A Deep-Fried Deep Dive Into Texas’ State Fair Food
It shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with the distinctly American phenomenon of state fairs deep-frying things, such as Coke, PB&J sandwiches, and bubblegum (all things once believed to be impossible to fry), that much of the custom’s origins can be traced back to the State Fair of Texas. It’s one of the largest state fairs in the country, and it didn’t get there by playing things safe. No, anything worth doing is worth overdoing at the annual 24-day state fair in Dallas — especially deep-fried state fair food.
Deep-fried delicacies at state fairs aren’t new. Every American remembers their first taste of funnel cake. Texans have enjoyed deep-fried corn dogs since 1942. (More on that later.) In fact, deep-frying dates back to ancient Egypt as a cooking method. But in the early 2000s, deep-frying became a discipline in gastronomical excessiveness, and the thought experiment of “What can we fry next?” took off.
Some say that the first off-the-battered-path state fair food appeared in 2002 at the San Diego County Fair, where Charlie Boghosian dipped an Oreo in pancake batter before deep-frying it. The innovative gut bomb became a nationwide sensation, inspiring the State Fair of Texas to take decadence to the next level. By 2002, the State Fair of Texas was also serving fried Oreos, fried candy bars, and fried Twinkies, in addition to traditional funnel cakes.
But in 2005, with the inaugural Big Tex Choice Awards, the proverbial dam broke, and gallons upon gallons of boiling vegetable oil surged through Dallas as state fair vendors began competing for the coveted honor of “Best Taste” or “Most Creative.” The two 2005 winners were, respectively, a deep-fried PB&J and banana sandwich and a deep-fried ice cream. In 2013, a deep-fried Cuban roll and a fried Thanksgiving dinner beat out more than 30 other entries. Sometimes, the most ludicrous ideas have taken home the prize, like deep-fried butter in 2009 and deep-fried Jell-O in 2016.
For better or worse, the Big Tex Choice Awards have received national attention over the past two decades, with state fairs around the nation mimicking Texas’ deep-fried fanaticism. And with items like cotton candy bacon and deep-fried burnt end bombs nominated for the 2024 awards, the phenomenon doesn’t seem to be simmering down any time soon.
How Fletcher’s Corny Dogs Became King
Of the assortment of state fair foods that come out of a fryer basket, there’s none so iconic as Fletcher’s Corny Dogs. The cornmeal-battered, deep-fried hot dogs on a stick have been a fixture at the State Fair of Texas since 1942, a full decade before Big Tex made his debut. Back then, brothers Neil and Carl Fletcher — a pair of vaudeville performers whose act frequented the State Fair of Texas in the 1930s — would sell their fried franks for just 15 cents a pop.
Today, the red-and-yellow Fletcher’s tent at the State Fair of Texas slings 500,000 Corny Dogs every year, but the Corny Dog wasn’t even a hit when it was introduced in 1942. In fact, it wasn’t even called a Corny Dog. It took some failed names (some as unappetizing as “the Brown Bomber” and “Meal on a Stick”) and around 12 years of tinkering with the art of the cornmeal before Fletcher’s Corny Dogs started sweeping the Lone Star State.
The original Fletcher’s Corny Dogs hasn’t changed a lick since the 1950s — probably because the business has been kept in the family. Neil Fletcher ran the enterprise until 1988 when his son Neil Jr. (aka Skip “the Corny Dog King”) took the helm for another three decades. Since Skip’s passing in 2017, a medley of Fletchers has continued to own and operate the business.
Although the original recipe hasn’t changed, eight decades of Fletcher’s Corny Dogs has given the Fletcher family plenty of time to try new things, like a Veggie Dog, a Bird Dog (made from turkey), a jalapeño-and-cheese Corny Dog, and a “Make Mine Texan” Corny Dog, which includes beef brisket. One of their latest spin-offs arrived at the state fair in 2021 under the name the “Dallas Hot Bird Dog,” which features a smoked turkey frank and spicy cornmeal batter topped with mac and cheese, hot sauce, and fried jalapeños.
So, whether you opt for a Corny Dog classic or something a little more “state fair” stereotypical, Fletcher’s is the place for Texas state fair food.
While you’re prepping your gut for this year’s delicious menu of state fair food, check out our guide to hosting your own state fair at home.
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