The Ninja Foodi Smart XL FG551 is an all-in-one indoor electric grill and air fryer oven that sears, sizzles, and crisps. It combines grilling and air frying with Ninja's Smart Cook System and a dual-sensor thermometer. In practice, that means six distinct cooking functions packed into a single countertop footprint: Grill, Air Crisp, Roast, Bake, Broil, and Dehydrate.
The FG551 is the original model in Ninja's Smart XL Grill lineup — a unit that, while since succeeded by the second-generation DG551, remains available at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Wayfair and offers the same core cooking functions, Smart Cook System, large-capacity grill grate, and air fryer basket as its successor. For shoppers looking to get the most cooking capability per dollar, it remains a compelling choice.
The Technology That Makes It Work
Cyclonic Grilling Technology
The FG551 uses 500°F of hot cyclonic air and a 500°F grill grate to perfectly cook or char-grill food, delivering char-grilled marks and deep, developed flavor. This is not a convection oven pretending to be a grill. The combination of a superheated grate and high-velocity circulating air means the Maillard reaction — the chemical process responsible for that craved browned crust — happens quickly and evenly across the entire cooking surface.
Thanks in part to this cyclonic air technology, the FG551 preheats to its highest grill temperature in roughly seven and a half minutes, compared to the 10-to-15-minute warmup time typical of traditional grills. On air fryer mode, it reaches 400°F in approximately three minutes — a couple of minutes faster than most large air fryers.
For practical cooking, that speed advantage compounds. Chicken skewers that normally take 16 to 18 minutes on a standard air fryer cook in roughly 10 to 12 minutes on the Ninja Foodi Smart XL. On busy weeknights, that kind of efficiency matters.
The Smart Cook System and Foodi Thermometer
This is the feature that genuinely sets the FG551 apart from every other indoor grill on the market. The Foodi Smart Thermometer uses four protein presets — beef, poultry, pork, and seafood — and nine doneness levels to take the guesswork out of cooking. The thermometer continuously monitors internal food temperature and automatically shuts off the grill when your food reaches the desired doneness.
For home cooks who have ever pulled a chicken breast too early, or left a steak on too long after losing track of time, this system is transformative. You set the protein type and your preferred doneness — rare through well-done — and the grill handles the rest. For younger or less experienced cooks especially, the smart thermometer is a game-changer, making it straightforward to consistently nail proteins like chicken and variable-thickness burgers.
Six Cooking Functions, One Machine
1. Grill
The headline feature. In testing, it's easy to get a great char on meats in less than 25 minutes, and the grill delivers results that beat competing indoor grill brands like PowerXL and Gourmia. The indented grill grate leaves visible, attractive sear marks, and if you were to grill a piece of steak on a traditional outdoor grill and another on the Ninja Foodi, guests likely wouldn't notice the difference.
2. Air Crisp
Using the included 4-quart crisper basket, the air crisp function delivers up to 75% less fat than deep frying, tested against hand-cut, deep-fried French fries. The results go well beyond fries — wings, fish fillets, roasted vegetables, and reheated leftovers all come out with genuine crunch and no greasy residue.
The air fry function preheats quickly and produces food without the "plasticky" smell and taste that some other units generate. It's relatively quiet compared to other air fryers — a notable bonus in an open-plan kitchen.
3. Roast
The FG551's roast mode handles whole chicken pieces, pork tenderloin, root vegetables, and more with ease. Users report successfully roasting boneless turkey breasts using the meat probe for Thanksgiving — results that rival a traditional oven in a fraction of the time. The enclosed cooking environment with circulating hot air produces even, consistent browning without the hot spots common in conventional ovens.
4. Bake
Yes, this grill bakes. Users have baked Guinness chocolate cake, bread, brownies, and gourmet pizzas — all with even browning and no burning. The bake function won't replace a dedicated wall oven for large batch baking, but for everyday baked goods and single-pan recipes, it performs with real competence.
5. Broil
The broil function delivers top-down intense heat — perfect for finishing gratins, melting cheese on open-face sandwiches, caramelizing a sugar crust on crème brûlée-style desserts, or adding a final color to roasted proteins. It's a function that most countertop appliances skip entirely.
6. Dehydrate
The dehydrate setting opens up an entire category of food preservation that most kitchens never attempt. Users have successfully made homemade raisins from fresh-harvested grapes and dehydrated garden-grown zucchini chips — food projects that would otherwise require a dedicated dehydrator taking up additional counter or storage space.
XL Capacity: Cooking for the Whole Table
One of the most practical advantages of the FG551 over standard countertop grills is raw cooking capacity. The grill grate fits up to six steaks or 24 hot dogs simultaneously, allowing you to cook mains and sides at the same time. That's not a marketing stretch — the XL cooking surface genuinely accommodates full family meals in a single cook cycle.
The Smart XL 6-in-1 can cook large quantities of food at the same time, making it well-suited for families or for batch-cooking sessions. For anyone who does weekly meal prep — portioning out proteins and vegetables for the week ahead — the FG551's capacity is a genuine time-saver.
