Deep Fried Deep Dive: A Look at the 2026 Minnesota State Fair New Foods

(KNSI) — The 2026 Minnesota State Fair is set to feature an extensive and imaginative selection of new culinary offerings.

The menu highlights a trend toward bold flavor twists, such as globally inspired fusions from Lumpia City featuring the Longanisa Cheese Curd Lumpia. It’s Filipino pork sausage and cheese curds in a fried wrapper. Honey Brisket Battered Potatoes at Australian Battered Potatoes piles the tasty tuber with beef brisket, hot honey and nacho cheese. The Blue Barn’s offering this year is the Cracklin’ Corn Ribs, tempura-battered corn cob quarters with bacon ranch, green onion and candied jalapeños.

For those who like their fair foods meaty and indulgent, the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Loaded Fries at Irie Jamaican Express are battered French fries topped with Jamaican jerk chicken, melted cheese and green onions, and drizzled with ranch and jerk sauce. When Pigs Fly from Sausage Sister & Me is a flight of puff-pastry-wrapped sausages on a stick. Sligo Slider Bites On-A-Stick from O’Gara’s at the Fair are cheeseburger-stuffed dumplings that are deep-fried and, of course, served on a stick.

Anyone with a sweet tooth can find something to enjoy, like the Dubai Whoopie Pie at Dino’s Gyros. It’s a pistachio cream whoopie pie rolled in shredded filo and pistachios. Minnesnowii Shave Ice is serving up the Blue Moon Crunch, blue moon-flavored shave ice covered with Fruity Pebbles. The French Chouxnut Sundae at Bridgeman’s Ice Cream features salted-caramel espresso ice cream on a chocolate-mousse-filled choux donut.

Pickle lovers have only one new option to look forward to this year. The Pickle Pie at LuLu’s Public House — which we can thank for the deep-fried ranch dressing — is a pie crust filled with chopped pickles, pickle juice and cream cheese, topped with ranch-Cholula whipped frosting.

Fairgoers are likely to be thirsty after all of that, so there are some new drinks on the menu this year, too. Loon Lake Iced Tea is brewing up Caramel Apple Iced Tea, black tea with caramel cold foam and a lollipop garnish. The Mango Sticky Rice Refresher at Chan’s Eatery is a coconut-mango drink with fresh and dried mango. The Two-Tone Bloody Mary Mocktail at Urban Glow is a zero-alcohol Bloody Mary with a loaded garnish skewer.

Get the stretchy pants ready. The fair runs August 27th through Labor Day, September 7th.

See the full list here.

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