Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill DG551 Review: Worth It? (October 2026)

On this page (9 sections)

1. What does the Ninja Foodi Smart XL grill do well?
2. Will the DG551 fit your counter and routine?
3. Can the DG551 handle a full family dinner?
4. How does the DG551 compare with other Ninja grills?
5. How should you set up the DG551 for the first meal?
6. Does the DG551 control smoke indoors?
7. Which cooking mistakes are easiest to avoid?
8. What needs cleaning after cooking?
9. Should you choose the Ninja Foodi Smart XL grill DG551?

The Ninja Foodi Smart XL grill DG551 is a good choice for families who want thermometer-guided grilling and air frying in one countertop appliance. It makes the most sense when you'll use both jobs regularly and can leave it in a planned counter spot.

Skip it if you mainly want pancakes, a small grill for occasional use or something easy to carry out of a cabinet. The useful question is which meals it will handle in your kitchen, rather than how many functions appear on the controls.

What does the Ninja Foodi Smart XL grill do well?

The DG551 suits protein-focused meals with guided doneness, plus separate air-crisp cooking for sides and snacks. Its included thermometer gives you more direction than cooking by time alone.

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Ninja Foodi Smart XL DG551: Best for guided family meals

8.6/10Our score

• 6 cooking functions
• Smart thermometer
• 9 x 12 in grill grate
• 4 qt crisper basket

Choose the DG551 for family grilling with a thermometer to guide doneness and an air-crisp basket for other meals. Its 25 lb weight makes a dedicated counter spot the practical choice.

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Pros

• Included thermometer guides doneness
• Six cooking functions cover more than grilling
• Removable grate, basket and pot are dishwasher safe
• Ninja says the grate fits up to 6 steaks

Cons

• Heavy to move between a cabinet and counter
• Mains and sides needing different modes require separate batches
• Poor fit if you mainly want a flat griddle

What the Ninja Foodi Smart XL grill thermometer adds

The Smart Thermometer offers 4 protein settings and 9 customizable doneness levels. That helps when cooking meat to a chosen finish is your main reason for buying an indoor grill.

Probe placement still matters. Follow the manual so the sensing area sits in the intended part of the food, rather than against bone, in a pocket of fat or too close to the surface.

For pieces of different thicknesses, don't assume one probe reading represents the whole batch. Group similar portions together and check pieces individually as needed.

The thermometer will be less useful if your meals mostly involve vegetables, sandwiches or foods you already judge comfortably by appearance and time. In that case, focus on cooking surface and cleanup when comparing models.

Which cooking modes will earn their space?

The DG551 grills, air crisps, roasts, bakes, broils and dehydrates. The included grate, crisper basket and cooking pot provide different setups for those jobs.

Think through a normal week before treating every mode as a reason to buy. Grilled chicken one night and air-crisp vegetables another is a stronger use case than buying for dehydration you may never try.

It also helps to separate versatility from simultaneous cooking. A grill and air fryer combination doesn't mean you can grill a main and air crisp a side in separate cooking zones at once.

Will the DG551 fit your counter and routine?

The DG551 needs a usable cooking spot, lid clearance and nearby landing space, not just a rectangle of empty counter. Its weight also favors leaving it out between meals.

Measure the counter, the cabinet opening and the route between them. Allow the clearances required by the manual, including room to open the lid and remove hot parts.

Plan where a hot basket or grate will go before cooking. A heat-safe landing area matters when switching tasks or serving food from a crowded counter.

Avoid a setup that requires moving the appliance while it's hot. If storing it after every meal feels awkward, a smaller grill may get more use despite holding less food.

Our indoor grill size guide helps match capacity to kitchen space. For a wider range of appliance styles, compare our indoor grills for home kitchens.

Can the DG551 handle a full family dinner?

The DG551 can suit family meals, but food shape and cooking sequence determine the real capacity. Ninja says the grate holds up to 6 steaks or 24 hot dogs; larger cuts and mixed meals need a more conservative plan.

