Crab, fried deviled egg sliders, more: See 2025 Big Tex Choice Awards winners
Editor’s note: The above video is from 2023.
Asian corn dogs, Dubai chocolate desserts and many-a-margarita will grace Texans’ tastebuds in about a month. Is your mouth watering yet?
It’s that time of the year again for the Texas State Fair, which will be from Sept. 26 until Oct. 19. And though there are carnival games, live music and rodeos, the food is the true crown jewel.
For the last 20 years the State Fair has put on The Big Tex Choice Awards to determine the best of the best food to serve fair-goers. There are awards in four categories– best taste for savory, best taste for sweet, best taste for a sipper and most creative. Judges evaluate based on uniqueness, creativity, presentation and taste.
The Big Tex Choice Awards has made the Texas State Fair’s food scene one of the best in the country. Beside the staple Fletcher’s corny dogs and turkey legs, Big Tex has awarded iconic dishes like fried butter and even fried beer.
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Over the last few weeks, 76 entries were condensed to 30 semifinalists and 15 finalists for the Big Tex Choice Awards. In the final round, four winners took home the trophy and will be heavily advertised at the Texas State Fair. The other finalists will still be available for purchase by customers at the fair.
Last year, the big winners were a Dominican Fritura dog, cotton candy bacon on a stick and sugary pickles.
Here’s a look at 2025’s Big Tex Choice Awards winners.
Best Taste Savory:
The crab and mozzarella arancini include Maryland blue crab meat, white rice with herbs, mozzarella coated in Italian breadcrumbs and served with marinara sauce.
Guest judge and food influencer, Keandre Hopkins gives this dish a 9 out of 10. And Marissa Allen, guest judge and owner of Cookie Society, says: “I don’t even like crab much but this is crazy.”
Judges noted this small bite as a good shareable item.
Best Taste Sweet:
The chill and thrill delight has diced mango, pineapple, watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe and strawberries soaked in watermelon juice and lime, then topped with shaved a mango sorbet. This dessert is a twist on Columbia’s Salpicón de Frutas (Colombian Fruit Cocktail).
Hopkins was practically speechless, saying it mends well and it’s really good.
Alex Snodgrass, guest judge and founder of sidedish, says it’s perfect for a hot, Texas day.
“It’s so fresh to the point that you can convince yourself it’s healthy,” said Chris Meyers, guest judge and general manager of Karbach Brewing Company.
Best Taste Sipper:
The cookie chaos milkshake is a milkshake with snickerdoodle chunks, classic Oreos and golden oreos, topped with whipped cream, cookie butter cookie dough and cookie butter drizzle.
“This is amazing, if you are team move over Oreo, you’ll love this any day,” says Marissa Allen, guest judge and founder of Cookie Society.
All judges loved the consistency of the shake.
Hopkins added, “you know its a good milkshake when you’re sucking so hard it closes up the straw.”
Most Creative:
The Wagyu bacon cheeseburger deviled eggs slider has Cajun seasoned Wagyu patty, melted aged cheddar and applewood bacon. The twist is instead of a bun, it’s sandwiched between deep fried deviled eggs.
This slider shocked judges with its creativity.
“This dish is the king of texture with crunch, soft, crunchy, soft,” said Meyers. Hopkins says he’ll need about ten of these.
“It’s all what the Texas State Fair is about: trying something where you might now even know what it is. I love this one,” said Snodgrass.
The other Big Tex Choice Awards finalists
Sipper finalists
The coconut quadruple is a whole, fresh coconut filled with coconut slushy and topped with coconut ice-cream and coconut flakes. “If you like coconut, you will love this,” says Allen.
Judges love that coconut brings a different flavor to typical Texas State Fair staples.
The poppin boba-rita has frozen fresh wine infused boba pearls in a fresh margarita. You can add a shot of creamy coconut liquor to make it dirty.
“Maybe I like boba now,” says Snodgrass.
“The boba pops offsets the sweetness of the margarita,” says Meyers.
The hot honeycomb lemonade shake up is fresh squeezed lemonade with jalapenos, fresh honeycomb in a tajin-rimmed cup. This comes both non-alcoholic or alcoholic.
“Reminds me of a fresher, spicy margarita,” says Meyers. Judges overall note is refreshing and think it should be paired with tequila or vodka.
Snodgrass and Allen also advise that it is not too spicy.
The dirty Red Bull Tex-arita has sweet cream liquor, blue raspberry pop rocks, juicy watermelon Red Bull margarita and blueberry Red Bull margarita then topped with blue raspberry Poprocks, blueberry and watermelon. “If you need some wings at the Texas State Fair, this will give it you,” says Alex.
Hopkins says it tastes like a snow cone.
Jeff Allen, a guest judge and also owner of Cookie Society, notes that it reminds him of his college days.
Sweet finalists
The candy lemon sour face is a frozen, candy dipped lemon with sweet and sour candies. Judges noted this treat is great for kids because it tastes like starburst and skittles candy.
“It’s refreshing and perfect for the end of your fair visit,” says Allen.
The Dubai chocolate cheesecake has Belgian chocolate, pistachio spread and tahini with New York style cheesecake then drizzled with more chocolate, pistachio cream and crunchy kataifi and pistachios. Allen says it tastes like a deconstructed Dubai chocolate bar and she loves the pistachios.
“This is heavenly,” according to Meyers.
The Dubai chocolate funnel cake fries are fried funnel cake strips, drizzled with milk chocolate and pistachio cream then sprinkled with kataifi pieces.
Judges say this is a great way to elevate funnel cake.
“More chocolate than pistachio where the Dubai cheesecake is more pistachio than chocolate,” says Allen.
The Texas toast a la mode consists of French toast topped with Bluebell vanilla ice-cream, drizzled with caramel and maple syrup, and finally sprinkled with cinnamon cereal. Jeff Allen says it’s like a warm hug.
Judges note you need to eat it fast because the ice-cream melts however it works because it all melds together.
Hopkins says it’s a heavy dessert but it works perfectly.
Savory finalists
The brisket and brew stuffed pretzels are stuffed with smokey brisket and warm cheesy sauce.
Meyer was surprised with how much brisket is stuffed in. Snodgrass said the bite was “smokey and I love the amount of cheese, didn’t even need a side.”
The Vietnamese crunch dog is a corn dog with Asian flavors. Marinated meat is wrapped in corn dog batter and then coated in panko and banh mi crumbs and finally deep fried and drizzled with siracha mayo and served with pickled veggies.
Judges loved the ode to the classic corn dog but noted a lot of breading.
Meyers suggests adding pickled veggies in the bite to balance flavor.
The deep fried deli tacos have a fusion of peppery pastrami, mashed potatoes, cheese and chives in a corn tortilla and then deep fried served with a green sauce.
“It’s a fusion of things that don’t normally go together but it works,” says Meyer.
Judges noted this one was spicy for those who love a little kick.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 5:26 PM.