Virtually Smoke-Free Indoor Grilling
For apartment dwellers, condo owners, or anyone without outdoor grill access, the smoke question is critical. The FG551 features a Smoke Control System that combines a temperature-controlled grill grate, splatter shield, and cool-air zone to minimize smoke during indoor grilling. In practice, this means you can grill a ribeye or a salmon fillet without triggering a smoke alarm — something that matters enormously in smaller living spaces.
The FG551 yields smoky flavors during grilling — albeit a more subtle, less charcoal-forward version than an outdoor grill — while maintaining excellent smoke control. It's the right trade-off: the flavor is there, the smoke isn't filling your kitchen.
Design and Ease of Use
The FG551's hood-and-grate design offers a notably different cooking experience than a basket-style air fryer. The hood setup replicates the experience of closing a grill lid to trap heat and opening it to check or flip food — a more intuitive interaction than pulling out and setting down a basket to access your food.
Controls are straightforward, and the learning curve is minimal. The FG551 is intuitive and easy to clean with no steep learning curve. The grill grate, crisper basket, and cooking pot are all ceramic-coated and dishwasher safe — a practical detail that matters when you're cleaning up after cooking a full meal.
The appliance runs at 1,760 watts on a standard 120V outlet, making it compatible with any standard North American kitchen setup without special wiring.
What's in the Box
The FG551 ships with a complete accessory kit:
- Grill grate (XL)
- 4-quart crisper basket
- 4-quart cooking pot
- Foodi Smart Thermometer
- Splatter shield
- Cleaning brush
- 15-recipe chef-created recipe book
Comparison Table: Ninja FG551 vs. Key Competitors
| Feature | Ninja FG551 | Ninja DG551 (2nd Gen) | PowerXL Grill Air Fryer | Gourmia Indoor Grill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking Functions | 6-in-1 | 6-in-1 | 6-in-1 | 5-in-1 |
| Smart Thermometer | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Protein Presets | 4 | 4 | ❌ None | ❌ None |
| Doneness Levels | 9 | 9 | ❌ None | ❌ None |
| Max Grill Temp | 500°F | 500°F | 450°F | 450°F |
| Air Fryer Capacity | 4 qt | 4 qt | 4 qt | 3.5 qt |
| Grill Capacity | 6 steaks / 24 hot dogs | 6 steaks / 24 hot dogs | 4 steaks | 4 steaks |
| Cyclonic Air Technology | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Smoke Control System | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Dishwasher Safe Parts | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Partial | ✅ Yes |
| Wattage | 1,760W | 1,760W | 1,700W | 1,500W |
| Fat Reduction vs. Deep Fry | Up to 75% | Up to 75% | Up to 70% | Up to 70% |
| Dehydrate Function | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Bake Function | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Who Should Buy the Ninja Foodi Smart XL FG551?
The FG551 is the right appliance for a specific kind of home cook — one who wants serious cooking results without a serious cooking setup. It delivers for:
Apartment and condo dwellers who don't have access to an outdoor grill and don't want to give up properly charred proteins. The smoke control system makes real grilling viable in spaces where it would otherwise be impossible.
Busy families who need to cook for four, six, or more people without making multiple batches. The XL grill capacity and 4-quart air fryer basket handle full meals in a single session.
Health-conscious cooks who want the texture and satisfaction of fried food with significantly less oil. The air crisp function makes it straightforward to cook chicken, pork, and fish using minimal oil while still achieving a genuinely satisfying result.
Beginner and intermediate cooks who want to build confidence with proteins. The Smart Cook System with the built-in thermometer removes the most anxiety-producing element of cooking meat — not knowing when it's actually done.
A Few Things to Know Before You Buy
The FG551 is not a small appliance. It sits wide on a countertop, and it's best treated as a permanent fixture rather than something you'll move in and out of a cabinet regularly. The size is considerable but not unwieldy — buyers should simply plan for its footprint when considering counter placement.
The dehydrate function, while genuinely useful, takes longer than dedicated dehydrators and may not satisfy serious food preservation enthusiasts. For casual use — making jerky, dried fruits, or vegetable chips on occasion — it's more than adequate.
The Ninja Foodi Smart XL FG551 is not the cheapest countertop appliance you can buy. It is, however, one of the most genuinely capable. It replaces a standalone air fryer, an indoor contact grill, a roasting setup, a dehydrator, and in many households, an outdoor grill — not partially, but properly.
The Ninja Foodi Smart XL bridges the gap between indoor contact grills and traditional outdoor grills in a way that no other countertop appliance currently does. For anyone who has ever wanted outdoor BBQ results without the outdoor setup, it is — plainly — the best tool available for that job.
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Specifications: Model FG551 | 1,760W | 120V | Black/Silver finish | Grill, Air Crisp, Roast, Bake, Broil, Dehydrate | 4-qt Air Fryer Basket | XL Grill Grate | Smart Thermometer included | Dishwasher-safe grate, basket, and pot
