dish of Utica, New York, and I’ve gotta tell you, those people know their stuff.  Why this isn’t common all over the country, I’ll never understand.

I wound up making the dish, which features chicken breast, rigatoni, and a hot cherry pepper and tomato cream sauce, and no one could get enough of it.  My roommate loved it, my boyfriend loved it, and to say that I loved it might just be an understatement.  I promised to make it again soon, and I really did want to, but cooking the chicken, boiling the pasta, and making the sauce just required so many dishes and too much time to do it on the regular.  So I didn’t.  Not for a long time.

Finally, after 2 years, I decided that I had to give it a go again, but this time I’d make it easier… by doing everything in one pot.  That’s right, one pot, without removing anything and “setting it aside”.  I even cooked the pasta right in the sauce.  I was expecting the worst, but guess what?  It was even better this way.  I know you don’t believe me, but just try it.  Just do it.  You’ll be amazed.

The Spicy Chicken Riggies wound up being  one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever made.  Honestly.  It was flavorful, filling, and it was so easy to make and clean up.  My mom and brother were in love with the dish– my mom even said that it might be her favorite recipe that I’ve ever made and that I had to add it to our rotation.  I froze leftovers for James and he agreed that they were “spectacular” after practically inhaling the entire Tupperware container I had stored them in.   That’s after reheating the Chicken Riggies in the microwave, by the way.  You know something is delicious after you can freeze it and reheat it in the microwave and it still tastes amazing.

That was a few years ago, and since then, this recipe has consistently been one of the most popular on my blog and among my family and friends. I decided to make a video to show just how it’s done!

I think one of the coolest things about this recipe is that the starch from cooking the pasta in the sauce acts almost like flour or cornstarch would, thickening the tomato and wine base and helping it reach the perfect consistency.  The pasta doesn’t get mushy or stay hard either, but it does slightly absorb some of the flavors of the sauce, which makes it even tastier.  I’m going to start experimenting with cooking noodles into sauces much more often after this major success!

Serve this meal to a crowd or whip it up on a busy weeknight for your family.  It’s so impressive and delicious that no one will believe that you made it all in just one pot.

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One Pot Spicy Chicken Riggies


★★★★★

4.8 from 10 reviews

  • Author: Morgan
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
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Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
  • 1 pound chicken breast, cut into small chunks
  • 2 large roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
  • 6 hot cherry peppers, chopped and deseeded
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup cooking sherry or white wine
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pound uncooked Rigatoni
  • 1 cup pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons fresh basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the garlic and chicken. Sauté the chicken until it is just browned on the outside but not cooked through.
  2. Stir in the roasted red peppers and hot cherry peppers, and sauté for a minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes and sherry or wine. Add in the water and pasta and bring to a low boil. (If there isn’t enough liquid, add a bit more water.) Continue to cook, stirring often, until the pasta has cooked to al dente, about 15-20 minutes.
  3. Reduce to low heat and add in the butter, basil, and salt. When the butter completely melts into the pasta, add in the cream and cheese. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with additional cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes if you really like a lot of heat!
  4. Serve warm.

Notes

For this recipe, I used jarred hot cherry peppers. If using fresh, add the hot cherry peppers to taste, as they vary much more in their heat levels.

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins

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Filed Under: Food, Main Course, One Pot, Pasta, Poultry, Recently Updated Tagged With: Cherry, Chicken, Chicken Riggies, cream, Easy, Hot, No boil, One Pot, Pasta, Peppers, Recipe, Rigatoni, Riggies, Roasted Red Peppers, Sauce, Spicy, Tomato

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Comments

  1. dina says

    January 20, 2014 at 11:37 am

    never heard of this but sounds like a good one pot meal!

    Reply
  2. Yead says

    January 20, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    Looking so YUMMY. I love this. I want to do this in my home. Great idea.

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    March 4, 2014 at 11:28 am

    I made this for dinner last night and both my Husband and I enjoyed it immensely. I was a bit worried that it was going to be overly spicy, but once the cream and butter was added, the spiciness mellowed out considerably.
    This is a decadent meal for sure with the cream, butter and cheese but it was delicious and I’ll just have to get in an extra workout this week!
    Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      March 4, 2014 at 5:15 pm

      Thanks for letting me know, Michelle! I’m so glad to hear that you both liked it!

