Minnesota State Fair New Food List 2025
Summer’s in full swing here in Minnesota, the days are hot and steamy, road construction is taking over, and that can only mean one thing: the Minnesota State Fair is coming up soon! In fact, one of our favorite parts of the summer (aside from actually going to the fair) just happened: the Minnesota State Fair new food list for 2025 just came out (here’s a link to it). It’s about 6 weeks until opening day of the fair and looking at the new food list always gets us excited for the Great Minnesota Get Together! We’re looking at the list and sharing some of the items we’re the most excited about, so let’s jump right in!
A giant swing ride at the Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair New Foods List 2025
The new foods list is a long one this year with 33 official new foods, and a whopping 8 new vendors! There’s a lot to look forward to and some things that we’re a little hesitant about (but we think they have great potential). Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the items we’re most excited to try (in alphabetical order):
Bison Meatball Sub from Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop
Bison and bacon meatballs, from Minnesota-based Eichten's Bison and Hidden Stream Farm, topped with bison gravy, quick-pickled cucumbers, crispy fried onions and sour cream. Served on a toasted wild rice hoagie bun.
Our Take: Minnesota Farmers Union knows how to make good food and they always do an incredible job (does anyone remember the BLT from a couple years ago? That’s one of our all-time favorite foods from the fair and we wish they would bring it back)! This sub promises to be perfectly savory, with a crunchy onion topping and a fresh quick-pickled cucumber to cut through the fattiness of the meat and gravy. This could be the must-eat food of the fair (at least, we hope)!
Chicken-Fried Bacon Fries from Soul Bowl
Beef bacon strips double-breaded in tempura flour and fried. Garnished with fresh parsley and served in a cup. Choice of two dipping sauces: Cashville Hot, a brown sugar Nashville-style hot sauce; or 24k Gold BBQ, a passion fruit Charleston gold barbecue sauce.
Our Take: Soul Bowl has a good track record and last year’s Crab Boil Wings were fantastic so we have high hopes for their new food this year. Bacon? Love it! Chicken-fried? Sounds wonderful! Sweet hot sauce or barbecue sauce? Could be a nice balance to the rich savory bacon. Add it all up and put it in a cup for easy walking and it’s a recipe for a great new food!
Fawaffle from BABA’S
Falafel – a traditional Middle Eastern fritter of chickpeas and herbs – pressed in a waffle iron, topped with tahini butter, and served with cherry tomatoes, traditional hummus, green shatta, mint and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. (Vegetarian)
Our Take: BABA’S knows what they're doing when it comes to Middle Eastern food. Their Ba'bacon Sour Cream & Onion bowl from last year made the list of our top five new foods of the fair in 2024 so our expectations are pretty high for this year’s new food. The fawaffle sounds like a giant falafel in the form of a waffle, and what’s not to love about that?! Add in some tahini butter and tasty toppings, and this has the makings of a delicious meal at the fair!
Grandma Doreen’s Dessert Dog from West End Creamery
Vanilla ice cream, created by Minnesota Dairy Lab, sandwiched between two pieces of Grandma Doreen's Coffee Cake – a family recipe from Elgin, Minn. – made by Wrecktangle Pizza. Skewered on-a-stick and drizzled with house-made strawberry rhubarb jam. Garnished with cinnamon toast-flavored crispy treats, whipped cream and sprinkles. (Vegetarian)
Our Take: Minnesota Dairy Lab makes great ice cream (remember their Irish Butter Ice Cream from a few years ago? We’re still dreaming about that)! Last year they partnered with Wrecktangle Pizza to make the Patata Frita Focacciawich, which was an interesting spin on a traditional ice cream sandwich. The focaccia on its own was tasty, and the ice cream was phenomenal, but together they just missed the mark (at least for us). But this year MN Dairy Lab is partnering again with Wrecktangle Pizza and this seems like the perfect pairing. A vanilla ice cream sandwich with fresh made ice cream loaded between two slices of coffee cake? Already that’s a hard YES from us! The cinnamon toast-flavored crispy treats will add a nice crunch, and the strawberry rhubarb jam should add a nice tartness to balance this otherwise very sweet bite. This has all the elements to be one of the best foods of the fair!
Hula Kalua Pork from RC’s BBQ
Slow-smoked pork collar caramelized with Hawaiian barbecue sauce, inspired by the flavors of traditional Hawaiian Kalua pork. Served atop a charred banana leaf with banana chips and Japanese quick-pickled cucumbers on the side. Finished with a sprinkle of coarse red sea salt.
Our Take: RC’s BBQ is the best place to get your barbecue fix at the state fair. In 2023 they had Maui-Sota Sticky Ribs that were fall off the bone tender and finger-licking delicious! But last year’s Sweet Heat Bacon Crunch was a little too sweet for us. We know RC’s BBQ makes great ‘cue and we’re hoping that the Hula Kalua Pork is the perfect sweet-savory combo. Slow-smoked pork should be perfectly tender and the Hawaiian barbecue sauce should add a delicious sweetness to it. Add in some quick-pickled cucumbers and this should be the perfect balance to this sweet-savory dish!
Shrimp & Pork Toast On-A-Stick from Union Hmong Kitchen
A mixture of ground pork and shrimp combined with Hmong aromatics – lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots and Thai chilis – seasoned with fish sauce, spread on Texas toast and deep fried. Served on-a-stick with a side of apricot jelly hot sauce.
Our Take: Union Hmong Kitchen is a staple at the fair and has had some unique offerings over the years. Their Galabao from 2023 was the hit of the fair, but last year’s Grilled Purple Sticky Rice just didn’t reach the bar of our high expectations. This year Union Hmong Kitchen is bringing back the flavor with their Shrimp & Pork Toast On-A-Stick. We love shrimp toast, so adding pork to the mix sounds like the logical next step. The flavors of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots and Thai chilis hold the promise of a delicious flavor explosion in your mouth. Add in a side of apricot jelly hot sauce for dipping and we can’t wait to dig in!
Tandoori Chicken Quesaratha from Holy Land
Spiced tandoori chicken layered with a blend of Monterey Jack & mozzarella cheese and a mixture of sauteed onions, mixed bell peppers, jalapeños, corn, cilantro and green chilis. Folded inside paratha bread and griddled on a flat top grill. Served with a side of Holy Land's Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce.
Our Take: Holy Land is no stranger to the New Foods list, having Basil Hummus with Spicy Walnut Topping in 2023, and Deep Fried Halloumi in 2024. Both items were fantastic, so we have high hopes for this year. Spiced tandoori chicken sounds wonderful. Pair it with sautéed vegetables and melty cheese and it sounds like a recipe for the perfect updated take on a quesadilla.
These are just seven of the new foods at the Minnesota State Fair that we’re excited to try this year! But there are a lot more that look really good and it was definitely a challenge to pick from the long list. We’re counting the days until the gates to the fair open. We’ll be there opening day to try all the foods on this list, as well as all the new vendors, so be sure to follow us on Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date on the new fair foods!
Check out the full list of new fair foods on the official Minnesota State Fair website here and be sure to let us know what you’re looking forward to trying!
