As anticipation builds for the 2024 Minnesota State Fair, food enthusiasts have much to look forward to with the announcement of an extensive and inventive array of new food offerings. The fair, renowned for its diverse and eclectic food selections, continues to push culinary boundaries this year. Here’s an in-depth look at the new dishes awaiting fairgoers:

  1. 3 Piggy Pals on a Stick: Three smoked sausage slices wrapped in bacon, filled with a cream cheese mix, and drizzled with barbecue sauce. Topped with a jalapeño slice and served on-a-stick. (Gluten-Friendly)
  2. Afro Poppers: Bite-size pastries infused with an African blend of spices – ground vanilla, cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg – deep-fried and coated with choice of coconut flakes, sugar or served plain. Topped with choice of drizzle – mango chutney, caramel or chocolate.
  3. Babacon Sour Cream & Onion: Sour cream + onion hummus topped with beef bacon, sumac tater tots, caramelized onions, scallions, French onion creme fraiche, black cumin seeds and chive oil. Served with pita puffs dusted with sour cream + onion powder. (Gluten-Free without pita puffs, Vegetarian without bacon)
  4. Blazing Greek Bites: Deep-fried bites made from a blend of chickpeas, tomato, roasted red pepper, scallions and cayenne pepper. Served with a side of roasted red pepper hummus. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
  5. Buffalo Cheese Curd Chicken Tacos: Fried buffalo-flavored cheese curds and chicken topped with blue cheese slaw, drizzled with buffalo sauce, and served in a fried flour shell.
  6. Deep-Fried Ranch Dressing: Ranch dressing filling made with ranch seasoning, buttermilk and cream cheese in a panko shell, deep-fried and dusted with ranch powder. Served with a side of hot honey sauce crafted with Cry Baby Craig’s hot sauce. (Vegetarian)
  7. Dill Pickle Tots: Fried tater tots tossed in dill seasoning with a hint of vinegar flavor – like a dill pickle potato chip. (Vegan)
  8. Grilled Purple Sticky Rice: Purple sticky rice grilled over an open flame until crunchy, then topped with choice of shredded Hmong beef jerky or pickled mushrooms. Garnished with fresh herbs and finished with Union Hmong Kitchen’s Krunchy Chili Aioli. (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian option)
  9. Ham and Pickle Roll-Up on a Potato Skin: Three fried potato skins filled with a blend of sour cream, cream cheese, chopped pickles and ham. Topped with potato chip crumbles. (Gluten-Friendly)
  10. Marcos Garden: Local rhubarb jam, thyme-marinated locally sourced tomatoes, farmer cheese, jalapeño and honey served with a side of grilled gluten-free flatbread. (Gluten-Free, Vegan option uses thyme tofu dip and maple syrup instead of cheese and honey.)
  11. Nixtamal Wild Rice Bowl with Wozapi Bison Meatballs or Sweet Potato Dumplings: Choice of bison meatballs or sweet potato dumplings, topped with mixed berry wóžapi sauce, and served on a bed of nixtamal (white corn, blue corn and yellow corn) mixed with wild rice and seasoned with maple and spices. Cricket & seed mix topping optional. (Gluten-Free, Vegan option) (Aug. 28 to Sept. 2 only) (New Vendor)
  12. Patata Frita Focacciawich: “Patata Frita” kettle chip-flavored ice cream created by Minnesota Dairy Lab, sandwiched between focaccia bread from Wrecktangle Pizza. Topped with a blend of honey butter, kettle chips and herbs.
  13. PB Bacon Cakes: Thick-cut bacon dipped in pancake batter, griddled and topped with peanut butter whipped cream, grape jelly and banana chips.
  14. Raging Ball: Deep-fried sesame mochi dough ball with vegan cheeseburger filling. Made with house-made vegan burger mix, vegan cheddar cheese, grilled onions and pickles. Topped with bacon-flavored powdered sugar. (Gluten-Friendly, Vegan)
  15. Savory Eclairs in Two Varieties: Choux pastry éclair shell with choice of filling: Bánh Mì or Lobster.
    Bánh Mì Éclair: Filled with pork confit, chicken liver pâté, pickled carrot & daikon, cucumber and sriracha mayo, garnished with micro cilantro – inspired by a traditional Vietnamese sandwich.