      Reply
    • Angela Lane says

      May 17, 2022 at 5:36 pm

      for a less heavy meal try using 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy cream

      if you dont have the cheese try using cream cheese instead

      Reply
  4. stina says

    April 20, 2014 at 12:03 pm

    Just showed this to my husband. We are SO using this for Monday Spaghetti Night!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 20, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Awesome, hope you guys like it!

      Reply
  5. Kitty says

    April 20, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    The spicy chicken riggies sounds yummy, definitely want to try it, but not sure what amount is 1/2 stick butter? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 21, 2014 at 7:38 am

      1/2 stick of butter is 2 oz, r 1/4 cup.

      Reply
  6. Shereen Moloney says

    April 20, 2014 at 6:23 pm

    I always cook pasta and sauce separately, but I’m keen to start combining them in one pot, for the convience. This looks delicious! But for those who don’t live in areas where butter comes in sticks (New Zealand in my case), could you say how much volume or weight a ‘half stick of butter’ is?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 21, 2014 at 7:37 am

      1/2 stick of butter is equal to 2 ounces =)

      Reply
  7. Cleveland Real Estate says

    April 21, 2014 at 3:22 pm

    Fabulous idea. I will definitely be making this. Only 2 cups of liquid for a full pound of pasta!? I have to do this just to make sure… =)

    Reply
  8. Jamie Miller says

    April 30, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    I made this last night and this is CRAZY delicious!!!!! My family and I thank you for sharing this recipe. And, you are right. The leftovers taste even better!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      October 22, 2014 at 9:36 pm

      Happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Jamie! I don’t know why I’m just seeing this comment! So strange.

      Reply
  9. Bob says

    April 30, 2014 at 3:25 pm

    just made your chicken riggies and its absolutely fabulous….thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      May 2, 2014 at 8:50 am

      So glad to hear, Bob!

      Reply
  10. Nicole P says

    May 3, 2014 at 4:03 pm

    I just made this tonight – it was extremely tasty and reminded me of some of my favourite Italian restaurant dishes. It was also very easy, which was nice. I reduced some of the ingredients a little, though I was only cooking for two+night of leftovers. I couldn’t find hot cherry peppers here, so I used a small bag of mixed peppers recommended for pasta, which worked. I think that I will use less butter and cream next time, or maybe I will only use one of them, since it was a bit rich.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      May 5, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Nicole, and thanks for letting us know about your substitutions/recommendations!

      Reply
  11. Deez says

    May 4, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    My fiance made this tonight and it was really, really good. We don’t care for rigatoni, though, so we used rotini and some elbow noodles, and couldn’t find canned roasted peppers, so we used some pimientos tied up in some cheesecloth. Overall, a really good dinner for as few dishes as possible. Be careful, though, b/c some of ours stuck and burned to the pot pretty quickly.

    Next time, though, I think I’m going to try it with milk and a tiny bit of butter instead of cream to cut some calories and fat. Has anyone tried that?

    Reply
  12. Freddie says

    May 7, 2014 at 11:05 pm

    Hi,
    I was wondering if it would be fine to add spinach to this delicious looking one pot meal?
    Thanks!
    Freddie

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      May 8, 2014 at 8:03 am

      Spinach should work well here! Give it a go and let me know what you think!

      Reply
  13. Priyasha says

    May 16, 2014 at 8:41 am

    I made this last night and IT IS SOOOO GOOD!! I forgot to get basil when I was at the supermarket, though, so I replaced it with rosemary and thyme and it still tasted really yummy. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      May 16, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Great to hear, Priyasha! Glad you could get creative when you realized you were missing an ingredient and that it worked out well =)

      Reply
  14. Caity says

    June 6, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    This turned out DELICIOUS! Best one-pot pasta dish I’ve tried so far. I even like the cheesiness, and I am not a cheese lover by any means. Instead of chicken breast, I sliced up three chicken Italian sausages from a local deli, which added even more good flavor. And I have enough roasted peppers and cherry peppers left to make this again sometime soon.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      June 6, 2014 at 11:40 pm

      Aw that’s great, Caity! I think the chicken sausage sounds like an awesome switch! I’ll have to try that soon =)

      Reply
  15. Keri says

    July 13, 2014 at 8:44 am

    This looks so amazing and I can’t wait to try it!
    Question – did you use fresh or jarred hot cherry peppers?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 14, 2014 at 9:32 am

      Hi Keri! I used jarred hot cherry peppers for mine. =) I hope you enjoy your Spicy Chicken Riggies when you give them a go!

