Meet the winners of the 2024 Big Tex Choice Awards

DALLAS – The State Fair of Texas is about a month away, and on Thursday fair officials announced the winners of the 20th annual Big Tex Choice Awards.

This year’s awards, a golden statue with Big Tex’s head on top, went to Dominican Fritura, Cotton Candy Bacon and Sugar Rush Pickles.

After the first round of judging, 10 savoury dishes and 14 sweet dishes were made it to the semifinals. At the beginning of the month it was narrowed There were only five finalists in the sweet category and five finalists in the savory category.

The winners were chosen in three categories: “Best Taste – Savory”, “Best Taste – Sweet” and “Most Creative”.

Karissa Condoianis, senior vice president of public relations for the State Fair of Texas, said there were 65 total entries this year. Entries ranged from Texas deep-fried burnt end bombs and an Oktoberfest pizza to frozen limoncello and cookie butter nachos.

The selection process for the competition was carried out by internal judges who tasted the dishes blind. The judges evaluated the dishes according to three criteria: appeal to trade fair visitors, creativity and taste.

The Texas State Fair starts on September 27th and runs until October 20th.

Winner of the Big Tex Choice Awards 2024: Most Creative

Sugar Rush Cucumbers

Winner of the Big Tex Choice Awards 2024: Best Taste – Savory

Dominican Fritura Dog

Big Tex Choice Awards 2024 Winner: Best Taste – Sweet

Cotton Candy Bacon

Big Tex Choice Awards 2024 Finalists: Best Taste – Savory

Dominican Fritura Dog

This double-fried dish starts with fritura cheese and Dominican salami, is sliced ​​and topped with garlic plantain chips, a top-secret Dominican sauce, and cilantro.

The drowning taquitos

Served in a cup, Drowning Taquitos are fresh, hand-rolled corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken and deep fried. The taquitos are then drowned in a spicy cream sauce, jalapeno, guacamole salsa, shredded lettuce, avocado, tomatillo, pico and cotija cheese.

Hippie Chips

These potato chip nachos are topped with bacon bits, fresh green onions, sriracha, your choice of homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, and blue cheese crumbs.

Spicy Chicken Pancake Poppers

This savory yet sweet treat is made with Nashville hot chicken and pimento cheese before being rolled into a ball, dipped in pancake batter, fried until golden brown, and then sprinkled with Sriracha honey and hot powdered sugar.

Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs

These bombs are made of beef brisket wrapped in grated potatoes, bacon and cheese, deep fried and covered in a raspberry BBQ glaze.

Big Tex Choice Awards 2024 Finalists: Best Taste – Sweet

Nevins Nutty Bar-laska

The classic nut bar is garnished with toasted marshmallows, two Oreos, strawberry sauce and freeze-dried strawberry pieces.

Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick

It’s exactly what the name suggests – a thick, 30cm long piece of bacon with a candy floss glaze on top. It’s then spun in a candy floss machine and caramelised with a tarte flambée.

Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignetfle

This sweet treat is a combination of a fluffy beignet and a crispy waffle, topped with homemade strawberry filling, sweet vanilla icing, fresh whipped cream and colorful sprinkles.

Texas Sugar Rush Cucumbers

These cotton candy flavored cucumber slices are coated in three different cereals – Lucky Charms, Froot Loops and Cap’n Crunch. They are then covered in cotton candy, cotton candy sugar crystals and powdered sugar before being drizzled with strawberry sundae syrup and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tropical two-step punch

This punch gives fairgoers a taste of paradise. It is marinated overnight with citrus, passion fruit and mango to create a crisp cooler that is fresh, tangy, sweet, sour and spicy. It is available in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.