Ninja FG551 Inspiration Guide

Please make sure to read the enclosed Ninja® Owner’s Guide prior to using your unit.

SMART

XL GRILL

15 mouthwatering recipes plus charts for unlimited possibilities

Your guide to grilling like a Foodi

Welcome to the Ninja® Foodi™ Smart XL Grill recipe book. From here, you’re just a few pages away from recipes, tips and tricks, and helpful hints that will help you achieve the perfect doneness every time you grill.

Now open the hood and let’s get grilling in your kitchen.

Looking for more recipe inspiration, tips, and tricks?

Join us and thousands of Foodi friends

on the Official Ninja Foodi Family™ Community. Facebook.com/groups/NinjaFoodiFamily

@NinjaKitchen youtube.com/EPNinjaKitchen

Recipe List

Marinades	11
Spice Rubs	12
Dipping Sauces	13
Kickstarter Recipes	14
Grilled New York Strip Steaks
with Asparagus	14
Pork Loin Fillets
with Grilled Vegetables	16
Mains	18
Poultry	18
Honey Mustard &
Barbecue-Glazed Chicken Breasts	18
Spicy Buttermilk Ranch
Fried Chicken	20
Mustard-Rubbed Chicken	22
Pork	24
Chicken-Fried Pork
with Crispy New Potatoes	24

Beef	25
Carne Asada Sandwiches	25
Classic Cheeseburgers	26
Seafood	28
Shrimp Tacos	28
Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa	29
Whole Fillet of Salmon
with Dill Topping	30
Sides & Apps	31
Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash	31
Vegetable Flatbread	32
Mexican Street Corn	34
Desserts	36
Grilled Apple Tarts	36
Cooking Charts	38
Grill Chart	38
Air Crisp Chart	44
Dehydrate Chart	48

Recipe Key

We’ve tagged recipes with these icons to help find the right one for you.

Foodi™ Smart	Frozen to	Kid-friendly	10 minutes
Thermometer	char-grilled	food	or less

		K	V
Gluten-free	Dairy-free	Keto	Vegetarian

Cyclonic Grilling

T E C H N O L O G Y

Perfectly cook food on the inside and char-grill every side with super-hot Cyclonic Grilling Technology. The 500° grilling chamber gives you the fast, juicy, char-grilled results you want by combining a unique, high-density grill grate with cyclonic air that circulates rapidly around food.

Now with the Smart Cook System and an XL capacity, you can achieve the perfect doneness without the guesswork and feed the entire family.

			ESS
		U		W
					O
	G
						R
O
						K
N			Leave-in

thermometer

Smart Cook

SYSTEM

P		auto shuts off					S
E		when done				S
R
F					E
				E
	E
		C	N		N
			T DO

Grilled favorites		No-flip grilling				Perfect doneness
Quick and easy meals		No more falling apart				No guesswork
Classic Cheeseburgers, page 26		Grilled Salmon Fillet, page 40				Grilled New York Strip Steaks
						with Asparagus, page 14

Grilled thrills	Frozen to
Grill the unexpected	char-grilled
Grilled Apple Tarts, page 36	No thawing required

Honey Mustard & BarbecueGlazed Chicken Breasts, page 18

More flavor. Less smoke.

After hundreds of hours of recipe testing, our chefs have paired your favorite foods with recommended temperature settings to maximize grill flavors while minimizing smoke.

LO / 400°F	MED / 450°F
Best for bacon and sausages and	Best for frozen meats and
when using thicker barbecue sauces.	marinated ingredients.

10		25
MINS		MINS
Sausage & Pepper Grinders		Frozen Chicken Breasts

Always use recommended oils

For less smoke, use oils with a high smoke point—like canola, avocado, vegetable, or grapeseed oil—instead of olive oil. If you choose to cook ingredients at a higher temperature than recommended, it may result in more smoke and food having a burnt, acrid flavor.

HI / 500°F	MAX / up to 510°F
Best for steaks, chicken,	Best for veggies, fruit, fresh
and burgers.	and frozen seafood, and pizza.

11		8
MINS		MINS
Grilled New York Strip Steaks			Pineapple & Peaches
	& Asparagus

4

Questions? ninjakitchen.com

5

Perfectly done with the Foodi™ Smart Thermometer.