      Reply
  16. Shanana says

    August 4, 2014 at 9:47 am

    This looks great! I would love to make it for my dad’s 50th. Is there a substitute for the white wine since my dad doesn’t drink alcohol?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 4, 2014 at 9:56 am

      You could use chicken stock instead of white wine and then just add a tiny splash of white wine vinegar or lemon juice for the added acidity! =) It won’t be exactly the same, but it will work fine!

      Reply
      • Shanana says

        August 4, 2014 at 10:01 am

        Ahh! Thank you 😀 I will let you know how it goes.

        Reply
  17. Courtnet says

    September 12, 2014 at 10:24 am

    Ha, I am from the town next door to Utica,Ny. 🙂 Lots of Italians around, I married one in fact. They are like born knowing how to cook delicious food. 18 years later and I finally am starting to learn how to cook a bit like one. 🙂
    Definately gonna try this. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  18. Alison says

    September 25, 2014 at 6:33 pm

    Can’t wait to try this! The only thing I couldn’t find was the hot cherry peppers (searched 2 different grocery stores.) Any decent substitutions you can think of? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      September 25, 2014 at 6:46 pm

      Alison, they’re usually available jarred. If you just rinse them off in a colander they’ll work fine. If you still can’t find them, try subbing pepperoncini.

      Reply
      • Alison says

        September 27, 2014 at 8:50 am

        I ended up just omitting any other peppers except the roasted peppers and it was still FABULOUS. Next time (because there WILL BE a next time), I’ll try the pepperoncini because I did see that the grocery store carried those jarred. (They only had SWEET cherry peppers otherwise, boo.) We also apparently don’t have fresh basil around here, so I subbed basil flakes and it was still great. I also ended up adding an extra half-cup of water so the noodles could cook better and was worried that it would affect the flavor but it did not. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!

        Reply
        • Morgan says

          September 27, 2014 at 10:44 am

          I’m glad to hear that everything worked out with the substitutions and all, Alison! =)

          Reply
  19. Trevor says

    October 1, 2014 at 5:16 pm

    Made this one last night. It was incredible! My girlfriend was very pleased and insisted that I include this in the regular lineup, thanks for the amazing recipe 🙂 I had never thought to cook pasta in sauce before, but it was fantastic. I’ve got the ingredients for two more of your recipes that I shall attempt this week, still super excited! Thanks again!

    Reply
  20. Amy @ Fearless Homemaker says

    October 13, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    I’m making this (with a few minor changes) for dinner tonight! Will report back how it goes!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      October 13, 2014 at 3:36 pm

      Can’t wait to hear back, Amy! Hope you love it as much as my family did!

      Reply
    • Amy @ Fearless Homemaker says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:36 pm

      Update: it tuned out FANTASTIC! Hoping to get some better pics of it tomorrow in daylight, then post it on my blog (with full credit to you + rewritten recipe, of course) within a few weeks!

      Reply
  21. Lindsey says

    October 19, 2014 at 10:06 pm

    I’m a native Utican so I have practically been raised on riggies. There are so many variations that there is really no single way to cook it so when someone showed me this recipe, I decided to give it a shot. That being said, this was waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy too spicy to be considered “authentic” riggies…just way too spicy. Using 6 hot cherry peppers is too much – most recipes, including the one I always use, call for 1 hot cherry pepper…6 is “WTF?!?” crazy. I even added extra cream, served it with a side of bread, AND added extra cheese on top to cut the spice on the tongue and it was just too much. Riggies should always have a hint of spice with the option of adding red pepper flakes or hot sauce to kick it up a notch if desired…this spice practically knocked me over. I’m going to make a 2nd batch without the cherry peppers and mix it into the spicy batch to even it out a little.

    That being said, the actual sauce is delicious! And cooking the rigatoni in the same pot is genius…it does thicken the sauce so you don’t have to wait until the next day to have that nice, thick sauce that just sticks to the riggies. For those who don’t like peppers and onions, this is great…all the flavor without having to sort through chunks of pepper and onion. If the amount of cherry peppers is cut down to 1, 2, or possibly even 3, I give this 5 stars.

