2025 Big Tex Choice Awards winners include 4 unique fair foods

article

DALLAS - The winners of this year’s Big Tex Choice Awards include crab and mozzarella rice balls, a fruity shaved sorbet dessert, a cookie milkshake, and deviled egg wagyu bacon cheeseburger sliders. 

2025 Big Tex Choice Awards Winners

Check out this year's Big Tex Choice Awards finalists

Believe it or not, the State Fair of Texas is just over six weeks away. Today, the finalists for this year's Big Tex Choice Awards were announced, including five entries in a new drink category. FOX 4's Peyton May interviewed several of the creators.

What we know:

After tasting 15 fair food finalists, a panel of judges on Thursday selected four winners.

This year’s winners include: 

• Best Taste – Savory: Crab & Mozzarella Arancini by Stefan T. Nedwetzky
• Best Taste – Sweet: Chill & Thrill Delight by Tony & Terry Bednar
• Best Taste – Sipper: Cookie Chaos Milkshake by Brad Weiss
• Most Creative: Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders by Kendall Williams

Best Savory: Crab & Mozzarella Arancini 

The Crab & Mozzarella Arancini is described as a "handcrafted with an irresistible blend of premium Maryland Blue Crab meat, white rice, mozzarella cheese, spring onion, red bell pepper, lemon, and black pepper. Each rice ball is delicately seasoned with aromatic herbs including garlic, coriander, and basil. They are dipped in a crunchy breadcrumb coating, then deep fried to a golden, crispy finish. Handmade in small batches to ensure the highest quality! Served with a side of our homemade marinara sauce."

Best Sweet: Chill & Thrill Delight 

The Chill & Thrill Delight is a sweet treat that’s described as " a vibrant, refreshing twist on Colombia’s famous Salpicon de Frutas that is perfect for a warm day at the State Fair. A Texas-sized cup is packed with juicy, diced mango, pineapple, watermelon, grapes, cantaloupe, and strawberries, all soaked in fresh watermelon juice with a splash of lime. It’s topped with a handcrafted shaved mango sorbet that slowly melts into the mix for a sweet, tangy fusion. Whether you're cooling off or chasing bold flavors, this fruity treat is sure to thrill!"

Best Drink: Cookie Chaos Milkshake 

The Cookie Chaos Milkshake "is what cookie dreams are made of! A rich, creamy, cookie butter milkshake loaded with snickerdoodle chunks, Golden Oreo® Cookies, and classic Oreo® Cookies for the ultimate cookie explosion. We top it with a fluffy swirl of whipped cream, a scoop of edible cookie butter cookie dough, a perfectly perched Biscoff® cookie, and a cookie butter drizzle that ties it all together. Finished with a rim coated in crushed Biscoff ® cookie pieces for that extra crunch in every sip, the Cookie Chaos Milkshake is sweet, spiced, and unapologetically over the top."  

Tasting Big Tex Award winner: Cookie Chaos Milkshake

The moment Brandon has been waiting for... Brad Weiss, Big Tex Award winner of 'Best Taste - Sipper', joined Good Day so the talent team could try his family's iconic milkshake.

Most Creative: Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders 

The Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Slider is described as the juiciest, most flavor-packed burger slider ever. It starts with "a Cajun-seasoned Wagyu patty, topped with aged cheddar and crispy applewood bacon. The twist? Instead of a bun, it’s sandwiched between two deep fried, panko-crusted deviled egg halves—crispy outside, creamy and tangy inside. Served with a house-made ketchup-inspired sauce, it’s a bold, one-of-a-kind bite you have to try at this year’s Fair!"

When is the State Fair of Texas?

The 2025 State Fair of Texas, themed "Texas Shines Bright," will open on Friday, Sept. 26, and run through Sunday, Oct. 19. Tickets are now available for purchase.