Sensor 2

Sensor 1

Dual Sensor Technology

The leave-in Foodi Smart Thermometer continuously monitors the internal temperature of food in two places for more accurate cooking results. The Smart Cook System lets you know when it's time

to take your food off the grill and let it rest.

6	For complete thermometer instructions, see your Ninja® Owner’s Guide.

How to place the thermometer

Once you’ve selected your cooking function, cooking temperature, protein type, and desired level of doneness, insert the Foodi™ Smart Thermometer

into the thickest part of your protein while the grill is preheating.

FOOD TYPE

Steaks Pork chops Lamb chops

Chicken breasts Burgers Tenderloins Fish fillets

PLACEMENT

CORRECT

INCORRECT

•Insert thermometer horizontally into the center of the thickest part of the meat.

• Make sure the tip of the thermometer is inserted straight into the center of the meat, not angled toward the bottom or top of it.

• Make sure the thermometer is close to (but not touching) the bone and away from any fat or gristle.

NOTE: The thickest part of the fillet may not be the center. It is important that the end of the thermometer hits the thickest part so desired results are achieved.

Whole chicken	• Insert thermometer horizontally into the
	thickest part of the breast, parallel to, but
	not touching, the bone.
	• Make sure the tip reaches the center of the
	thickest part of the breast and doesn’t go all
	the way through the breast into the cavity.

DO NOT use the thermometer with frozen protein or for cuts of meat thinner than 1 inch.

Questions? ninjakitchen.com

7

Ninja® Beef

Doneness Guide

Everyone's idea of doneness differs. This guide shows you what you can expect from each of our preset beef doneness settings.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
	RARE	MEDIUM RARE			MEDIUM	MEDIUM WELL		WELL

NOTE: Beef Doneness Guide is based on New York Strip Steak.

Using different cuts of steak and different sizes can alter the outcome.

Carry-over cooking

Did you know that meat keeps cooking when you remove it from the grill?

To prevent overcooking, the unit will beep right before your food reaches the desired doneness, taking carry-over cooking into account. Transfer meat to a plate with the thermometer still inserted and allow protein to carry-over cook and rest for 3–5 minutes. Skipping carry-over cooking and cutting into food

right away may result in a rarer level of doneness.

NOTE: Reference usda.gov for food-safe temperature recommendations.

Reasons meat cooks differently

No two pieces of protein are alike, and, for that reason, they’ll never cook the same. That’s why we recommend paying close attention to the sizes of meat listed in our cooking charts. Here are some more tips to ensure a great cooking experience.

Cut size

Proteins come in different shapes and sizes, which require different cooking times. If you are cooking proteins that are different sizes, insert thermometer into the smaller protein first, as it will cook faster than the larger one.

For cuts 2 inches or thicker (e.g., filet mignon) we recommend selecting the lower temperature setting within the desired doneness category (e.g., Rare 1 instead of Rare 2).

Meat temperature

For your convenience, cooking charts were created for use with cold meat, straight from the fridge.

For even juicier results

If time permits, let meat come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking for a more juicy center.

8

Questions? ninjakitchen.com

9

Flavor-Building 101

Pumped-Up Marinades, Zesty Spice Rubs,

and Elevated Dipping Sauces

For the following recipes, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

These marinades and spice rubs call for coarse kosher salt— ensure you use that, and not fine-grain iodized salt.

Use spice rubs liberally. Season meat or vegetables generously and let sit at room temperature

for 30 minutes before grilling—this will promote faster and even cooking.

Frozen to char-grilled

When grilling frozen meats, baste them liberally and consistently with the marinade of your choosing.

To get the best textures and flavors from frozen meat, season it with your favorite spice rub before grilling.

Marinades

YIELD: APPROX. 1 CUP | MARINATING TIME: 2–12 HOURS

STORE: REFRIGERATE FOR UP TO 4 DAYS

Teriyaki	Garlic & Herb	Simple Steak
Marinade	Marinade	Marinade

Best for poultry, beef, pork, lamb, veal, seafood, vegetables

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

Best for poultry, pork, lamb, seafood, vegetables

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup fresh herbs (like parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme, or sage), finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons juice)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Best for beef, pork, lamb, veal, white fish, vegetables

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

TIP When using marinated foods on the Grill function, we recommend using Medium and when using thicker marinades/sauces using Low.