    Reply
  22. Lynn says

    October 22, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    I also live in Utica. I also only use 1-3 cherry peppers in my riggies, but am REALLY excited to try it as a one-pot meal.

    When I’ve had difficulty finding the cherry peppers, I have substituted an Italian frying pepper.

    Reply
  23. Carissa R. says

    November 7, 2014 at 10:38 pm

    This is SUCH a great recipe. I used jarred peppers (4) AND jarred roasted bells (from Trader Joe’s) with great success. I also used only about 1# chicken, 1.5 cups of wine/broth (half of each), 2 Tbs. of butter and 1/4 C. half & half. I also went very light on the Romano (maybe 1/2-3/4 C.) without feeling like we compromised on flavor. It was so delicious. The texture of the noodles was perfect and the flavor was fabulous. I’ll happily add this to the rotation. Next time, instead of using only 4 peppers, I’ll use the 6 the recipe calls for; It wasn’t at all too spicy. I added red pepper flakes and was happy, but my husband, who didn’t, wanted it a bit kickier. It all came together so quickly and made a lot, so I’ll keep this in mind for doubling for a casual crowd. So tasty!

    Reply
  24. Shruti Jordan says

    December 5, 2014 at 1:05 pm

    I loved it! I was sceptical about cooking the pasta in the sauce but since I saw so many good reviews I guessed it must be good and my oh my wasnt it. I made my own grilled bell pepper.. And added just chilli flakes.. Substituted milk with cream as I didnt have any cream. A guilty pleasure. A weeks worth of workout gone but worth it!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      December 5, 2014 at 1:16 pm

      Great to hear, Shruti! I know that cooking the pasta in the sauce sounds crazy, but I’m glad you tried it anyway =)

      Reply
  25. Veronica says

    December 21, 2014 at 6:07 pm

    Morgan – (may I call you Morgan? Haha!) this is the first of your recipes I’ve tried and I must say its the best pasta I think I’ve ever had. I, like many others, was skeptical about how the one pot thing was going to turn out but wow. It’s perfect and I want to feed it to everyone I know! I disagree with the “wtf crazy” from the 6 cherry peppers… I think it wouldn’t have been spicy ENOUGH with any fewer. I’ll be sure to make more of your other recipes in the future. Thank you, from a fellow greater Philadelphia resident!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      December 21, 2014 at 11:37 pm

      I am so glad to hear that, Veronica! Thanks so much for the sweet comment =)

      Reply
  26. zack says

    February 21, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Of course it’s going to be good! Add cream and butter to anything and its bound to taste amazing. I have to try this asap.

    Reply
  27. Elizabeth Smolinski says

    February 21, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    Chicken riggies is a dish that originated in Utica, NY. It’s very popular there. I am going to try this one pot recipe. It looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 21, 2015 at 10:35 pm

      Yep! I have family who live in the area!

      Reply
  28. Emily says

    February 21, 2015 at 7:59 pm

    Found this today, made for dinner. WAS AWESOME! am excited to have leftovers…..

    Reply
  29. Shannon says

    February 22, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    This looks great! So the only thing in the ingredients that doesn’t look like it conforms to the one-pot rule is the “2 large roasted red peppers” – or are you using jarred? In which case, how do you measure out the “2 large”? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 22, 2015 at 5:37 pm

      I use whole jarred roasted red peppers but you can estimate with sliced ones!

      Reply
  30. Nicky J. says

    February 23, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    Hi,

    I am trying this recipe tonight. One quick question – which size skillet did you use? Or did you make this in a large pot? The pictures show it being made in a skillet. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 23, 2015 at 3:07 pm

      I used a 12 or 13″ high-walled skillet when maing this for the photo, but I find it’s easier to make in a large pot!

      Reply
      • Scg869 says

        February 18, 2021 at 3:41 pm

        12-13” walls makes it a pot, not a skillet.

        Reply
        • Morgan says

          February 19, 2021 at 9:16 am

          Haha no, a 12 or 13″ wide, high-walled skillet is what I mean! This is from before re-shooting the photos– this time I used a dutch oven 🙂

          Reply
  31. Olivia says

    February 23, 2015 at 9:43 pm

    I made this tonight for dinner, but I subbed chicken broth for the wine. It was so delicious! Definitely a keeper.

