Get your taste buds ready! We now know the winners of the 2025 Big Tex Choice Awards at the State Fair of Texas.

This year, the competition expanded to four categories, adding the "Sipper" category to the already established "Savory" and "Sweet" categories.

Without further ado… here are your winners.

2025 Savory Winner

• Crab & Mozzarella Arancini: Handcrafted rice balls made with Maryland Blue Crab, mozzarella, and herbs, then deep-fried and served with marinara.

2025 Sweet Winner

• Chill & Thrill Delight: A refreshing fruit cup filled with diced mango, pineapple, watermelon, and other fruits, soaked in watermelon juice and topped with shaved mango sorbet.

2025 Sipper Winner

• Cookie Chaos Milkshake: A rich, creamy cookie butter milkshake loaded with various cookies and topped with whipped cream and a Biscoff® cookie.

2025 Most Creative Winner

• Wagyu bacon cheeseburger deviled egg sliders: A Cajun-seasoned Wagyu patty with aged cheddar and bacon is sandwiched between two deep-fried, panko-crusted deviled egg halves.

This year's culinary competition started with 76 entries, the most ever, according to fair officials.

Since 2005, the Big Tex Choice Awards showcase the best and boldest foods in Texas, with some chefs spending years perfecting their recipes to be featured at the annual State Fair of Texas. 

Here's a look at the entries that were named as finalists in this year's competition.

2025 Savory Finalists

• Brisket & Brew Stuffed Pretzels: Tender, slow-smoked brisket is blended with beer cheese and wrapped in pretzel dough for an easy-to-eat snack.
• Crab & Mozzarella Arancini: Handcrafted rice balls made with Maryland Blue Crab, mozzarella, and herbs, then deep-fried and served with marinara.
• Deep Fried Deli Tacos: A fusion of New York deli and Dallas taqueria, these tacos are filled with pastrami, mashed potatoes, cheese, and chives, then deep-fried. They are served with a spicy green sauce.
• Vietnamese Crunch Dog: A new take on a corn dog, this one features marinated meat in a fluffy batter, coated in panko and bánh mì crumbs. It is topped with sriracha mayo and pickled vegetables.
• Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders: A Cajun-seasoned Wagyu patty with aged cheddar and bacon is sandwiched between two deep-fried, panko-crusted deviled egg halves.

2025 Sweet Finalists

• Candy Lemon Sour Face: A candy-dipped lemon with a sweet and sour kick that delivers a burst of flavor.
• Chill & Thrill Delight: A refreshing fruit cup filled with diced mango, pineapple, watermelon, and other fruits, soaked in watermelon juice and topped with shaved mango sorbet.
• Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake: A decadent cup with layers of Belgian chocolate, pistachio spread, and chunks of New York-style cheesecake. It is topped with chocolate drizzle and crushed pistachios.
• Rousso's Dubai Chocolate Funnel Cake Fries: Crispy funnel cake strips are drizzled with warm Belgian chocolate and topped with pistachio cream and knafeh pastry pieces.
• Tex's Toast á la Mode: A warm French toast bake topped with Blue Bell® Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, caramel, maple syrup, and a cinnamon cereal crunch.

2025 Sipper Finalists

• Coconut Quadruple: A whole, fresh young coconut with an ice-cold coconut slushy, soft-serve coconut ice cream, and a sprinkling of coconut flakes.
• Cookie Chaos Milkshake: A rich, creamy cookie butter milkshake loaded with various cookies and topped with whipped cream and a Biscoff® cookie.
• Hot Honeycomb Lemonade Shake Up: This classic lemonade is infused with honey and fresh jalapeños, rimmed with chamoy and Tajin®, and topped with a skewer of real honeycomb.
• Nevins Dirty Red Bull® Tex-Arita: An adult beverage with sweet cream liquor and layers of Watermelon and Blueberry Red Bull® margarita, topped with Pop Rocks® and fresh fruit.
• Poppin' Boba Rita: A frozen, fresh lime margarita elevated with wine-infused boba pearls that burst with mango or strawberry flavor.

To qualify for the competition, vendors are required to have at least one year of experience as a concessionaire at the State Fair of Texas. All of the finalists will be served at the fair this year, regardless of winning the award or not.

The selection process for the competition consists of internal judges who blindly taste the food items. Judges base their scores on three criteria: fairgoer appeal, creativity, and taste. New this year is a category for best-tasting drink.

The State Fair of Texas begins on Sept. 26 and runs through Oct. 19.