diff --git a/src/sentry/incidents/endpoints/organization_alert_rule_index.py b/src/sentry/incidents/endpoints/organization_alert_rule_index.py
index 91178a4eeed082..866654869b310e 100644
--- a/src/sentry/incidents/endpoints/organization_alert_rule_index.py
+++ b/src/sentry/incidents/endpoints/organization_alert_rule_index.py
@@ -121,6 +121,13 @@ def create_metric_alert(
         if not serializer.is_valid():
             raise ValidationError(serializer.errors)
 
+        # if there are no triggers, then the serializer will raise an error
+        for trigger in data["triggers"]:
+            if not trigger.get("actions", []):
+                raise ValidationError(
+                    "Each trigger must have an associated action for this alert to fire."
+                )
+
         trigger_sentry_app_action_creators_for_incidents(serializer.validated_data)
         if get_slack_actions_with_async_lookups(organization, request.user, request.data):
             # need to kick off an async job for Slack
diff --git a/tests/sentry/incidents/endpoints/test_organization_alert_rule_index.py b/tests/sentry/incidents/endpoints/test_organization_alert_rule_index.py
index 1b9a657794ce99..bf124c85aa2204 100644
--- a/tests/sentry/incidents/endpoints/test_organization_alert_rule_index.py
+++ b/tests/sentry/incidents/endpoints/test_organization_alert_rule_index.py
@@ -921,12 +921,15 @@ def test_critical_trigger_no_action(self):
         }
 
         with self.feature("organizations:incidents"):
-            resp = self.get_success_response(
-                self.organization.slug, status_code=201, **rule_one_trigger_only_critical_no_action
+            resp = self.get_error_response(
+                self.organization.slug, status_code=400, **rule_one_trigger_only_critical_no_action
             )
-        assert "id" in resp.data
-        alert_rule = AlertRule.objects.get(id=resp.data["id"])
-        assert resp.data == serialize(alert_rule, self.user)
+        assert resp.data == [
+            ErrorDetail(
+                string="Each trigger must have an associated action for this alert to fire.",
+                code="invalid",
+            )
+        ]
 
     def test_invalid_projects(self):
         with self.feature("organizations:incidents"):
@@ -1009,7 +1012,15 @@ def test_no_owner(self):
             "name": "JustATestRule",
             "resolveThreshold": 100,
             "thresholdType": 1,
-            "triggers": [{"label": "critical", "alertThreshold": 75}],
+            "triggers": [
+                {
+                    "label": "critical",
+                    "alertThreshold": 75,
+                    "actions": [
+                        {"type": "email", "targetType": "team", "targetIdentifier": self.team.id}
+                    ],
+                }
+            ],
         }
 
         with self.feature("organizations:incidents"):