    Reply
  32. Marita says

    March 24, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    Hello!

    I was curious is I use pickled pepperoncini instead of cherry peppers will that still be roughly the same or will the pickling taste throw it off (if its thrown off what would you suggest to counterbalance it)? Also would you still use 6?

    Thank you!!! ^_^

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      March 24, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      I haven’t tried it with pepperoncini, but if you do use them, I’d recommend rinsing them first to remove any vinegar on the outside. Please let me know how it winds up if you decide to go that route!

      Reply
      • Marita Obrigewitch says

        March 25, 2015 at 2:47 pm

        Ah alright! Sounds great 🙂
        Just because I’ve never even had pepperoncini (not sure of the taste itself) … would using chipotle (in abode) be way to far off?

        Reply
        • Morgan says

          March 25, 2015 at 3:24 pm

          I would not go with the chipotle. If you’re having an especially hard time with the peppers, just sub in more roasted reds and up the amount of crushed pepper flakes =)

          Reply
          • Marita says

            March 25, 2015 at 11:16 pm

            Well I must say that this was pretty dang good!!! Used the pickled pepperoncini. The ones I had I tried and didn’t even bother rinsing then off. Not too acidic!
            Made a few small changes (I just “don’t know” how to follow a recipie lol! Just use the ideas) but instead of salt I used a chicken broth cube, added double the cream and a bit of milk, about 1/4c more Parmesan, fresh oregano, and added some onions at the beginning with the chicken. Love how the wine brought out all the flavours! Defiantly a keeper of a recipie!
            Thanks!!! 🙂

  33. gerard says

    March 30, 2015 at 12:51 am

    Very good meal. I was sceptical of not cooking the pasta separately, but it came out great. I followed the recipe but found I needed nearly another cup of water. Also, about the cherry peppers…… The recipe doesn’t specify which kind: fresh,dried, pickled. I used pickled because I know the dish, but not everyone’s from New York. Careful though, they vary in heat, and if they’re really hot ones, 6 is way too many. Better to err on the side of milder and add crushed red at the table. Also, I think most natives would agree that pecorino Romano rather than parm is the cheese to use.

    Reply
  34. Cecile says

    April 26, 2015 at 5:28 pm

    hello!
    I would live to try this recupe but Just wanted to be sure: for the crushed tomates it is 128 oz? Because in kilograms it makes a lot (i’m french): more than 3.6 kilograms??? Crushed tomatoes are sold in cans of 250 grams or 500 grams max here….
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 26, 2015 at 8:10 pm

      Oh gosh, that would be a lot. No, it’s one (28 oz) can, which is about 794 grams. You’d be fine with 750 if that’s easier.

      Reply
  35. Ally says

    April 30, 2015 at 11:35 am

    This was a gamble for me, both because previous one-pot pasta recipes had not gone well (gluey, ick) and because I was concerned it would be too spicy for my little kids. The gamble definitely paid off! Super delicious, not at all gluey, and the kiddos devoured it, as did my husband and I. I used the roasted reds and jarred cherry peppers from Trader Joe’s as well. Getting ready to make it again 🙂

    Reply
  36. Gabi says

    May 18, 2015 at 1:59 pm

    I’ve made this recipe 5 times now and am seriously obsessed with it, Everyone I make it for eats at least seconds. I’ve officially added it to my dinner rotation. Easy to double in servings and there is almost NO mess which is a huge perk!!

    Reply
  37. Ken LaDuc says

    June 28, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    Tried this recipe, finally. First saw it in early spring, then good weather hit. I grill most nights. Was so hesitant to try one-pot, but it worked, just like recipe said. I’m in Syracuse, hour away from Utica, so the dish is common here. One-pot, genius! Number if peppers, no clue, I like it hot, but wife and daughter do not. I used 2 fresh jalapenos, id rather have fresh. In fall when Serranos and cayenne (fav) are ripe, I’ll use those. I just added chili flakes to mine. Used 1/2 and 1/2 (for coffee) instead of heavy cream, and 1/2 grated parm and asiago cheese. I also used venison stew meat instead of chicken. Anti hunters- stop, I raise chickens for eggs and companions, you cannot complain. Unbelievable dish!!! Easy, fillling, and leftovers, what can you say? Cleanup a breeze. Use sausage, venison, chicken, any meat, this recipe rocks!