Start with your usual portions. Wide steaks, burger patties and long vegetables use space differently, so a maximum piece count won't tell you how your dinner will fit.

Leave gaps rather than covering every part of the grate. Crowding makes food harder to turn and can trap moisture around pieces that you want to brown.

The basket gives you a separate way to cook sides, but timing matters. If fries and steaks need different modes, decide which goes first and how you'll serve both without a long delay.

For a household with different doneness preferences, plan to remove portions at different times. Similar thicknesses make the batch easier to manage than a mix of very thin and very thick cuts.

If your main goal is cooking a large breakfast together, a broad griddle is a better match. The DG551's enclosed cooking format is more useful for families who rotate between grilled mains and basket cooking.

How does the DG551 compare with other Ninja grills?

Choose between these models by thermometer guidance, counter shape and cooking surface. A bigger pot or wider plate solves a different problem from guided meat doneness.

FG551: choose it when the body shape fits better

The FG551 is the closest alternative for someone who wants the Smart Cook System and the same core cooking modes. Its body measures 18.74 x 17.95 x 14.45 in, and it weighs 22.4 lb.

That makes it shorter and lighter than the DG551, but deeper and wider. Measure all three dimensions instead of assuming the shorter appliance will be easier to place.

The FG551 suits a counter with room to spread out, especially if appliance height is your main constraint. Skip it if its larger footprint crowds your prep space, and don't choose it expecting a different category of cooking.

Read our DG551 vs FG551 comparison to work through that choice.

EG201: choose it for manual control and pot cooking

The EG201 suits cooks who prefer setting heat and time themselves. It has Low, Medium, High and Max grill settings, a 10 x 10 in grate and a 6 qt cooking pot.

Its larger pot is useful only if pot-based cooking is part of your plan. The included crisper basket remains 4 qt, so the pot size doesn't give you extra air-crisp basket capacity.

Choose it if you already use a separate food thermometer and don't need integrated doneness guidance. Skip it if the Smart Cook System is the feature drawing you to the DG551.

GX101: choose it for breakfasts and broad batches

The Sizzle Pro XL GX101 suits households that want interchangeable 20 in grill and griddle plates. Ninja says its surface can fit 10 or more burgers or a breakfast spread for 8–10 people.

The flat plate is the key reason to choose it for pancakes and other foods that need continuous surface contact. Its 250°F–500°F controls also suit cooks who want to set plate temperature directly.

Skip it if air frying is a priority. You'll also need somewhere to store the unused plate and time for safe cooling when changing surfaces.

Our Ninja Sizzle Pro XL GX101 review explains that format in more detail.

How should you set up the DG551 for the first meal?

Start with the manual, clean removable parts and a simple meal. Learning one cooking mode with similar-sized portions is easier than coordinating a mixed dinner immediately.

Wash and dry the removable cooking parts as directed before first use. Check that the cooking pot, required accessory and splatter shield are correctly fitted for the chosen mode.

Place the grill on a stable, heat-resistant surface with the required clearance. Check the outlet instructions and keep the cord away from hot surfaces and busy prep areas.

For the first meal, choose portions of similar thickness and prepare tools before preheating. Have tongs, a serving plate and a heat-safe place for hot accessories ready.

Let the required preheat finish before adding food. Starting early changes the cooking conditions and makes timing less useful.

Use the mode's recommended temperature and oil guidance rather than choosing maximum heat for everything. Our guide to grilling indoors covers meal preparation and cooking habits that help across indoor grill styles.

Does the DG551 control smoke indoors?

Ninja says the DG551's smoke-control system reduces smoke through a temperature-controlled grate, splatter shield, cool-air zone and recommended cooking practices. Keep kitchen ventilation in your setup plan.

Residue from earlier meals can smoke as the appliance heats. Clean grease and food debris from the appropriate parts instead of relying on the smoke-control system to handle them.

Match heat to the food and follow Ninja's oil guidance. More heat isn't always more useful, especially with sugary sauces that can burn before the food finishes.

