Savory and sweet fair food creations are once again competing for the Texas-sized honor of a Big Tex Choice Award at the State Fair of Texas.
This year's finalists have been narrowed down from 24 semi-finalists to feature five savory and five sweet items.
The Big Tex Choice Awards have been held at the State Fair since 2005. Each year, concessionaires create unique and tasty foods and compete for a chance to become a finalist in the annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition. Fairgoers will have the opportunity to sample these winning creations when the fair arrives in Dallas on Sept. 27.
The contenders will now advance to the main event at the State Fair where they will compete for one of three winning titles: “Best Taste – Savory,” “Best Taste – Sweet,” and “Most Creative.”
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2024 Savory Finalists
The Dominican Fritura Dog takes a classic fair food up a notch. Starting with fritura cheese and Dominican salami the dog is then double deep-fried, split open, then topped with garlic plantain chips and top-secret Dominican sauce, this dog brings an explosion of flavor.
These taquitos are getting the works. The Drowning Taquitos are served in a cup with tangy cream sauce, jalapeño, guacamole salsa, shredded lettuce, avocado, tomatillo, pico, and Cotija cheese.
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Hippie Chips promises to deliver “every flavor profile." Topped with your choice of zesty homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, then sprinkled with bacon, fresh green onion and a drizzle of sriracha. These potato chip nachos are far out.
Authentic Nashville hot chicken and pimento cheese are rolled into a ball and then fired in pancake batter to create Hot Chick-In-Pancake Poppers. They’re savory, they’re sweet, and they’re easy to eat.
Texans love BBQ and they're sure to love the Texas Fired Burnt End Bombs. Mouthwatering brisket is wrapped with shredded potatoes, bacon and cheese before it's deep-fried and topped with raspberry chipotle barbeque glaze for a touch of sweetness.
2024 Sweet Finalists
If you take a classic nutty bar and add a toasted marshmallow, two ores, strawberry sauce and freeze-dried strawberry you get a Nevins Nutty Bar-Laska. “It’s on a stick! What’s more Fair food than that?” said Josey Nevins-Mayes, co-creator of the dessert.
Sweet and savory come to life with Russo's Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick. A thick, 12-inch piece of bacon is wrapped in cotton candy and cooked to perfection with a torch to caramelize the center.
Inspired by childhood nostalgia and New Orleans beignets, the Strawberry Pop-Tarts® Beignetffle will speak to your inner child. The fluffy beignet and crispy waffle is topped with homemade strawberry filling, a sweet vanilla icing drizzle, fresh whipped cream and some sprinkles.
Do pickles make everything better? The Texas Sugar Rush Pickles add something sweet to the salty snack. The cotton candy-flavored pickle slices are coated in three cereal varieties and then layered in cotton candy, cotton candy sugar crystals, and powdered sugar before being drizzled with strawberry sundae syrup. Then they are served with vanilla ice cream,
Get a taste of paradise with the Tropical Two-Step Punch. The punch marinates fruits like citrus, passionfruit, and mango overnight to create a crisp cooler.