    Reply
  38. Lynn says

    July 2, 2015 at 12:12 pm

    I live in Utica, but didn’t grow up here. Riggies are one of the things I LOVE about the food here. Utica Greens are awesome, too. My only input is that I ALWAYS start Riggies with at least half an onion (if not a whole onion), minced and sautéed.

    We don’t drink or cook with alcohol, so I used a combo of stock and water. The acid from the jarred cherry peppers was enough for us.

    Came out awesome — and warmed up nice from frozen, too!

    MY ONE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE WEB SITE — THERE’S A VIDEO AD RUNNING ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THAT KEEPS FORCING ME TO SCROLL UP AND DOWN. IT’S REALLY ANNOYING.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 2, 2015 at 12:33 pm

      Thank you for letting me know about the ad, Lynn! I haven’t noticed it, it must be an issue with one of our networks. I’ll fix it ASAP!

      And I’m so glad you like the Chicken Riggies!

      Reply
      • Lynn says

        July 2, 2015 at 2:23 pm

        By the way, I am so sorry about “shouting” in my last message — I had typed it all out without looking, while the screen was flipping between the comment box and the video. By the time I’d realized that it was all caps, I’d already submitted it.

        Reply
  39. Katie says

    July 13, 2015 at 2:24 am

    I made this for dinner tonight and my husband loved it and devoured two bowls! It’s so delicious and I love how easy and non messy it was to make. We are definitely adding this to our favorites! Thanks =)

    Reply
  40. Kelly says

    August 2, 2015 at 7:41 pm

    WOW! Just wanted to say that I made this tonight (minus the hot cherry peppers – kids are not into spicy) and I cannot believe how perfect the pasta and delicious sauce turned out! I also want to add that I made it with fat free half and half and skipped the butter completely (although I am sure that tastes amazing) just to make it a little lighter. I didn’t skimp on the cheese, though! Delish!

    Reply
  41. Alexandra says

    August 5, 2015 at 7:17 pm

    I love this recipe so much! Thank you for posting it, my husband and I have really enjoyed it!

    Reply
  42. Kairavi Chahal says

    August 29, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    Do you think this would work with a crock pot?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 29, 2015 at 10:00 pm

      I’ve never tried it with a crock pot, Kairavi. I wouldn’t suggest it though.

      Reply
  43. Michelle says

    September 2, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    Made this tonight without the chicken because I didn’t have it on hand. Still delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing. After reading the comments I will make this again with italian sausage and spinach, as I usually have those on hand (I’m not a fan of chicken). Yummo!

    Reply
  44. Keith says

    September 28, 2015 at 8:32 pm

    I just made this and am enjoying my bowl so much that I had to get on here and leave a comment! This is ridiculously delicious, and oh-so-easy. My cherry peppers came already sliced so I dont know if I actually used six since i just threw in a handful, but the heat is perfect. Thank you for this wonderful recipe; I will be making it many more times!

    Reply
  45. Kinsey says

    October 4, 2015 at 8:00 pm

    I tried this recipe tonight with ingredients I already had at home. I substituted pepperoncini and crushed red pepper for the peppers, half and half for the cream, margarine for the butter, gluten free penne for the pasta, and a jar of spicy pepper pasta sauce for the tomatoes. I was a little worried at how it would turn out with so many substitutions but it turned out amazing! My picky husband even loved it.

    Reply
  46. Tiffany says

    October 12, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    Hi 🙂 I stumbled across this on FB. I’m from Utica NY and love Chicken Riggies. I normally make the cream base recipe but do also love the marinara kind. I now live in Sw FL so I do miss the food from Utica 🙂

    Reply
  47. Michael says

    October 31, 2015 at 4:57 pm

    I made this and loved it, but i like my food extra spicy so i just added some tapatio and it turned out amazing

    Reply
  48. Christa says

    January 6, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    I’ve made this several times and absolutely love it! If anyone is having a hard time finding the peppers, Trader Joe’s carries them (jarred).

