Few things get us as excited as new state fair food. The state fair food scene is like the best jazz — wild and untamed, occupying the space between convention and chaos, held together with a single objective in mind: overloading the senses. State fairs are the venue of unhinged food experimentation, it’s what makes them such an addicting yearly tradition. As charming as the barkers and games on a good midway may be, the whole thing is really all about the food. And this year the state fair of Texas is rolling up with 14 new food items that are sure to overwhelm your taste-buds as only a Texas fair could!
We’ve picked the five most eye-catching and delicious sounding new options but definitely check out the full list if you can’t get enough. The State Fair of Texas opens in just eight days on September 28th and runs until October 21st. It’s the last major state fair of the year and one of the largest attended. So many people show up every year that they don’t even bother to count! Which sounds so very Texas of them, and we love it.
Fruity Dessert Nachos
Starting things off with a bang, we already have a synthesis here of two of the world’s greatest creations, nachos and the banana split. Thin and crispy butter cookies act as the tortilla chips, giving you the perfect vehicle to deliver fresh blueberries, strawberries, and bananas to your gaping maw. Ghirardelli chocolate sauce drizzle and whip cream tie it all together for the perfect anytime dessert.
The only thing that would make this more of an obvious state fair hit is if they found a way to deep fry the whole thing at once.
Pico Frito
State Fairs have really taken to the tradition of attempting to deep fry anything. Although Pico De Gallo isn’t particularly strange to deep fry, it’s still a little puzzling. This mix of tomatoes, cilantro, onions and jalapeños in an egg wrap paper is served with a cilantro dipping sauce. It’s basically a Mexican egg roll, without meat. Or… kinda like a chip and salsa done calzone style?
Either way, we’re for it.
King Crispy Coconut Crab Sliders
You’re going to need to set some room aside for this, it’s a straight up full meal. We wouldn’t blame you for calling it quits after eating the King Crispy Coconut Crab Sliders, but we also wouldn’t judge you for carrying on — it’s hard to choose with all the great food options this year. Served on the King’s Hawaiian bun, crispy coconut battered whole soft-shell crab is dressed in an Asian slaw and accompanied with a side of fried plantains.
It sounds as food-coma inducing as it looks and the play between the sweet attributes of the coconut, plantain, Hawaiian bread combo, mixed with the crispy and spicy qualities of the crab and wasabi-slaw are the type of taste-bud activating results we’ve come to expect from the most serious of the state fair food vendors.
Bacon Brittle
If you haven’t experienced bacon in a sweet context you’re truly missing out. The salty and savory qualities of bacon mix so perfectly with sugar that it’s hard to believe this candied option wasn’t a thing decades ago. Thick cut applewood bacon is flavored with bourbon and encased in the soft crunch of finely crafted homemade brittle. Smoky, sweet, and salty, this bacon brittle serves as the perfect easy-to-chomp midway snack.
Seeing bubbly families sharing bacon brittle is perhaps the best walk-and-eat fair image since dudes in jean shorts started strolling around gnawing on emu legs.
Southern Fried Chicken Nachos
Chicken nachos are already delicious, so these Southern fried chicken nachos feel like an absolute godsend. Golden brown southern fried chicken tenders are topped and garnished with pico de gallo and fresh cilantro over nacho cheese and tortilla chips. The absence of beans makes sense, as it would make an odd flavor pair with fried chicken, and the sight of nacho cheese feels very fair-ish in the best way possible.
