Ninja FG551 Foodi Smart XL Indoor Grill Review: Big Surface, Honest Trade-Offs

Product Overview

The FG551 is the original Smart XL model in Ninja's Foodi indoor grill lineup. It sits above the compact AG301 and below the newer DG551 in the product stack, though all three remain available. The FG551 adds a built-in smart thermometer and significantly more cooking surface than the AG301, and in head-to-head comparisons versus the DG551, the FG551 produces sharper grill marks and better smoke control — at a slightly higher price.

The XL grill grate fits up to six steaks or 24 hot dogs simultaneously. The grill grate, 4-quart crisper basket, and cooking pot are all removable with a nonstick coating and rated dishwasher safe. A splatter shield attaches over the grate to reduce grease scatter. The smart thermometer probe plugs into the side of the unit, monitors internal food temperature in real time, and signals when your protein hits the target doneness.

Performance & Real-World Use

The FG551's cyclonic technology — 500°F hot circulating air blasted down onto the grill grate — produces real char marks without live fire. User reports and independent reviews consistently document well-defined crosshatch grill marks on steaks and burgers, with a seared crust that most stovetop pans won't replicate without a lot of smoke.

Preheat takes 8–10 minutes to reach max temperature — longer than a preheated cast iron pan, but shorter than most outdoor grill startup times. Once hot, temperature recovery after loading food is fast enough to handle serious searing. Burgers, chicken thighs, salmon, and vegetables come out consistently well-browned.

The air crisp function is a genuine secondary strength. Multiple independent reviewers found the FG551's air fryer competitive with many standalone air fryers at the same capacity. French fries, wings, and roasted vegetables come out crispier than oven-roasted equivalents, and the 4-quart basket handles a full pound of fries or a batch of chicken wings without crowding.

The smart thermometer is convenient for everyday grilling but has documented limits. The chicken preset — fixed at 170°F — consistently overcooks chicken breast to a dry texture, a finding reported in multiple reviews. Adjusting the target doneness level manually or cross-checking with a standalone instant-read thermometer resolves this, but the default preset isn't reliable enough to use unsupervised.

Smoke is the most consistently mentioned complaint in user reviews. Most users in single-family homes with reasonable ventilation report manageable smoke when the splatter shield is kept clean. In smaller apartments or condos without a strong range hood, smoke and lingering cooking smells become a more significant problem — some users report odors persisting 24 hours or more. Regular cleaning of the splatter shield (every 2–3 uses) makes a measurable difference; a grease-saturated shield generates substantially more smoke.