    Reply
  49. Nancy says

    January 23, 2016 at 11:58 am

    If I’m making this and not cooking the pasta in it, I would omit the water, correct?

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      January 23, 2016 at 12:26 pm

      All set! I accidentally added a half pint of heavy cream (1 cup) instead of 1/4 cup so I added some puree I had on hand. Mmmm

      Reply
  50. Dee says

    June 12, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    I’m wanting to make this for a graduation party. I want to make a large batch and freeze it. Should I put it together with the sauce or should I freeze the sauce in isolation and make the pasta the day before serving? Thanks for your thoughts

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      June 12, 2016 at 5:53 pm

      Hi Dee, Unfortunately I would not recommend making this recipe ahead and freezing it. Because it’s a one pot recipe, it really won’t turn out well made separately, and cooking the recipe in full, freezing, and reheating would result in the pasta breaking down.

      Reply
  51. Heather says

    June 21, 2016 at 3:07 pm

    I certainly felt like a gourmet cook serving my family this one! I wasn’t able to find the cherry peppers, so I eliminated them from the recipe as well… I’m going to try adding spinach & sausage next time. Thank you for the delicious recipe!

    Reply
  52. Cristina says

    July 31, 2016 at 1:30 pm

    Would you leave the lid on or off for Step 2?

    Reply
  53. Sabrina says

    October 2, 2016 at 5:08 pm

    Toddler approved. Great recipe, thanks!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      October 5, 2016 at 11:12 pm

      And toddlers are typically so hard to please! Happy to hear it =)

      Reply
  54. Brianna says

    December 9, 2016 at 9:11 pm

    This was seriously delicious and so easy. We were able to buy all of the ingredients at Trader Joes for under $20 and it made 4 dinner servings and a HUGE container of leftovers. I can’t wait to have more of it tomorrow. Amazing to only have one pot to clean at the end. We used our kitchen shears to cut the chicken and roasted red peppers so didn’t even need to clean a cutting board. When I first threw the pasta in, I was skeptical that it would turn out like the pictures here but it was beautiful at the end! 6 cherry peppers weren’t spicy at all. So happy I found this recipe, it’s going to become a staple! I want to find more!

    P.S. It pairs great with a glass of Merlot 😉

    Reply
    • Brianna says

      December 9, 2016 at 9:12 pm

      Oops, meant that it would NOT turn out like the pictures. It was so pretty that I had to send a pic to my mom!

      Reply
    • Morgan says

      December 9, 2016 at 10:05 pm

      That’s awesome, Brianna! I’m glad you enjoyed it so much =) Thank you for letting me know!!

      Reply
  55. Brandon says

    December 24, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    Being from Syracuse (Central NY), this is a staple of the regional foods there. All time favorite. There are riggie competitions even. Delicious beyond imagination. Check out some other recipes that are pretty much only from that region. Utica greens, salt potatoes, hot dipping oil, etc. That said, the one thing I wouldn’t do is substitute the hot cherry peppers unless you have no choice. And yes 6 is perfection. Your regular grocery stores probably won’t carry them if you’re not in the Northeast. So if you have any local Italian markets, they almost always do carry them.

    Reply
  56. plasterers bristol says

    March 1, 2017 at 1:05 pm

    yum one of my favs this recipe. Thanks for sharing. Simon.

    Reply
  57. Carol D says

    June 17, 2017 at 4:09 pm

    This sounds yummy, BUT! have to ask if anyone has made this without the hot cherry peppers?
    Though I like hot, spicy foods, my old body does not and I have serious problems if I eat them
    Think this would b okay without the cherry peppers?

    Reply
    • Lynn says

      June 19, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      I have. It’s fine if you go mild with it. It’s kind of like Penne a la Vodka with chicken.

      Reply
  58. Kathy says

    August 5, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    Hi, I’m new to your site. Thanks for the great recipe! I just made this with ground beef instead of chicken, and without the hot cherry peppers. I used more red pepper flakes, and threw in a can of mushrooms. Also subbed pasta sauce for the tomatoes. (I really wanted to make this today!). My husband and I both loved it. Definitely ‘gourmet’!!
    Thanks again! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  59. Mike says

    December 26, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    This recipe is da bomb dot com

    Reply
  60. Mary says

    January 10, 2018 at 11:35 pm

    The bottom of my pot always burns some noodles even with vigurous stirring. Any suggestions? I follow the recipe to a T!

