Because Texas food traditions come from so many cultures, Texans are some of the most innovative people when it comes to food. Since 2005, the Big Tex Choice Awards contest has solidified the State Fair of Texas as the top Fair for great food creations. Each year, State Fair concessionaires fry up tasty and unique foods for a chance to become a finalist.
Here are the 2018 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists… Head on over to try something new this year!
1 | Arroz con Leche (Sweet Crispy Rice)
A delectable cinnamon-spiced rice ball is formed, battered and coated in crispy puffed rice cereal. The ball is then deep fried to golden perfection
2 | Cotton Candy Taco
This is what happens when you take a graham cracker taco shell, coat the inside with marshmallow glaze, and then stuff it with chocolate, toasted marshmallow and cotton candy. S’mores heaven!
3 | Fernie’s Orange You Glad We Fried It?!
Layers of moist chiffon orange cake, whipped cream and orange preserves are blended to form a refreshing filling, which is spooned into flaky puff pastry dough and sealed with a pastry crimper.
4 | State Fair Fun-L Cake Ice Cream
This dish captures the essence and flavor of a funnel cake and combines it with the smoothness of ice cream.
5 | Sweet Bakin’ Bacon
A cream-filled sponge cake is wrapped in savory bacon and then dipped in a funnel cake batter. The treat is deep fried until golden brown and dusted with powdered sugar to finish.
6 | Deep Fried Shepherd’s Pie
First, they create mashed potato pillows mixed with shredded cheddar cheese. Then, each potato ball is filled with Grandma’s shepherd’s pie filling made of ground beef, mixed vegetables and rich beef gravy.
7 | Deep Fried Skillet Potato Melt in a Boat
This is a tater tot on steroids! Golden brown potatoes and griddled breakfast sausage patties packed around a mini Babybel® cheese loaf! A sour cream chipotle sauce is drizzled across the top!
8 | Fernie’s Hoppin’ John Cake with Jackpot Sauce
The Southern New Year’s Eve “good luck” dish of black-eyes peas, white rice, spicy smoked sausage and green onions takes a dip in the deep fryer for a unique and mouthwatering spin!
9 | Texas Fried Hill Country
The best of the Texas Hill Country—fried mozzarella and locally-grown basil, sandwiched between two slices of juicy green tomatoes and hand-breaded with seasoned breadcrumbs.
10 | Texas Twang-kie
This cornbread cake is baked to perfection, hollowed out and filled with a culinary masterpiece of Tex-Mex grilled chicken white bean chili!