    Lobster Éclair: Filled with lobster meat, celery, mayo, Cholula hot sauce, lime, chives and salt & pepper, topped with dried corn and micro cilantro – inspired by a New England-style lobster roll.
  16. Shroomy Calamari: Oyster mushrooms hand-breaded and deep-fried. Served with a side of chipotle sauce. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
  17. Turkey Kristo: Minnesota-made Texas toast from Pan-O-Gold Bakery, sliced Ferndale Market turkey, CannonBelles white cheddar cheese, apple butter made from locally sourced Westcott Orchard apples, and house-made spicy brown mustard mayo, dusted with powdered sugar. (White Cheddar Kristo vegetarian option uses extra cheese instead of turkey.)
  18. Walking Shepherd’s Pie: Two handmade hot pastries filled with braised ground beef, mashed potatoes and a blend of onions, carrots and peas tossed in herb gravy.
  19. Chile Mango Whip: Mango Dole Soft Serve in a cup rimmed and topped with chamoy and Tajín. Garnished with a tamarind candy straw. Alternate flavors of Dole Soft Serve include pineapple, strawberry and lemon. (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
  20. Cookie Butter Crunch Mini Donuts: Vanilla-flavored mini donuts coated with vanilla sugar, topped with Biscoff® cookie butter drizzle and cookie crumbles, and served in a bucket rimmed with cookie butter and cookie crumbles.
  21. Cotton Candy Iced Tea: Brewed butterfly pea flower tea sweetened with natural flavor and cane sugar. Garnished with a swirl of edible glitter and a rock candy swizzle stick to stir for a color-changing effect. (Gluten-Free, Caffeine-Free, Vegan) (New Vendor)
  22. Crab Boil Wings: Chicken wings marinated in hot sauce, grilled and then fried with corn, chicken apple sausage and potatoes. Tossed in a “crab boil” butter and finished with a lemon wedge and parsley. (Gluten-Free)
  23. Deep-Fried Halloumi Cheese: Halloumi cheese, crafted from a blend of sheep and goat milk, wrapped in pastry dough and deep-fried. Served with a side of sweet chili sauce. (Vegetarian)
  24. Fried Bee-Nana Pie: Handmade pie filled with Minnesota honey, fresh banana and Biscoff® cookie butter; battered and deep-fried. (Vegetarian)
  25. Lady’s Slipper Marble Sundae: Bridgeman’s strawberry ice cream, lemon marshmallow cream and ladyfinger cookies layered in a cup and topped with whipped cream and a cherry.
  26. Mocha Madness Shave Ice: Fluffy shave ice with caffeine-free coffee flavoring and an overflowing caramel macchiato cold foam center. Drizzled with chocolate syrup and garnished with dark chocolate espresso beans. (Gluten-Free)
  27. Strawberries and Cream Waffle Stick: Belgian waffle filled with strawberry shortcake cookie dough, topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce, and served on-a-stick.
  28. Strawberry Lemonade Donut: Hand-cut yeast-raised donut frosted with lemon buttercream, rolled in strawberry lemonade crunch, and garnished with lemon gummy candy and freeze-dried strawberry slice. Served with a strawberry lemonade-filled pipette to squeeze in more flavor. (Vegetarian)
  29. Swedish Ice Cream Sundae: Vanilla ice cream covered in lingonberry jam, sprinkled with Swedish ginger cookie crumble, and garnished with a ginger cookie heart. (Vegetarian)
  30. Swedish Sota Sliders: Hamline Church Dining Hall’s Cranberry-Wild Rice Meatball formed into patties, paired with dill Havarti cheese and a red relish of beets, red onions, red peppers, lingonberries and cranberries, served on two brioche buns.
  31. Sweet Corn Cola Float: Minnesota-made sweet corn cola and sweet corn ice cream in a cup, finished with whipped cream, popping candy and house-made frozen caramel.
  32. Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch: Double-smoked slab bacon tossed in RC’s red barbecue sauce and topped with hot honey & chili crunch, served over a bed of white rice, and garnished with green onions.
  33. Wrangler Waffle Burger: Fresh all-beef patty and signature Whataburger® Patty Melt Sauce layered with American cheese and served in a caramelized onion-infused Nordic Waffle.