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      January 11, 2018 at 2:55 pm

      I just learned recently, that if you stand your pot in a cast iron or regular frying pan, that it will not scorch while cooking.

      Reply
  61. elizabeth says

    July 13, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    making this now for the 3rd time, i love this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  62. L. Marie Thomas says

    February 5, 2019 at 8:57 pm

    Hello Host the Toast,

    I haven’t made this dish yet. I was having a hard time finding hot cherry peppers.
    I now have found a brand called Tutto Calabrian brand of Hot Cherry Peppers. Would
    this product be suitable to use? Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 6, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      I had to look them up because I haven’t heard of the brand before, but if they’re the hot cherry peppers packed in oil that they sell, then yes! 🙂

      Reply
      • L. Marie Thomas says

        February 10, 2019 at 6:16 pm

        OK Morgan it’s a go. I had found Mezzetta and Delallo brands of
        ‘Sweet’ cherry peppers. But no whole hot cherry peppers. After
        I make the ‘Riggies’ I will get back to you.

        Reply
  63. L. Marie Thomas says

    August 6, 2019 at 11:38 pm

    Hello Morgan. So very sorry I didn’t get back to you. WOW! The chicken riggies
    was Delicious. A very tasty different unique flavor. I invited my sister over who loves Italian food. She told me it was one of the best Italian dishes she’s ever had.
    I told her we had upstate New York to thank for that. And host the toast.

    Reply
  64. Camille Gabel says

    December 11, 2019 at 4:28 pm

    Hey! I just wanted to let you know that when I print this recipe it is tiny. I can’t read it (even with my glasses!) ha ha. You may want to adjust the settings in your recipe card. 🙂

    Reply
  65. Renee says

    December 28, 2020 at 9:03 am

    Can you use bow tie pasta and would that change anything in the recipe?

    Reply
  66. Michele says

    March 27, 2021 at 10:26 am

    So many different versions of this but this recipe is really very good one.I add red dry wine.The extra basil is great.

    Reply
  67. Lau says

    May 2, 2021 at 12:46 pm

    Hi,
    Can I make this entire dish the night before and reheat in the oven?

    Reply
  68. Kristina says

    July 2, 2021 at 11:04 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight but I used grilled & coined garlic and cheese sausage instead of chicken. Also, I couldn’t find cherry bomb peppers so I used 1/2 of a red Fresno pepper and it was a good amount of spice for the kids (I wouldn’t have minded a bit more.) everyone loved it though, and it will definitely become part of our rotation!

    Reply
  69. scott says

    August 7, 2021 at 10:37 pm

    I grew up in Clinton, NY where chicken riggers were likely invented at the Clinton house (with hot competition from another restaurant in Utica that made them famous) one pot is worth trying to cut down on dishes.

    You’re right they should be known outside central New York, they are delicious

    Reply
  70. Karen L Ferrero says

    December 18, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    This was very good! I loved the pasta cooking experiment. Next time I will add 1/4 cup more water and possibly more chicken. The folks who omit or change the cherry peppers don’t know what they’re missing! I found my cherry peppers in the international aisle of my grocery store. I am editing a family cookbook and included in that is a section “Food From 50 States”. This will be my NY recipe. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  71. Danielle says

    February 20, 2022 at 5:07 pm

    I’mconfused, the sauce/pasta is delicious! The chicken, tough and dry!! I cooked as directed, only used dry basil and whole milk as substitutes. This dish would be great with a precooked chicken or other protein, added at the end. How did soo many people cook this and have tasty chicken???

    ★★★

    Reply
  72. Taylor says

    March 28, 2022 at 4:44 pm

    I’ve made this recipe a handful of times over the years. Really grateful to have it in my repertoire! Thank you, Morgan!
    One change I make is that after panfrying the chicken, I put it to the side and re-add it with the cheese- otherwise it’s way overcooked and rubbery in my experience.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  73. Melissa says

    October 16, 2022 at 8:11 am

    Really good recipe. We live 90 miles from Utica and have enjoyed riggies in restaurants. No more…we are making them at home now. Thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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MEET MORGAN

Morgan is a full-time food blogger, pizza-related sleep talker, and self-described hobby hoarder.
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