Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer: Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks
Grill
Oil Matters
For less smoke, use oils with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, coconut, grapeseed, or avocado oil.
Don't Overcrowd
Evenly arrange and space ingredients in a single layer for consistent browning and charring.
Batch Cooking
If batch cooking more than twice, empty the fat/oil from the bottom of the pot. Allow the unit to run for three minutes between batches to reheat the grill grate for best results.
Check Food Temperature
The grill cooks quickly. Monitor food with a thermometer. Remove food 5°C before target temperature as internal temperature continues to rise during resting.
Air Fry
Shake, Shake, Shake
When air frying, check food and shake the crisper basket frequently for even browning. Remove food at the desired level of crispiness.
Use Oil for Crispiness
For best results with fresh vegetables, use an even, light coating of vegetable oil.
Don't Overcrowd
Evenly arrange and space ingredients to ensure consistent browning.
Secure Your Food
Secure light food with cocktail sticks so it won't be blown around by the fan.
Bake/Roast
Convert Traditional Recipes
Use the Bake or Roast function. Reduce oven temperature by 10°C. Check food often to avoid overcooking.
Prevent Oxidation
To prevent browning of cut fruits like apples and pears, soak them in water with a squeeze of lemon juice for 5 minutes.
Trim the Fat
Before dehydrating meat, trim off all fat, as it does not dry out and could spoil.
Pasteurise Jerky
Finish dehydrated meats and fish by using the Roast function at 170°C for 1 minute.
What's Included
- Splatter Guard: Essential for safe operation; must be installed during use.
- Removable Cooking Pot: Versatile for roasting and baking directly within the pot.
- Grill Plate: Designed for optimal grilling performance.
- Crisper Basket: Ideal for achieving crispy results with air frying.
- Cleaning Brush: Features a scraper tip for effective cleaning of accessories and removing stubborn, baked-on food.
Preheat for Better Results
For best grilling results, preheat the grill before adding food. This may take about 8 minutes. Adding food before or during preheat may lead to overcooking.
Grilling
Use your Ninja® Grill to grill indoors for juicy, char-grilled flavour and grill marks. After grilling, remove meat and let it rest at least 5 minutes before cutting it.
Cleaning Instructions
General Care
Allow Base to Cool
Allow the base to cool before moving the unit, as the sides will be hot after cooking.
Use Cleaning Brush
Use the cleaning brush to help clean accessories. The opposite end of the brush is a scraper to help remove baked-on food.
Remove Splatter Guard
Remove the splatter guard after it cools and clean it after each use.
Deep Clean
Stack the removable parts in the cooking pot and soak them in the sink prior to handwashing. All parts, except the main unit, are dishwasher safe.
More Flavour. Less Smoke.
After countless hours of recipe testing, our chefs have paired your favourite foods with recommended temperature settings that maximise grill flavours while minimising smoke. We've also created a list of popular ingredients with our recommended cooking directions.
Temperature Guide
LOW (200°C)
Best for bacon, sausages, calzones, and thicker barbecue sauces.
MED (240°C)
Best for frozen meats and marinated food.
HIGH (260°C)
Best for steaks, chicken, and burgers.
MAX (265°C)
Best for vegetables, fruit, fresh/frozen seafood, and pizza.
Note: For less smoke, use oils with a high smoke point (e.g., vegetable or coconut oil) instead of olive oil. Cooking ingredients at higher temperatures than recommended may result in more smoke.
Grilling Cheat Sheet
Cooking times are given as a guide; always check foods have reached a food-safe temperature.
Sirloin Steaks
2 steaks (400-450g, 3cm thick). Pat dry, rub with 1 tsp vegetable oil, season. HIGH 9-11 mins. Frozen: MED 18-24 mins. Flip halfway.
Chicken Breasts
4 breasts (200-250g). Pat dry, rub with 1 tsp vegetable oil, season. HIGH 14-18 mins. Frozen: MED 22-26 mins. Flip halfway.
80% Lean Burgers
4 burgers (110g). Season. Pre-packed: HIGH 4-6 mins. Handmade: HIGH 5-9 mins. Frozen: MED 10-15 mins. Flipping not necessary.
Salmon
4 fillets (140-170g). Pat dry, rub with 1 tsp vegetable oil, season. MAX 7-9 mins. Frozen: MAX 10-13 mins. Do not flip.
Fresh Chicken Thighs
4 thighs (200-250g each). Pat dry, rub with 1 tsp vegetable oil, season. HIGH 23-26 mins. Frozen: MED 25-28 mins. Flip halfway.
Boneless Pork Chops
4 chops (230g each). Pat dry, rub with 1 tsp vegetable oil, season. HIGH 14-16 mins. Frozen: MED 20-23 mins. Flip halfway.
Hot Dogs
(4 hot dogs). HIGH 3-5 mins. Frozen: MAX 4-6 mins. Flip halfway.
Whole Sausages
(6 sausages). LOW 8-12 mins. Frozen: LOW 10-14 mins. Flip halfway.
Prawns
500g Jumbo (16-18). Pat dry, rub with 1 tsp vegetable oil, season. MAX 3-5 mins. Do not flip.
Marinated/Barbecue Chicken Thighs
4 thighs (200-250g each). MED 18-21 mins. If using thick sauce: LOW 20-25 mins. Flip 2-3 times.
Marinated/Barbecue Chicken Breast
4 breasts (200-250g each). MED 16-19 mins. If using thick sauce: LOW 19-24 mins. Flip 2-3 times.
Pineapple
(6-8 slices, 5cm thick). MAX 7-9 mins. Flip halfway.
Fresh Corn on the Cob
(4 ears). Brush lightly with oil, season. MAX 10-13 mins. Flip halfway.
Fresh Asparagus
(200g). Toss with oil, season. MAX 5-7 mins. Spread evenly on grill plate. Do not flip.
Peppers & Onions
(1 pepper, 1 onion). Cut in 2.5cm slices. MAX 11-13 mins. Stir gently several times.
Courgette
3-4 each. Cut in quarters lengthwise, toss with oil, season. MAX 12-16 mins. Flip several times.
Using Your Grill's Functions
Grill
Accessory: Grill Plate. Temperature: Up to 260°C. Time: Adjustable (default 10 mins). Use for achieving juicy, charred flavours and grill marks indoors.
Preheat: The unit will display 'PRE' and heating progress. Allow approximately 8 minutes for the grill plate to preheat fully before adding food for optimal results.
Air Fry
Accessory: Crisper Basket. Temperature: Up to 200°C. Time: Adjustable (default 20 mins). Ideal for achieving crispy textures without deep frying.
Preheat: Approximately 3 minutes.
Roast
Accessory: Removable Cooking Pot. Temperature: Up to 190°C. Time: Adjustable (default 15 mins). Suitable for roasting various foods directly in the pot.
Preheat: Approximately 3 minutes.
Bake
Accessory: Removable Cooking Pot. Temperature: Up to 150°C. Time: Adjustable (default 15 mins). Perfect for making cakes and other baked goods.
Preheat: Approximately 3 minutes.
Dehydrate
Accessory: Removable Cooking Pot. Temperature: Up to 60°C. Time: Adjustable (default 6 hours). Use for creating homemade vegetable chips and jerky.
Preheat: No preheat is required for this function.
Sneak a Peek
Lift the lid while cooking to check on or flip food. The unit automatically pauses cooking when the lid is lifted and resumes when it is closed.
For more recipes, visit ninjakitchen.co.uk.
