Best Air Fryer Grill: Top Picks for 2026

An air fryer grill combo tries to solve two problems at once: the crisping power of an air fryer and the sear marks and char flavor you’d normally need an outdoor grill for. These appliances typically rely on high-heat cyclonic air systems paired with ridged grill plates or grates, so look for stated maximum temperatures, the number of cooking functions bundled in, and whether the unit includes smart features like built-in thermometers if you want more precise doneness control.

Ninja Foodi AG301 5-in-1 XL Indoor Grill & Air Fryer

This model combines a 500°F cyclonic air system with a grill grate designed to put real sear marks on food, including frozen proteins straight from the freezer. The 5-in-1 functionality covers grilling, air frying, roasting, baking, and dehydrating, making it a flexible option for anyone who wants one appliance to handle both weeknight dinners and snack-style air frying.

Ninja Foodi Smart XL DG551

Stepping up in precision, this model includes a Smart Thermometer that monitors internal food temperature as it cooks, along with four protein presets and nine doneness levels. For anyone who’s overcooked a chicken breast or undercooked a steak on a basic grill-and-fry unit, the thermometer-driven doneness control here is the main upgrade worth paying for.

Ninja IG651 Foodi Smart XL Pro 7-in-1

This is the most multi-purpose option of the three, adding a griddle plate and flat-top surface to the grill-and-air-fry combination, alongside the same crisper basket functionality. If you want a single appliance that can handle pancakes, smash burgers, grilled vegetables, and air-fried sides without swapping machines, the extra plates here are what set it apart from the simpler 5-in-1 model.

PowerXL Grill Air Fryer Combo (12-in-1)

Outside the Ninja lineup, this 1550-watt stainless-steel unit takes a broader multi-cooker approach, bundling indoor grilling and air frying with slow-cooking, roasting, and baking modes under one 12-in-1 preset menu. The commercial-grade grill plate is built to put char marks on proteins and vegetables, while the separate air-fry setting still handles fries and wings, and the unit is sized to fit roughly six salmon fillets, four burgers, or a half chicken at once. It’s generally priced below the Ninja Foodi grill models, making it worth a look if you want the grill-plus-air-fry combination without paying Ninja’s premium, even though it trades away the smart-thermometer precision of the DG551.

Choosing between these really comes down to how much precision and versatility you want. The AG301 covers the fundamentals — grilling and air frying — at a lower complexity level. The DG551 adds the kind of temperature-probe accuracy that’s genuinely useful for thicker cuts of meat. The IG651 goes furthest by adding griddle and flat-top cooking to the mix, which is worth it if you see yourself using the appliance for breakfast foods as often as dinner. And the PowerXL combo is the one to consider if you want the broadest multi-cooker feature set (slow cooking and roasting included) at a lower price point than Ninja’s comparable models.

A few practical details matter as much as the headline features here. First, check how the grill plate attaches and detaches — some designs require two hands and a bit of force to remove for cleaning, which gets old fast if you’re using the grill function several times a week. Second, look at preheat time specifically for the grill mode, since some combo units need several minutes to bring the grill plate up to searing temperature before food goes on, which can erase some of the time savings you’d expect from an indoor grill versus firing up an outdoor one. Finally, consider ventilation: grilling indoors produces more smoke and odor than straight air frying, so a unit with a tight-fitting lid and effective venting will matter more in an apartment or open-plan kitchen than it would in a larger, well-ventilated space.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these air fryer grill combos actually produce grill marks, or just grill flavor?
The ridged grill plates on models like the AG301, DG551, and PowerXL combo do leave physical sear marks, not just a smoky flavor — the ridges press into the food’s surface the same way an outdoor grill grate would. The marks tend to be less deep than a true charcoal or gas grill produces, but they’re genuine sear lines rather than a cosmetic effect.

Is a built-in thermometer worth paying extra for?
If you regularly cook thicker cuts of meat — bone-in chicken, steaks, pork chops — a built-in thermometer like the one on the DG551 removes the guesswork of cutting into food to check doneness, which also means less lost juice from repeatedly piercing the meat. If you mostly cook thinner cuts or foods where overcooking by a minute or two isn’t a big deal, it’s a nice-to-have rather than a necessity.

Can I use these as a standalone air fryer without the grill plate?
Yes — on all four models here, the air fry basket and grill plate are separate accessories, so you can run the appliance purely as an air fryer whenever you don’t need the grilling function. That flexibility is part of what makes these combo units appealing over a dedicated single-function grill or fryer: you’re not committing the whole appliance to one job every time you use it, and swapping between the basket and the grill plate typically takes under a minute once you’re used to the design.