Fried Bacon Cheeseburgers, Chocolate Bacon And More Outrageous 2015 State Fair Foods.
Our attention pretty instinctively goes to the head-turning, brightly colored concoctions that come out of the Big Tex Choice Awards each State Fair of Texas season. So it's pretty easy for the rest of the options offered up at the fair each year to fly under the radar.
That only makes sense, though. Things like Deep-Fried Lobsters and Smoky Bacon Margaritas are pretty hard to ignore.
But, just like the award winners themselves, the other featured foods are a way to showcase culinary innovation by taking classic fair foods up a notch, Texas-style. And this year's non-award-winning options are especially interesting as far as setting a standard for gut-busting creativity.
Below, let's take a look at these items, along with their official descriptions, courtesy of the State Fair. Then, when the fair opens on September 25, we indulge.
Fried Tailgate Party. “This fried treat will be loaded with our all-time favorite tailgate foods (baby back ribs, pulled pork, chicken wings, grilled burger, and cheese stuffed with jalapeño, wrapped in bacon, grilled sausage) stuffed inside biscuit dough and deep fried. A flaky crunch will release a meat-lovers delight to the palate. Served in your favorite team's colored paper, stuck with toothpicks of their emblem. Texas, O.U., Grambling, and Prairie View served with chipotle ranch or barbeque sauce for dipping.”
Fried Kettle Corn. “A classic fair food just begging to be deep fried. Homemade kettle corn is formed into old- fashioned popcorn balls, dipped in pancake batter and fried until golden brown. Then each ball is topped with salted caramel sauce for a sweet, salty, crunchy experience like none other.”
Coco-Rita “Fresh whole young coconut with a cut off top, emptied out and filled with either frozen strawberry margarita or piña colada margarita. It's complemented with a straw, umbrella and a spoon.”
Fried East Texas Sausage & Cheese on a Stick. “Beer battered sausage and cheddar cheese with a touch of jalapeños, fried to a golden brown on a stick.”
Fried Flan Cake. “The decadence of homemade chocolate cake is baked over a creamy caramel flan, before being battered and fried to deep golden perfection. This moist confection is crowned with whipped cream and a delightful caramel sauce that will make your mother proud.”
Milk Chocolate Bacon on a Stick. “Quarter pound of bacon threaded on a wooden skewer, deep fried, finished on the grill dipped in cacao milk chocolate.”
Laredo Dumpling. “Tasty ground beef seasoned with delicious Mexican spices, wrapped in an Asian dumpling and fried to perfection. It's served with fresh pico de gallo, sour cream, salsa or our smooth creamy cheese sauce.”
Machete. “The flavor of Mexico will cut you with our delicious Machetes. Our Machete is a handmade, extra-long corn tortilla fried and stuffed with melted cheese and your choice of meat (pork, spicy chicken, and ground beef).”
Pulled Pork Mash. “Enjoy a delicious barbecue meal served in a convenient see-thru cup, without all the mess! Walk, talk, scoop and eat the savory, tender, juicy, and spiced to perfection pulled pork combined with equal layers of buttery mashed potatoes and a pickle slice of choice (dill or banana pickle) to top off the satisfying and scrumptiously presented meal with a fork for scooping.”
Texas Fried Bacon Jalapeño Bites. “Fresh crisp jalapeños combined with apple smoked bacon, cream cheese, spicy sausage and ages parmesan surrounded with jalapeño bread crumbs and fried to a crispy perfection. Served with a jalapeno lime ranch sauce.”
Tropical Shrimp Kabob. “Tropical shrimp kabob with onion, pineapple and shrimp grilled to perfection with the perfect blend of island spices and tropical glaze to produce a succulent one of a kind taste.”
Pumpkin Spice Donut Chip. “It is a delicious deep fried crisp donut chip coated with our pumpkin spiced glaze that delivers a crunchy sweet bite. And if your sweet tooth is not yet bursting with excitement, the donut chip is served with a decadent scoop of ice cream smothered with our cinnamon candied maple bacon – the perfect fall treat!”
Texas Bull Horn. “Unique succulent beef and pork sausage infused with jalapeño and cheddar cheese, stuffed in a 360-degree fresh daily hand cut potato Nachos Dog. “Our large boat of Texas chips covered with cheddar cheese with a quarter pound all meat Texas frankfurter topped with Texas chili, salsa, jalapeños, with two scoops of sour cream decorated with a mini Texas state flag.”
The Ultimate Nachos Dog. “Our large boat of Texas chips covered with cheddar cheese with a quarter pound Texas frankfurter topped with Texas chili, salsa, Texas pulled pork BBQ, BBQ sauce, bacon pieces, jalapeños, with two scoops each of sour cream and guacamole, decorated with a mini Texas state flag.”
S'more Beer. “Imagine sitting around the campfire with an ice cold cup, trimmed with chocolate and graham cracker crumbs, and filled to the top with an imperial milk stout beer which has sweet caramel notes, a touch of vanilla and a thick rich milk chocolate head. Your pallet will be confused: Is this a beer or a taste of campfire s'mores? It's both — chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, a milk stout beer with a hint of caramel and vanilla and a rich chocolate balance, topped with a large marshmallow.”
Lemonade on a Stick. “Nothing is more refreshing than Freshly Squeezed Lemonade made with natural lemon juice. With its bold Texas size lemon flavor, this is the best lemonade in Texas.”
Texas Sweet Tea on a Stick. “This is a traditional Texas sweet tea recipe with a splash of zesty, lemony goodness. The best part is you can eat it!”
Deep-Fried Bacon Cheeseburger Basket. “Fresh American cheeseburger with chunky bacon, crispy French fries, hand battered onion rings, and homemade fry sauce, deep fried in a flour tortilla – chimichanga style – served with several awesome dipping sauces (spicy ketchup, scrumptious sauce or jalapeño ranch).”
Red Velvet Oreos. “Oreos are dipped in a red batter, fried to a golden brown and drizzled with a cream cheese icing.”
Cookie Dough Oreos. “Oreos are dipped in a chocolate batter, fried to a golden brown and drizzled with chocolate syrup and chocolate chips.”
Cotton Candy Oreos. “Oreos are dipped in pink and blue batter fried to a golden brown sprinkled with pink and blue candy sugar served with a side of cotton candy.”
Brisket Nachos. “Nachos smothered with smoky saucy brisket sandwich meat, drizzled with gooey good nacho cheese. Dress 'em with optional diced onion, fiery jalapeños and sour cream or picante sauce.”
Fried Pretzel Bites. “Deep fried pretzel piece cooked to a crispy golden brown and served with sweet and spicy seasoning, with cheese sauce or plain.”
shell, and deep fried on a stick. Now you can have your hot dog and fries in one hearty bite.”