Meet Chicken Riggies: The Regional Comfort Food We Can’t Stop Making

We all have that hometown dish we are proud to introduce to out-of-towners. The one that we long for if we move away, that we hold in especially high esteem. If you're from the Buckeye State it might be Cincinnati Chili. If you're from New England, it might be a lobster roll or chowder. If you're from New York City, it's the pizza and bagels, of course. But venture upstate a bit and you'll uncover a gem that I can't wait to introduce you to.

Chicken Riggies is a hyper-local dish that really calls me home. It is the perfect pasta recipe with a balance of tomato brightness, creamy richness, vinegar tang, and hot pepper kick. I live too far away from my Upstate New York roots these days to be able to order it out at a restaurant, but luckily, it's easy to make at home. Let's dig in.

What Are Chicken Riggies?

So glad you asked. "Chicken Riggies" is the colloquial name for a popular Italian-American dish that is ubiquitous in Utica, N.Y. It typically consists of chicken, rigatoni pasta, and hot and sweet peppers, all cooked in a creamy tomato sauce loaded with grated cheese. It's a crave-able comfort food with big, bold flavors.

The exact origin of the dish is a bit unclear, but it is believed to have been created in the Utica-Rome area in the '80s. The dish gained popularity as a different twist on traditional baked ziti or chicken Parmesan and has since become a regional favorite (more on the origins in a minute.)

There are variations of the recipe, with some swapping in a different protein or adding extra ingredients like onions, mushrooms, olives, or other vegetables. But as long as you have hot cherry peppers, you have chicken riggies.

The Mysterious Origin of Chicken Riggies

The only thing better than a delicious plate of pasta is the folklore behind it. Like many great recipes, there are several claims about who gets credit for this infamous hometown favorite. Digging around online I uncovered a few different stories from local chefs, as told to the radio station, WIBX 950.

Perhaps the most convincing actually starts outside of Utica, in nearby Clinton, N.Y. According to an interview with the late chef Michael Geno, he said, "The dish was created at the Clinton House in Clinton...I know where it came from, because I was there," he continued. “This was about 1979. The doctors, lawyers, and union guys would come in on Monday nights to play cards and we would make them the ‘riggie dish’ with chicken, tomatoes, and cherry peppers. When they came back the next week, they wanted the same thing we made them the week before. And there you have it—the birth of Chicken Riggies.”

Chef Mike Schulz, who started as a dishwasher at the Clinton House, tells the tale that he would make Chicken Riggies there until he worked his way up to head chef of the Chesterfield Restaurant in downtown Utica where he claims he put it on the menu—and "on the map." While the original Chesterfield Restaurant is now closed, Chesterfield’s Tavolo still advertises the “original” Chicken Riggies recipe.

Chicken Riggies' recognition and popularity are relatively recent developments, particularly within the past few decades. Today, the dish is celebrated—and duplicated—all around town. There's even an annual "Riggiefest," held in Utica to see who can make it best.

How to Make Chicken Riggies

Lucky for those of us who live outside Riggie territory, it's simple and easy to recreate at home. Even better, we have recipes on site with a few different variations so you can customize to your liking.

As Chef John says in the recipe video for his take on Chicken Riggies, "It a shame you don't see this on menus anywhere else in the country...hopefully we're going to change that."

However you choose to make it, the common thread is to start by sautéing together onion, hot cherry peppers, sweet peppers, chicken, and garlic. Cook the chicken through and then add in some white wine, crushed tomato or marinara sauce, grated cheese, and/or a bit of cream for that extra richness. Let the sauce simmer and reduce. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni pasta to al dente. When everything is ready, toss the pasta in with the sauce to coat and combine flavors.

Try Chicken Riggies for yourself, it will be a new family favorite. And serve it with a side of Utica Greens while you're at it. The tastes and smells will carry you upstate.