Spicy Chicken Riggies is an upstate New York classic that is a combination of creamy and spicy. This pasta dish is perfect for a quick sauce and a complete meal for your family.

Looking for another spicy pasta recipe? TryBucatini AmatricianaorSpicy Vodka Sauce.

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A Utica Special

This is my mother's spicy chicken riggies. She would make this recipe or Italian Mac and Cheese anytime my brothers or I were having a big group of friends over or our teammates for a pasta night before a game. It is so spicy but tempered with a heavy creamy, which makes it the perfect spicy and creamy pasta.

Chicken riggies in an upstate New York creation. People in that area love chicken riggies and Utica greens. There is a considerable population of Italian-Americans that migrated to that area and made it one of the greatest areas in New York for Italian food.

Either way, I still credit my mom with this recipe, because she's the one who taught me. My mom taught me a lot about cooking and still does!

Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

Hot cherry peppers. Don't like hot? Substitute sweet cherry peppers. If your cherry peppers aren't seedless, make sure to remove all the seeds. I use these to spice up Chicken Scarpariello.

Chicken breast. Seared chunks of chicken breast are best for this recipe. It is one of the only pasta dishes that I would ever eat chicken in (except Creamy Chicken Parmesan Pasta). Chicken thighs will be a little too fatty.

Calabrian Chili Peppers. I like to add calabrian chili peppers to the shallots and garlic to add some spice to the sauce. You can substitute crushed red peppers.

Cherry Pepper Juice. The juice from the hot cherry peppers can really spice up the sauce as well. I like to add a little in when I add the wine.

White Wine. I use a sauvignon blanc for this recipe. It's light, crisp, and not too sweet.

*Please see all ingredients in the recipe card below.

Step-by-Step Directions

Spicy chicken riggies isn't a difficult recipe. In fact, it's pretty simple and there aren't any difficult techniques. Overall, you can be done with this recipe in an hour and fifteen minutes.

Step 1: Start by chopping the chicken breast into 1-and-a-half-inch chunks. Add them to a bowl and season with a teaspoon of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. The amount of cayenne pepper used can be increased or decreased depending on the level of spice you want.

Step 2: In a large saucepan bring a tablespoon of olive oil to medium-high heat. Sear chicken with space in between each piece of chicken. If you try to do it all at once, it will not sear. It will just steam and become very tough.

Step 3: With 3 chicken breasts, it will probably take about 4 batches to sear the chicken. Add more olive oil as necessary. Sear each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Then set the chicken aside.

Step 4: Lower the heat to medium in the same pan. Add another tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the shallots for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

Sauteed shallots, garlic, and calabrian chili peppers

Step 5: Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 more minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the calabrian chili peppers until completely combined.

wine, hot cherry pepper juice and cherry peppers added

Step 6: Stir in the cherry peppers, the cherry pepper juice, and the wine. Bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce down by about half. This part of the recipe is what gives the sauce its intense spicy flavor.

Step 7: Once the base has reduced, add in the crushed tomatoes. Stir well until everything is homogenous. Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.

Step 8: Then add the chicken back in and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, add the rigatoni to the salted boiling water when you have about ten minutes left on the sauce.

Step 9: Remove the sauce from the heat and add the heavy cream. Stir well until the sauce develops a pinkish color.

Pro-Tip

Every cherry pepper juice is different. Some are spicier than others. I always recommend tasting the juice with your fingertip before putting it into the sauce. The more juice you add the spicier it will be.
Sear the chicken in batches so that they don't over cook and steam. This will give you a juicier chicken at the end.

Recipe FAQs

What can I substitute for calabrian peppers?

You can substitute crushed red pepper for calabrian peppers. 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper for every tablespoon of calabrian peppers.

What if I don't like it spicy?

You can leave out the calabrian peppers and substitute sweet cherry peppers for the hot peppers!

If you love spicy, then chicken riggies are for you. It can be intensely spicy if you want it to be. Add more calabrian peppers and hot cherry pepper juice if you really want to crank up the heat. It can definitely make you sweat.

If you're looking for something with a little less kick, try our Pasta alla Norma or Artichoke Pesto Pasta.