Sweet, savory, deep-fried: State Fair announces 33 semifinalists for Big Tex Awards

The dishes are savory or sweet, with a wide assortment of styles including everything from slow-cooked barbecue, to spicy Cajun, to all-American.

And several of the food items, of course, are deep-fried.

Organizers of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas on Friday announced the 33 delectable savory snacks and sweet treats that have made the semifinals of the 15th annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition. The awards show, which will feature 10 finalists, is set to be held Aug. 25, about a month before the fair.

A panel of judges narrowed down 49 entries to the 33 semifinalists, the State Fair said in a press release. They were only analyzing the submissions based on the name of the food item and an explanation of the concept.

The list of entries features innovative dishes that play with more traditional offerings:

Savory

• BBQ Pork Rangoons
• Cajun Crab Bombs
• Calypso Island Shrimp Bowl
• Chicks in a Cone
• Deep Fried Chicken Cordon Bleu Stuffed Waffles
• Deep Fried Mexican Mole
• Deep Fried Street Corn
• Deep Fried Texican
• Fried Burnt End Burrito
• Fry Rub & Rye
• Good Ole Creole Boudin Egg Roll with Pepper Jack Cheese
• Loaded Baked Potato Funnel Cake
• PB&J Bacon Pickle Dog

• Pig in a Cannoli

• Southern Fried Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Ball
• Stokin-Smokin Cowboy’s Bacon and Brisket Egg Roll
• Stuffed Fried Mexi-Cone
• Texas Cream Corn Casserole Fritters
• Texas Fried Fritos Pie Burrito Dog
• The “Ain’t No Lie it’s Fried” Steak

Sweet

• Big Red Chicken Bread
• Champagne Jell-O Hot Shot
• Deep Fried Bayou Fruit Bites
• Deep Fried CRACKER JACK
• Deep Fried Energy Bites
• Deep Fried Nutella Custard Stuffed French Toast
• Extreme Fried Bananarama
• Fla’Mango Tango
• Fried Crème Brulee Berry Crunch
• Fried Oreo Gelato Pop
• Fried Southern Bourbon Bread Pudding
• Peanut Butter Cup Snookie
• Quick Fried “Black Gold” Truffles

To enter the competition, individuals had to have at least one year of experience as a concessionaire at the State Fair of Texas, according to the release. The contest began accepting submissions in mid-July.

The second round of judging will begin over the next several weeks, and judges will taste the dishes this time, the State Fair said. The competition, from start to finish, imposes “blind-tasting,” in which judges don’t know which vendor is behind which recipe.

Judges look for four factors in a dish, the State Fair said — uniqueness, presentation, creativity and taste. They also try to determine which dishes could become a hit at the fair.

The top 10 entries are expected to be announced in mid-August and will compete in the live final at 2 p.m. on Aug. 25. The event is set to be held in the Tower Building at Fair Park in Dallas.

Tickets to view the competition and taste the entries are available online at BigTex.com for $125, and there are a limited number of seats, according to the release. Proceeds go to the statewide Big Tex Scholarship Program for incoming college students.

The event sold out in 2018.

This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Sweet, savory, deep-fried: State Fair announces 33 semifinalists for Big Tex Awards."