We're only 85 days away from the State Fair of Texas, and the concessionaires are already planning outrageous new food combos. The 18th Annual Big Tex® Choice Awards have named 36 semi-finalists. Comprised of 19 savory and 17 sweet entries, the contenders will compete in three categories: “Best Taste–Savory,” “Best Taste–Sweet,” and “Most Creative.” Below are the dishes that are currently in the running.
SAVORY
Bayou Bowl
We take our three-cheese macaroni and top it with shrimp and lump crab after being cooked to perfection in garlic scampi butter. Then, we drizzle this culinary creation with a mouth-watering cajun cream sauce, accompanied by a piece of succulent andouille sausage and a side of perfectly toasted French bread to sop up all the Cajun goodness.
Cajun Lobster Bisque Croquettes
Our Cajun Lobster Bisque Croquettes are lightly seasoned potato balls filled with a mixture of rich lobster meat and creamy brie cheese. They are then fried golden brown. Three generous croquettes are served with a side of our Cajun lobster bisque for dipping. The whole order is topped off with our Cajun seasoning.
Chicharron Explosion Nachos
Fresh pork rinds are fried to a golden crispy crunch and then seasoned with Cajun-style spices. Next, we spread smoked beef fajita meat all over the crispy nachos and cover them with delectable freshly made queso. We then top these chicharron nachos with a full serving of savory chopped beef barbeque.
Crispy Dilly Dog
We take a juicy dill pickle, core it, and fill it with an all-beef hotdog. The creation is dipped in freshly made corndog batter. We roll it in perfectly seasoned breadcrumbs and then fry it to a golden crisp. Once out of the fryer we drizzle zesty chipotle mayo.
Deep Fried B.L.T.
Crispy bacon is folded into a 12” tortilla along with a heaping pile of shredded cheddar cheese to bind all the corners. The rectangle-shaped tortilla gets dunked into the deep fryer, just long enough to get a golden-brown crunch and a melted bliss of cheddar and bacon. We then use that deep-fried goodness as our sandwich bread by cutting it in half and layering cool crisp lettuce, two juicy red tomato slices, and mayonnaise in between. Finally, we pair it with fresh-cut garlic parmesan chips!
Deep Fried Brisket Cheese Sticks
We collaborated with our cousins in Sicily to create this Texan-Italian fusion dish. We take classic mozzarella and dress it with slow-smoked chopped brisket. Then, we dip it in an egg wash, dredge it with the family’s secret seasoned breading and drop it in the fryer. To finish, we dust them with grated parmesan and serve them with our savory smoked marinara dipping sauce.
Deep Fried Lasagna Roll
Our ribbon pasta is covered with the perfect mixture of ricotta, parmesan, provolone, and fresh mozzarella cheeses, then topped with our amazing homemade meat sauce. Next, we add more cheese and delicately hand roll the pasta creating delicious layers of flavor. The lasagna roll is dipped in a cheddar and herb batter and fried golden brown, creating a crispy yet flaky crust. We then garnish the roll with a touch of marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. Served with a side of Deep Fried Zucchini Fries.
Deep Fried Texas Country Cookout
We start with a healthy serving of well-seasoned pulled pork, then mix in a generous amount of herbed goat cheese and homemade special sauce. Our tasty Texas-sized patty is then coated in breadcrumbs to give it just the right amount of crunch in every bite. To finish, we place a dollop of coleslaw and potato salad on top of this deep-fried masterpiece, drizzled with sweet homemade jalapeño BBQ sauce!
Dim Sum Loco Burritos
Traditional Tex-Mex flavors of smoked shredded pork, lightly fried diced potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and mildly spicy, super melty pepper jack cheese are rolled burrito-style in egg roll wrappers and deep-fried to a crunchy golden brown. The flavors are complex and loaded with umami with lingering flavors of cumin and chipotle. These burritos are then served with charred beer-battered sweet, smoky Shishito peppers and a thin, salty meaty broth garnished with cilantro and diced green onions as a dip for both. Each dish comes with a fortunate cookie, is decorated with a Texas flag, and served in a food tray lined with fiesta tissue to celebrate all the cultures coming together in this one spectacular dish.
Fried Charcuterie Board
Chopped-up fresh mozzarella, salami, and crisp green apples are tossed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Italian herbs. Then we wrap the ingredients in a wonton wrapper and fry it to a golden crisp, topped with creamy goat cheese and a drizzle of hot honey.
Related
Fried Soul Food Eggroll
An eggroll is filled with tender, barbecue-flavored marinated chicken and combined with grandma's old-school flavored collard greens and mac 'n cheese. The eggroll is then deep fried to golden perfection and topped with a fusion sauce bringing together Southern and Asian flavors that perfectly complement the dish.