For setup advice, see our indoor grill ventilation guide. Our explanation of how smokeless indoor grills work covers what smoke reduction can reasonably achieve.

Which cooking mistakes are easiest to avoid?

The biggest mistakes are crowding, poor probe placement and using one timing rule for every batch. Correct those habits before blaming the selected mode.

• Packing the grate tightly: leave room to turn food and remove portions without disturbing the whole batch.
• Relying only on grill marks: surface browning doesn't confirm the center has reached the intended doneness.
• Treating every piece alike: thickness and starting temperature affect cooking time, even within one batch.
• Adding sweet sauces too early: use them later when the recipe allows, since sugar can scorch on a hot surface.
• Opening the lid repeatedly: prepare your tools first so necessary checks and turns are brief.
• Changing accessories while hot: plan the meal sequence and follow the manual before removing or swapping parts.

Keep brief notes on portion thickness, mode and results for meals you repeat. A useful note such as “use smaller batches of these vegetables” helps more than assuming a preset will suit every amount.

What needs cleaning after cooking?

The DG551's removable ceramic-coated grate, crisper basket and cooking pot are dishwasher safe. The base, thermometer and other parts need care according to their individual instructions.

Let the appliance cool before handling accessories. Remove loose food and grease, then use the included cleaning brush as directed rather than scraping the coating with metal tools.

Don't plunge hot cooking parts into cold water. Let them cool and use a suitable soak for stuck food instead of aggressive scrubbing.

Remember the splatter shield and accessible surfaces around the cooking area. Cleaning only the grate leaves other places where grease can collect.

Dry parts before reassembly and storage. Include washing and drying space in your buying decision, especially if your sink and dishwasher are already busy after dinner.

Our Ninja Foodi grill cleaning guide walks through the routine. For coating and care questions, see whether indoor grill plates are dishwasher safe.

Should you choose the Ninja Foodi Smart XL grill DG551?

Choose the Ninja Foodi Smart XL grill DG551 when guided protein cooking and regular air-crisp meals justify a dedicated counter spot. Skip it when moving the appliance, coordinating separate batches or storing accessories would make dinner harder.

Pick the FG551 if you want similar cooking functions and its shorter, wider body fits better. Pick the EG201 if you prefer manual control, or the GX101 if breakfast spreads and a flat cooking surface lead your meal plan.

Before ordering, name 3 meals you'd cook in it and work through their sequence. If those meals fit your available space and cooking habits, the DG551 has a clear job in your kitchen.

Use the Ninja indoor grill model guide to compare formats, or browse our indoor grill and air fryer combo guide if air frying is central to your choice.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Ninja Foodi Smart XL DG551 do?

The DG551 grills, air crisps, roasts, bakes, broils and dehydrates; its included Smart Thermometer guides protein doneness, while the removable basket provides a separate setup for air-crisp cooking. It suits households that will use both grilling and other cooking modes, with meals planned around one mode at a time.

How much food fits on the DG551 grill grate?

Ninja says the 9 x 12 in grill grate fits up to 6 steaks or 24 hot dogs; use those figures as upper capacity examples rather than a meal plan. Thick cuts, large portions and vegetables need space, so your usual dinner may require fewer pieces or a second batch.

Is the Ninja Foodi Smart XL DG551 dishwasher safe?

The removable ceramic-coated grill grate, crisper basket and cooking pot are dishwasher safe; keep the main unit out of the dishwasher and follow the manual for thermometer and splatter-shield care. Let parts cool before cleaning, and see our guide to dishwasher-safe indoor grill plates for more care advice.

Does the Ninja Foodi Smart XL DG551 reduce smoke?

Ninja says the DG551’s smoke-control system reduces smoke through its temperature-controlled grate, splatter shield, cool-air zone and recommended cooking practices; you still need kitchen ventilation and clean parts. Grease residue and food drips can smoke, so follow the manual’s setup, oil and temperature guidance instead of expecting smoke-free cooking.