Japanese Slaw Chargrill Charlie S Copycat

Japanese Slaw – Chargrill Charlie’s copycat

This recipe was requested by a reader. I was happy to oblige because although I find the Chargrill Charlie’s chicken so-so, their salads are actually pretty good! In fact I’ve done another before, a copycat of their famous Green Bean Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing. So this recipe is a copycat of the Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw, named as such because the base salad is made using finely shredded cabbage and carrots like western Coleslaw but with the addition of seaweed salad and edamame all tossed with a sesame soy dressing. It is very good!

What goes in this Japanese Slaw

This salad is a direct copycat of the Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw, so the ingredients are what I spied and tasted, with the exception of green onion which I think adds much needed freshness.

What goes in the salad

Japanese seaweed salad – This is sliced strands of a type of wakame seaweed, dressed in a sweet sesame dressing. It’s somewhat slippery and has a unique texture unlike anything I can think of in Western cuisine. These days, it is often served as a small side dish at sushi bars and Japanese restaurants, and it’s become extremely popular – with good reason. It is addictive!! I literally cannot stop eating it. It is sold already dressed at seafood shops (usually in small black trays, like pictured below), as well as Asian and Japanese grocery stores. I also understand it comes in frozen packets, though I’ve never bought it (I believe you can buy it at Costco?). It has a fridge shelf life of several weeks.If you’re not a fan of seaweed salad, you’ll be missing a key element of this Japanese Slaw because the dressing on the seaweed salad actually forms part of the dressing for this whole salad. So really, don’t skip it!

Edamame – Also known as fresh soy beans. Buy them frozen, either in their pods or already shelled. Simply prepare per the packet (usually a 5 minute boil). It’s pretty common these days, even sold in the frozen vegetable aisle of large grocery stores here in Australia (Woolies, Coles etc).Cabbage – Both green and red, because that’s what Chargrill Charlie’s use!Carrot – Again, because Chargrill Charlie’s uses it.Green onion – Chargrill Charlie’s does NOT use this! But I do, because I think it adds much needed freshness into the salad.

What you need for the Japanese Slaw dressing

And here’s what you need for the dressing. Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise is the optional extra touch here which gives the dressing an extra creamy element just like the one used by Chargrill Charlie’s. It is sold already dressed at seafood shops (usually in small black trays, like pictured below), as well as Asian and Japanese grocery stores. I also understand it comes in frozen packets, though I’ve never bought it (I believe you can buy it at Costco?). It has a fridge shelf life of several weeks. If you’re not a fan of seaweed salad, you’ll be missing a key element of this Japanese Slaw because the dressing on the seaweed salad actually forms part of the dressing for this whole salad. So really, don’t skip it!

Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise – This is purely optional so feel free to skip it if you are turned off by the inclusion of mayonnaise in the dressing! We only use 1 tablespoon, and I’ve included it because I am pretty sure Chargrill Charlie’s uses it to make the dressing just a wee bit creamier.If you can’t find or don’t have Kewpie mayonnaise (but why not?? Everybody knows it’s the best mayonnaise around!) feel free to use ordinary mayonnaise (preferably whole egg) or simply skip it.Rice vinegar – The acid in the dressing, for brightness.Olive oil and sesame oil – Our oils. Sesame for flavour but olive oil as well to dilute the strength of using sesame alone.Sugar – Because the Chargrill Charlie’s dressing is distinctly sweet. Mine is a bit less sweet than theirs.Soy sauce – This is the salt in the dressing.Wasabi paste – The Chargrill Charlie’s dressing definitely has a distinct bite to it! It’s not spicy, but rather a background warmth. You can wasabi paste in tubes at supermarkets and Asian/Japanese grocers. Wasabi is purely optional, so feel free to leave it out.

How to make Chargrill Charlie’s Japanese Slaw

Just shake up the dressing in a jar, put everything in a bowl and toss. If you can’t find or don’t have Kewpie mayonnaise (but why not?? Everybody knows it’s the best mayonnaise around!) feel free to use ordinary mayonnaise (preferably whole egg) or simply skip it. Yes, it’s that easy, and that’s why there’s no recipe video for this recipe! Though, as always, if you ask nicely in the comments section below, I’ll make this for lunch and film it for you!

What to serve with this Japanese Slaw

I personally find this salad has enough substance to it to be a meal. Well, let’s be more truthful: It’s good for a light(-ish) lunch. For dinner, it’s for those days when I’m trying to be “healthy”. For a normal meal, I’d add a side of protein to fill it out. Here are some on-theme suggestions: Enjoy! – Nagi x PS. No video today as it’s a “easy salad day” where I’m sharing 3 fairly straightforward recipes: this salad, a Pear Salad with Blue Cheese (swoon!) and Roasted Large Mushrooms with Green Onion Thyme Butter. But if you really want a video for this one, just leave a comment below and I’ll do it when I get a chance!