Jul 14, 2021 - Food and Drink

Your guide to this year's new Iowa State Fair foods

Chicken egg salad on a fried pita
Cluck'n Coop's Chicken and egg salad with Indian fry bread. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

Step aside, Iowa State Fair Queens — the belle of the ball is whatever wild fried contraptions we get to digest this summer.

Driving the news: After waiting two years for the fair's return, organizers announced a list of 63 new foods yesterday.

  • The fair also released which three new foods celebrity judges determined to be the best of the best, which we've listed below.

What's next: Now it's your turn to decide. Fairgoers will be able to purchase the top three and vote on their favorite from Aug. 12-16.

  • A winner will be announced on Wednesday, Aug. 18.

Read on for everything you need to know — starting with the top three finalists.

Chicken and egg salad with Indian fry bread or chips

Midwesterners love any salad conglomeration, but the newest dish takes it to the next level.

What's in it: It's both a chicken and an egg salad stuffed inside Indian fry bread. The salad is mixed with celery, cranberries, toasted pecans, cabbage slaw and bacon-tomato aioli. It's topped with cilantro and smoked paprika.

  • If this is half as good as the fried deviled eggs that launched in 2019 — we'll be happy.

Price: $8

📍 Cluck'n Coop

Peanut butter and fluff cookie dough
Peanut butter and fluff cookie dough
Peanut Butter and Fluff Cookie Dough by Dipped in Chocolate. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

The best part of Iowa State Fair food is that it knows no boundaries and the latest food-on-a-stick shows that.

What's in it: Cookie dough mixed with peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and Cocoa Rice Krispies. It's frozen on a stick and freshly dipped in chocolate when ordered.

Price: $6

📍Dipped in Chocolate

Island Noodles with Teriyaki Chicken
Island Noodles with Teriyaki Chicken
Island Noodles' soba noodles with Teriyaki Chicken. Photo courtesy of Iowa State Fair

Let's face it — we're all getting older and our bodies need something kinda healthy. Good news — it tastes good!

What's in it: Soba noodles, fresh vegetables and a "secret" island sauce. It's topped with teriyaki chicken breast.

Price: $12

📍 Island Noodles

The rest of the top 10 Iowa State Fair foods
Atomic Strawberry Shortcake
Atomic Strawberry Shortcake
Atomic Strawberry Shortcake by Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

It's an "explosion" of a strawberry shortcake. This large dessert has a biscuit layered between ice cream, fresh strawberries, then topped with whipped cream and a whole strawberry.

Price: $9.95

📍 Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers

Bacon mac dog
Bacon mac dog
Bacon Mac Dog from Stockman's Inn. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

The 100% Angus Beef hot dog is topped with macaroni and cheese and bits of pork bacon.

Price: $6

📍Stockman's Inn

Cinnamon or salted pretzel bites
Cinnamon or Salted Pretzel Bites
Cinnamon or salted pretzel bites. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

Salty or savory? Munch on salted pretzel bites with cheese or Sriracha ranch. Or you can go for a cinnamon-sugar pretzel and dip it into frosting or coffee icing.

Price: $5

📍Georgie’s Old Fashioned Root Beer, Pretzels, & Nachos

Duke's Quebec-style poutine
Poutine
Duke's poutine. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

Indulge in some fresh-cut fries, topped with white cheddar cheese curds and hot turkey gravy. At Duke's, we use turkey gravy.

Price: $7

📍Duke's Poutine

Granny D's apple pie
Granny's Apple Pie
Granny D's Apple Pie from Applishus. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

The "All-American" mini-apple pie comes with a crumb topping, caramel and a dab of whipped cream on top.

Price: $6

📍Applishus

Peanut butter squealer
Peanut Butter Squealer. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

It's a peanut butter waffle-on-a-stick! A maple-infused breakfast sausage is baked inside a sweet Belgian waffle. It's topped with a peanut butter sauce and red bacon.

Price: $7

📍Waffle Chix

Tennessee twinkies
A cored jalapeno stuffed with smoked chicken, three-cheese blend, wrapped with bacon and topped with whiskey-infused barbecue sauce on top.
Tennessee Twinkies. Photo courtesy of the Iowa State Fair

If you're looking for some spice, here's your new dish. It's a cored jalapeño stuffed with smoked chicken, three-cheese blend, wrapped with bacon and whiskey-infused barbecue sauce on top.

Price: 3 for $10

📍 Chicken City by Susan Knapp Amphitheater

The rest of the new fair foods:
  • Chicken Bacon Ranch Ball On A Stick
  • Peel And Eat Shrimp
  • Dill Pickle, Buffalo Ranch, Mix, White & Yellow Cheddar, Garlic, Caramel, Confetti, Bacon Ranch, Kettle, Regular Popcorn
  • Apple Tots
  • Appletizer
  • Bacon Fanny Packs
  • Bacon, Tomato And Avocado Egg Salad With Indian Fry Bread Chips
  • Barney's Beef Ribs
  • Bonnie's Black Cherry Slushies
  • Caramel Apple Smoothie
  • Chocolate Double Dip, Toffee, Coconut, Boozy, M & M, Peanut Caramel Apple
  • Cotton Candy (Maple Bacon, Habanero Bacon, Spicy Pickle, Strawberry)
  • Cowboy Beans
  • Crawfish Boil
  • Dozen Mini Concha-Mexican Sweet Bread
  • Eggnog Cultured Frappucino
  • Elk Sausage
  • Farmers Breakfast with Scrambled Eggs, Hashbrowns, Bacon And Sausage
  • Flaming Hot Cheeto Funnel Cake
  • Fresh Squeezed Oj Mimosa
  • Gorditas-Spiced Chicken, Steak, Carnitas, Vegetarian
  • Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich
  • Hawaiian Luau Ice Cream
  • Heith's Nashville Hot Pork Sandwich
  • Horchata
  • Ice Cream Sandwich (Bacon Molasses, Elvis Bacon, Double Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle)
  • Island Smoothie
  • Jarittos Soda
  • Loaded Crab Bites
  • Lobster Rolls (Maine & Connecticut Style)
  • Maple Bacon Strawberry Shortcake
  • Mini Concha-Mexican Sweet Bread
  • Nashville Fried Berkwood Pork Sandwich
  • Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich
  • Pickled Spicy Eggs
  • Pork Rind Nachos
  • Pork Rinds (Regular, Spicy, Dill)
  • Pork, Beef Street Tacos
  • Rasp Croissant
  • Rattle Snake Sausage
  • Rattlesnake Corn Dog
  • Bacon Pickle Mac N' Cheese
  • Maytag Bleu Cheese Dip
  • State Fair Breakfast Sandwich
  • Tamales-Spiced Chicken, Carnitas, Vegetarian
  • Tamarindo Drink
  • The Chicken Bacon Ranch Cruncholi
  • The Giorgio: Cheddar Tortilla/ Grilled Chicken/Roma Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Iceberg Arugula Lettuce Blend/ Garlic Butter Croutons/ White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette Wrap
  • Tortas-Brisket, Cubano, Pulled Pork, Spiced Chicken, Steak, Vegetarian
  • Watermelon Warrior Slushies
  • Waygu Beef Hamburger
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