So you bought the awesome, new Ninja Woodfire Grill, but how do you cook on it? Here’s how and when to use the different cooking functions.
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Initial setup and preheating phase
Cooking on the Ninja Woodfire Grill is easy. This is one of the features I love the most.
- Start by inserting the accessories you intend to use (the grill plate, the griddle or the fruit and vegetable basket.
- If you plan to use the smoke function, add wood pellets to the smoke box.
- Select your cooking function.
- Press the Woodfire Flavor Technology button if you want to add smoke. (It turns on automatically if you choose the smoker function.)
- Set the cooking temperature according to the recipe.
- Set the cooking time according to the recipe. (I always add a few extra minutes, so the grill doesn’t turn off too soon)
- Wait for the grill to preheat. When the “add food” message appears, place the food on the rack. Close the lid.
- Cook your recipe according to directions or preferred doneness, turning or stirring as directed.
- Take your food off the grill and enjoy.
Ninja Woodfire Pro Grill
If you have the Pro or Pro Connect grill, you also have the option to cook your food to your desired temperature or doneness instead of cooking it by time. To use the pro features, follow these steps.
- Insert the Ninja thermometer probe into the meat through the thickest point. Make sure you don’t touch the bone.
- Insert the other end of the thermometer into the socket on the grill.
- Follow steps 1-4 above.
- Instead of selecting the time, adjust the temperature. Enter a manual temperature or choose the type of protein and desired doneness.
- Add your food and press start. The grill will alert you when the meat reaches the correct temperature.
One thing you’ll have to get used to when cooking with a thermometer is that you won’t see a timer or countdown. So it’s unclear how long it will take before the food is ready.
How much food can the Ninja Grill hold?
There are a couple of different models of the Ninja Woodfire Grill.
The original model’s grill surface is 14.5 inches wide and 10.5 inches deep. It can easily hold six burgers, four chicken breasts, three or four steaks. You can also cook two halved ribs and a small brisket that weighs less than 10 pounds.
The XL has 30% more cooking space. You can fit up to two whole ribs, 10 burgers, 4 pounds of wings, two 7-pound chickens, or one 10-pound brisket.
Ninja Woodfire Grill settings and times
Times will vary depending on the weight and thickness of the food
How do you know when food is ready?
Whenever I grill or smoke meat, I cook it to a specific internal temperature. This ensures that they are safe to eat and still juicy and flavorful.
You can measure the temperature using a Instant read digital meat thermometer or if you have the Ninja Pro, you can use the built-in thermometer.
Serve your barbecue
Pay attention to the recipes. Larger cuts of meat, such as brisket, pork butt and ribs, will be juicier if left to rest for 30 to 60 minutes. Steaks, chicken breasts and pork chops only need to rest for a few minutes.
Foods such as chicken wings, hamburgers and hot dogs can be served immediately. Simply remove them from the grill, place them on a serving platter and enjoy them with your favorite side dishes.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Smoke, like salt, is flavor; too much can be overwhelming
- Use fewer pellets for delicate foods like french fries, mac and cheese and baked goods
- When smoking large meats or ribs, there is no need to wrap them in foil on the Ninja
- When preparing burnt ends of pork belly, this is not necessary cover pan with foil
- Watch your time; Food cooks much faster on a wood-fired grill
To find out more about the Ninja Woodfire Grill, how to assemble it, how to clean it and my review, click on the buttons below.
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Frequent questions
No. According to the manual, the Ninja Woodfire Grill should not be used indoors.
No. If you want to add smoke flavor when cooking on the Ninja Woodfire Grill, you must only use pellets.
When you add smoke pellets, they will smoke for the first ___ of your cook. Once turned off, you will no longer produce smoke.
If you prefer a higher intensity of smoke, add more pellets before they go out completely. If you missed that window and the pellets have all burned, add more pellets and press the fire button.
I’ve found that with more delicate dishes like smoked mac and cheese or smoked cream cheese, you don’t need a measuring cup full of pellets. I generally add a couple of tablespoons to these dishes and they turn out perfect.
The heat source of the Ninja Woodfire Grill is electric, it is not the pellets that burn. Therefore, the smoke will not produce the same level of gas producing smoke ring reaction that a charcoal or pellet grill would produce. Smoke rings look beautiful in photos, but a brisket without a smoke ring can still taste fantastic.
The smoker, dehydrated and grilled functions are immediately ready for use. Preheating the Air Crisp, Cook and Roast functions takes approximately 3 minutes. The grill function lasts 12-20 minutes, depending on the outside temperature.
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