Questions? ninjakitchen.com

11

Spice Rubs

YIELD: APPROX. 1 CUP | SEASON: GENEROUSLY

STORE: UP TO 6 MONTHS IN AN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER AWAY FROM LIGHT AND HEAT

	Easy BBQ	Everyday	Dry Herb
	Spice Rub	Spice Rub	Rub
	Best for poultry, beef, shrimp,	Best for poultry, beef, pork,	Best for poultry, pork, lamb,
	cauliflower, broccoli, carrots	lamb, veal, seafood, vegetables	seafood, vegetables
	1/4 cup dark brown sugar	3 tablespoons chili powder	1 tablespoon kosher salt
	1/4 cup smoked paprika	2 tablespoons white sugar	1 tablespoon dried thyme
	3 tablespoons ground	1 tablespoon kosher salt	1 tablespoon dried rosemary
	black pepper	1 tablespoon ground cumin	1 tablespoon dried oregano
	2 tablespoons kosher salt
		1 tablespoon ground	1 teaspoon mustard powder
	2 teaspoons garlic powder	black pepper	1 teaspoon ground
	2 teaspoons onion powder	1 tablespoon dried oregano	black pepper
			1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Dipping Sauces

YIELD: APPROX. 1 CUP | STORE: REFRIGERATE FOR UP TO 4 DAYS

Chimichurri

Sauce

Best for poultry, beef, pork, fish, vegetables

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (about 1/3 cup), chopped

1/2 bunch fresh parsley (about 1/3 cup), chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

1 small shallot, peeled, chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup juice)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Kosher salt, as desired

Lemony-Garlic

Chili Mayo

Best for poultry, beef, pork, lamb, veal, seafood, vegetables

1 cup mayonnaise

Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons juice)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder Kosher salt, as desired

Jamaican Jerk

Ketchup

Best for poultry, beef, shrimp

1 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons dry jerk seasoning

1 ripe banana, peeled, mashed

12

Flavor-Building 101

Questions? ninjakitchen.com

13

Kickstarter Recipe

Grilled New York Strip Steaks

with Asparagus

BEGINNER RECIPE

PREP: 10 MINUTES | PREHEAT: APPROX. 10 MINUTES | GRILL: BASED ON DESIRED DONENESS | MAKES: 3–5 SERVINGS

	K
INGREDIENTS
4 uncooked New York strip steaks	Kosher salt, as desired

	(10 ounces each)	Ground black pepper, as desired
	3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
		2 bunches asparagus, trimmed

DIRECTIONS

Plug thermometer into unit. Insert grill grate in unit and close hood. Select GRILL. The unit will default to HI, which is the correct temperature setting for this recipe. Select PRESET. The unit will default to BEEF, which is the correct setting for this recipe. Use the arrows to the left of the display to set desired doneness. Press START/STOP to begin preheating.

While unit is preheating, brush each steak on all sides with 1/2 tablespoon canola oil, then season with salt and pepper, as desired. Toss asparagus with remaining canola oil, then season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Insert thermometer horizontally into the center of one of the steaks (see thermometer placement instructions on page 7).

When unit beeps to signify it has preheated, place steaks on grill grate, gently pressing them down to maximize grill marks. Close hood over the thermometer cord. When unit beeps and the display reads FLIP, use silicone-tipped tongs to flip the steaks. Close hood to continue cooking.

When unit beeps to		While steaks are resting,		When cooking and
signal the steaks are		place asparagus on		resting are complete,
almost done cooking,		grill grate. Select GRILL		remove thermometer
transfer steaks to a		and set to HI. Use the		from steaks. Slice steaks
plate or cutting board		arrows to the right		and serve with asparagus.
and allow to rest for		of the display to set
5 minutes.		the time to 4 minutes.
		Press START/STOP to
		begin. Skip preheat by
		pressing the PREHEAT
		button.

14

Kickstarter Recipe

Questions? ninjakitchen.com

15