Ninja Foodi Grill: Tips & Tricks

The grill that sears, sizzles, and air fry crisps.

Grill

The oil matters: For less smoke, use oils with a high smoke point like canola, coconut, avocado, vegetable, or grapeseed oil instead of olive oil.
Don't overcrowd: Arrange and space ingredients in a single layer for consistent browning and even charring.
Batch cooking: Empty the fat/oil from the bottom of the pot if batch cooking more than twice. Allow the unit to run for three minutes between batches to reheat the grill grate.
Check your food temp: Monitor doneness with a food thermometer. Remove food 5°F before target temperature is reached as internal temperature continues to rise.

Air Crisp

Shake, shake, shake: Check food and shake the crisper basket frequently for even browning. Remove food at the desired level of brownness.
Use oil for crispiness: For best results with fresh vegetables, use an even, light coating of canola oil.
Don't overcrowd: Arrange and space out ingredients to ensure consistent browning.
Secure your food: Secure light food with toothpicks so it won't be blown around by the fan.

Bake/Roast

Convert traditional recipes: Use the Bake or Roast function. Reduce the temperature by 25°F. Check food often to avoid overcooking.
Prevent oxidation: Soak cut fruits like apples and pears in water with lemon juice for 5 minutes to prevent browning.
Trim the fat: Before dehydrating meat, trim off all fat as it does not dry out and could spoil.
Pasteurize jerky: Before dehydrating meats and fish, use the Roast function at 330°F for 1 minute to fully pasteurize them.

Preheat for better results

For best grilling results, preheat the Foodi Grill before adding food. It may take about 8 minutes. Adding food before or during preheat may lead to overcooking.

Cleaning Instructions

Allow base to cool before moving the unit, as the sides will be hot after cooking.
Use the cleaning brush to help clean accessories. The opposite end of the brush is a scraper to help remove baked-on food.
Remove the splatter shield after it cools and clean after each use. Soak overnight and use the cleaning brush to help remove baked-on grease.
Deep clean the splatter shield by putting it directly into boiling water for 10 minutes. All parts are dishwasher safe, except the Foodi Thermometer and main unit.

Grilling 101

Use your Ninja Foodi Grill to grill indoors to get even char, grill marks, and juicy flavor.

Grill Grate: Unique design promotes optimal airflow for even cooking, crisping, and charring.
Resting meat: After grilling, remove meat and let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting it for juicier meat.

Go to ninjakitchen.com for how-to videos.

Using your grill's functions

More flavor. Less smoke. After countless hours of recipe testing, our chefs have paired your favorite foods with a recommended temperature setting that will maximize grill flavors while minimizing smoke. For less smoke, use oils with a high smoke point. If you cook ingredients at a higher temperature than recommended, it may result in more smoke and a burnt, acrid flavor.

FUNCTION	ACCESSORY USED	TEMP	TIME	PREHEAT
GRILL	Grill Grate	LOW (400°F) - MAX (up to 510°F)	10 mins	Optional (approx. 8 mins)
AIR CRISP	Crisper Basket	350°F - 390°F	20 mins	Optional (approx. 3 mins)
ROAST	Removable Cooking Pot	375°F - 450°F	15 mins	Optional (approx. 3 mins)
BAKE	Removable Cooking Pot	300°F - 400°F	15 mins	Optional (approx. 3 mins)
DEHYDRATE	Removable Cooking Pot	135°F - 195°F	6:00 (hours)	No Preheat

Note on Preheat: Grill preheat takes approximately 8 minutes. Air Crisp, Roast, and Bake preheat takes approximately 3 minutes. If the grill grate is at room temperature when placed in the unit, "Add Food" may appear immediately. Allow the grill grate to heat up for at least 6 minutes before placing ingredients on it.

Grilling Cheat Sheet

New York Strip Steaks

2 steaks (400-450g each, 3cm thick). Pat dry. Rub with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

HIGH 9-11 mins. Frozen: MED 18-24 mins. Flip halfway through cooking.

Boneless Chicken Breasts

4 breasts (200-255g each). Pat dry. Rub with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

HIGH 14-18 mins. Frozen: MED 22-26 mins. Flip halfway through cooking.

80% Lean Burgers

4 patties (115g each). Season with salt and pepper.

Store-bought: HIGH 4-6 mins. Handmade: HIGH 5-9 mins. Frozen: MED 10-15 mins. Flipping not necessary.

Salmon

4 fillets (140-170g each). Pat dry. Rub with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

MAX 7-9 mins. Frozen: MAX 10-13 mins. Do not flip during cooking.

Fresh Bone-in Chicken Thighs

4 thighs (200-255g each). Pat dry. Rub with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

HIGH 23-26 mins. Frozen: MED 25-28 mins. Flip halfway through cooking.

Boneless Pork Chops

4 chops (225g each). Pat dry. Rub with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

HIGH 14-16 mins. Frozen: MED 20-23 mins. Flip halfway through cooking.

Hot Dogs

(4 hot dogs). Whole.

HIGH 3-5 mins. Flip halfway through cooking.

Sausages

6 sausages (85-114g each). Whole.

LOW 8-12 mins. Frozen: LOW 10-14 min. Flip halfway through cooking.

Shrimp

0.45kg Jumbo (16-18 count). Pat dry. Rub with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

MAX 3-5 mins. Frozen: MAX 4-6 mins. Do not flip during cooking.

Bone-In Marinated/ Barbecue Chicken Thighs

4 thighs (200-255g each).

MED 18-21 mins. LOW 20-25 mins if using a thick sauce. Flip 2 to 3 times while cooking.

Boneless Marinated/ Barbecue Chicken Breast

4 breasts (200-255g each).

MED 16-19 mins. LOW 19-24 mins if using a thick sauce. Flip 2 to 3 times while cooking.

Pineapple

(6-8 slices or spears, 5cm thick).

MAX 7-9 mins. Flip gently several times during cooking.

Peppers & Onions

(1 pepper, 1 onion). Cut in 2.5cm slices.

MAX 11-13 mins. Stir gently several times during cooking.

Yellow or Green Squash

3-4 each. Cut in quarters lengthwise. Toss with canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

MAX 12-16 mins. Flip several times during cooking.

Fresh Corn on the Cob

(4 ears). Brush lightly with canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

MAX 10-13 mins. Flip halfway through cooking.

Fresh Asparagus

(1 bunch). Toss with canola oil. Season with salt and pepper.

MAX 5-7 mins. Spread evenly on grill grate. Do not flip.

Sneak a Peek

Lift the hood while cooking to check on or flip food. Unit will automatically pause cooking when hood is lifted and resume when it is closed.

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