Holy Biscuit
This perfectly cooked golden-brown biscuit is stacked with our slow-smoked shredded brisket and ladle fire-roasted street corn queso on top. Then, we add thick-cut bacon drizzled with Texas honey with a little bit of kick. The masterpiece is complete when we top this incredible biscuit off with crispy pickle French fries.
Shaking Beef Salad
Shaking Beef is a French-inspired Vietnamese dish, we take beef and cut it into small cubes – the size of playing dice – before sautéing. We then mix in cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pepper, and soy sauce, into the skillet.
Southern Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie Waffles Sliders
Come indulge in our new Southern Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie Waffles Slider. This curated twist incorporates a crispy fried chicken filet sandwiched between sweet, thick, and fluffy Belgian waffles stuffed with our heirloom sweet potato pie recipe, which has been handed down three generations. The waffles' extra deep pockets absorb the warm buttery maple sweet syrups after it is topped with crispy, savory bacon.
Texas Hot Bull Ride
We took shrimp and battered it up with a special Texas seasoning. Then, it was tossed in our hot and smoky with a smidgen of sweet special sauce. To cool its heels a little, we served up a side of zesty ranch dressing.
Texas Ranch Hog Wings
We take fall-off-the-bone pork and season it with our secret blend of spicy ranch salt. Then, we drizzle the creation with our special homemade sauce and garnish it with fresh green chives.
Texas Slide
We create slider buns out of waffles. Then, we fill the slider with chicken and steak and add sauteed bell peppers, onions, provolone cheese, and a secret sauce. To finish it off, the sliders come with syrup.
Texas Twosome
Two Texas favorites collide. Texas grilled cheese meets Mexico’s Pepper Belly, also known as FRITO pie. We grill Texas toast and add a thick layer of American cheese, stacked high with Fritos, chili, and jalapeños. It has enough cheese to make Wisconsin jealous.
Turkey Leg Taquito
We shred a turkey leg and blend the mixture with cheese, bacon, and jalapeños. Then, we wrap the mixture around a tortilla and deep fry it. The creation is then served with a side of chips, queso, BBQ hot sauce, and Texas Hot Sauce.
SWEET
Cha-Cha Chata
We have the milkshake inspired by the cha-cha dance. Our recipe starts with a triple-step of two kinds of milk and vanilla ice cream blended to perfection with our family’s top-secret (but famously delicious) horchata recipe. The creamy drink is then poured into a cup rimmed with caramel and cinnamon goodness and topped with a Texas-sized dollop of whipped topping. To bring even more flavor to your tastebuds, we dust our Cha-Cha Chata with crushed candy, a sprinkle of cinnamon galletas de gragega, and deep-fried arroz con leche bites. Take hold of the churro straw and take a sip.
Crunchberry® Shortcake
Large fresh strawberries are dipped in our thick, rich shortcake batter and fried until golden brown. Each strawberry is its own little shortcake! These soft, sweet strawberry pillows are served with a generous portion of whipped cream for dipping and crowned with a drizzle of strawberry syrup and – you guessed it, topped with Cap'n Crunch Crunchberries®! The result is a soft, sweet, creamy bite with a punch and some crunch!
Deep Fried Buc-ee’s®
Buc-ee’s® holds a special place in the heart of every Texan, so we’re taking their number-one selling snack, Beaver Nuggets®, to the next level… deep-fried. This delicious sweet and crunchy snack is woven into a batter then deep-fried to perfection, dusted with powdered sugar, and drizzled with silky caramel topping and Beaver Nugget sprinkles.
Deep Fried Honey
Raw and all-natural Texas honey is wrapped and deep fried, producing a perfect caramelized honey treat. The creation is then topped with powdered sugar, our own cinnamon sugar concoction, and of course raw Texas honey from Texas’ own Rescue Bee Ranch for a dessert that’s as sweet as can bee!
Deep Fried Praline Cheesecake Eggroll
A rich and creamy praline cheesecake filling is wrapped in an eggroll wrapper, then deep-fried to golden perfection. We take the eggroll and drizzle it in our delicious homemade praline sauce, and top with candied praline pecan crumbles!
Deep Fried Rocky Road with Blue Bell Ice Cream®
Rocky Road Kettle Fresh Fudge is coated with fluffy, lightly sweetened batter and deep-fried to perfection, stacked high, and drizzled with chocolate syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Mini marshmallows and chopped cinnamon glazed nuts are sprinkled atop with powdered sugar. The dish is accompanied by a single-serve Blue Bell Ice Cream® Homemade Vanilla ice cream cup.
Deep Fried Southern Dessert Dumplings
These delightfully indulgent dumplings are a mashup of two southern favorites, sweet potato and pecan pie with a twist! Actual pieces of sweet potato and pecan pie – including the crust – combined with morsels of dark chocolate are folded into a won-ton wrap, deep-fried, and dusted with powdered sugar. Like any good dumpling, we serve them with a special sauce, our homemade rum-raspberry chipotle dipping sauce.
Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Roll
Our crazy delicious Deep Fried Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Roll is dipped into our homemade pink waffle batter infused with strawberry purée and fried to perfection. We drizzle the top with cream cheese icing and cover it with our addictive strawberry crunch – consisting of vanilla Oreo cookies, strawberry JELLO mix, and melted butter. Then we carefully dust the crunch roll with confection sugar and garnish it with a fresh strawberry.
Doh-Muff
We take a yeast doughnut stuffed with Bavarian cream and coat it in banana nut muffin batter. Then, we drop the doughnut into the fryer. Once it’s deep fried to that perfect golden crisp, we top the creation with pecan butter glaze, fresh bananas, and strawberries.
Fat Elvis
This starts with a blend of creamy peanut butter and strawberry jelly whisked together. We take a warm out-of-the-oven biscuit and spread a thick coat of peanut butter and jelly onto the biscuit. We layer delicious marshmallow fluff and fire toast it just for a second to give it a golden-brown campfire taste. As thick-cut juicy bacon comes off the griddle, it finds its home on top of the marshmallow fluff. At the same time, the fried plantain bananas are coming out of the fryer caramelized and ready to complete this delicious decadent food experience.
Fried Texas Fruit Salad
We combine chopped cinnamon apples, tart cherries, and luscious peaches with strawberry cream cheese. We then add just a touch of candied jalapeños (the unofficial fruit of Texas) to provide a hint of sweetened zing. All this yummy goodness is balled and rolled in a crunchy batter to excite your tastebuds, then deep-fried to a beautiful golden finish. Lastly, the spheres are dusted with finely ground cocoa caramel and a powdered sugar mix, then topped off with a drizzle of in-house almond icing for a heavenly Texas taste experience.
La Bluebonnet
This decadent drink is inspired by our iconic Texas bluebonnets which have served as a natural photo backdrop for many memorable life moments. Freshly squeezed citrus juices and blueberries are folded into a sugary base and then shaken well to achieve the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Then, we pour it over refreshing ice and top with an optional lemon-mint-berry twist.
Peanut Butter Paradise
Our Peanut Butter Paradise starts with deep-frying a honey bun. Then, we inject caramel into the honey bun and top it with creamy peanut butter. We continue to layer the treat with some fan-favorite peanut butter treats, Reese's Pieces, Crushed Butterfinger crumbles, topped off with peanut butter cups, drizzled caramel, and a cloud of powder sugar.
Raspberry Chipotle Sopapilla Cheesecake
Sweet raspberries and spicy chipotle are blended with cream cheese to create a sweet treat with Texas heat. Spicy cream cheese filling is topped with our homemade sweet raspberry glaze, topped with a crispy buttery sugar-coated crust. Served with a drizzle of raspberry compote, whipped topping, and chopped pecans, with candied jalapeños available upon request.
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Cookie Dough Balls
We start with a made-from-scratch chocolate chip cookie dough and roll it up into a ball. Then, we wrap these cookie dough balls in a generous slice of bacon and smoke the spheres. Served with a smoked chocolate dipping sauce, this dessert takes a love of cookie dough to the next level.
The Ultimate Brookie Monster
The Ultimate Brookie Monster starts with crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookies, layered with Oreos and marshmallows. Then, the creation is covered in triple-chocolate brownie batter and baked together into a super brookie. The fun begins when we batter and deep fry the super brookie, shower it in powdered sugar, and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To finish, we top it with cheesecake crumbles and strawberry sauce.
Triple Lemon Bliss
This creamy, tart pastry is a zesty, refreshing treat for your taste buds. We start by giving delicate, sweet ladyfingers a quick flash fry, creating two ultra-light and crispy cookies to sandwich two distinct layers of lemony goodness. Then, we add a layer of fragrant lemon bars that have been gently folded, ensuring each bite will have alternating flavors of the buttery, crumbly shortbread and tangy, sweet lemon curd. Next, we add a layer of moist, light, citrusy lemon pound cake and finish by topping with the other ladyfinger with a layer of rich, mouth-watering lemon cream cheese filling. It is garnished with lemon candies for that extra lemon crunch.
Over the next several weeks, the second round of preliminary judging will begin, and by mid-August, the finalists will be announced. The top 10 entries will compete in the final round at this year’s Big Tex Choice Awards ceremony. Even if the dish doesn’t make it to the main event, concessionaires can still introduce their food at their stand as a “new food”.
Start planning your visit to the 2022 State Fair of Texas now at BigTex.com/Plan. The Fair opens on Friday, September 30, and runs through Sunday, October 23, 2022.
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