Honest BBQ Reviews

Ninja FlexFlame BBQ Review – The Ultimate Outdoor Cooking System

6 min read

Ninja’s latest grill is here, and it’s set to shake things up in the BBQ world.

I got to put this thing through its paces at an exclusive Ninja event in Nashville (13th-15th November 2024), and let’s just say—it’s a game-changer. With its versatility, innovative features, and incredible performance, the Ninja FlexFlame is much more than a grill—it’s the ultimate outdoor cooking system.

Here’s my in-depth review, combining technical insights with real-world experience to help you decide if this is the right BBQ for your setup.

Why the Ninja FlexFlame BBQ Stands Out

The Ninja FlexFlame combines versatility, power, and ease of use. Grill, smoke, bake, sear—whatever you’re in the mood for, this BBQ handles it like a pro:

  1. Pellet Smoke System: The smoke box is simple—two scoops of pellets, shut the lid, and let the magic happen.
  2. Digital Display: The screen shows you exactly what’s going on—no guesswork.
  3. Portability & Build: It’s built like a tank but easy enough to roll around.

How the Ninja FlexFlame Works

The Ninja FlexFlame is a hybrid outdoor cooking system that combines gas, electric, and wood pellet technology to give you maximum flexibility. Whether you’re after quick high-heat grilling, precise temperature control, or rich smoky flavour, this setup has you covered.

The gas function runs on liquid propane (LP) and is designed for instant heat. Hook it up to a standard propane tank, ignite the burners with the electronic start, and you’re ready to cook within minutes.

The electric element powers the pellet ignition system and digital controls. Plugging the grill into a outdoor outlet allows the smoker to operate automatically, lighting pellets without the need for firelighters or manual ignition. The electric system also helps maintain steady smoking temperatures, preventing fluctuations that could affect your cook.

For those wanting a hit of wood-smoked BBQ, the built-in pellet system lets you add a layer of rich, smoky flavour to your food. Load the smoker box with food-grade wood pellets, and the grill will automatically ignite and regulate the burn. Different wood types, like hickory, applewood, or mesquite, can be used to customise the flavour profile of your meats.

This combination of gas, electric, and wood pellets makes the Ninja FlexFlame one of the most versatile outdoor cooking systems on the market. Whether you’re grilling steaks, slow-smoking a brisket, or combining both for a smoked-and-seared (see what I did there, ha) effect, the FlexFlame is designed to handle it all.

Cooking with the Ninja FlexFlame BBQ in Nashville

At the Ninja FlexFlame event, I put this grill to the test with five different dishes, each showcasing its unique capabilities. Here’s how it performed:

1. Texas-Style Pork Belly

  • Cooking Method: Smoked at 300°F for two hours with no wrap, lightly spritzed for moisture.
  • Result: Juicy, tender, and bursting with smoky flavour.
  • Insights: The smoke box and fan system ensured even, consistent smoke infusion without any heat loss.

2. Tomahawk Steak

  • Cooking Method: Grilled to medium-rare with a perfect sear.
  • Result: Even caramelisation and juicy results.
  • Insights: The digital display made it easy to monitor and control the exact grilling temperature.

3. Birria Tacos

  • Cooking Method: Tortillas dipped in consommé, filled with shredded beef ribs, and griddled to crispy perfection.
  • Result: Rich, smoky, and indulgent.
  • Insights: The griddle function delivered an amazing crispy texture.

4. Smashburgers with Bacon Jam

  • Cooking Method: Double-patty smashburgers cooked on the griddle, topped with melted cheese and bacon jam.
  • Result: Juicy burgers with crispy edges and bold flavours.
  • Insights: The griddle heated up quickly and evenly, making it ideal for high-volume cooking.

5. Birria-Style Pizza

  • Cooking Method: Pizza stone heated to temp, topped with birria beef and cheese, finished with a consommé drizzle.
  • Result: Crispy, wood-fired-style pizza with perfectly melted toppings.
  • Insights: The pizza stone performed flawlessly, and the FlexFlame’s rapid heat recovery kept the process smooth.

Key Benefits of the Ninja FlexFlame BBQ

Quick Temperature Recovery: You can lift the lid, check your food, and it doesn’t kill the heat—way better than most grills.

Smoke Infusion: The smoke box and fan system deliver deep, rounded smoky flavours you won’t get from smaller grills.

Build Quality: This thing is built solid—no flimsy parts, no faffing about, just proper quality that feels like it’ll last.

Versatility: From brisket to pizza, the Ninja FlexFlame can handle any challenge you throw at it.

The Ninja FlexFlame+ Black Edition

For those looking for something extra, the FlexFlame+ Black Edition offers a premium matte black finish, bonus accessories, and a sleeker, more fingerprint-resistant design. Exclusive to Home Depot (for now), it’s a stunning option that combines aesthetics with performance.

Things to Improve

No grill is perfect, and the Ninja FlexFlame BBQ has room for refinement in a few areas:

  1. Lighting: Adding an internal light for evening cooks would be a fantastic upgrade.
  2. Temperature Units: Allowing users to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit would make it more versatile for international users.
  3. Grease Management: Some grease didn’t flow perfectly into the designated griddle holes—something to monitor during long cooks.
  4. Grate Removal: Switching between the grates and griddle could be smoother with dedicated tools.
  5. Dishwasher Compatibility: None of this stuff is dishwasher safe, so be ready to get your hands dirty.

Ninja FlexFlame vs. Ninja Woodfire

I’ve been a long-time fan of the Ninja Woodfire, but the FlexFlame takes things to another level. While the Woodfire is perfect for quick, hands-off cooks, the FlexFlame offers a much larger cooking area, richer smoke infusion, and unmatched versatility. If you’re serious about BBQ, the FlexFlame is the upgrade you need.

Final Thoughts: Is the Ninja FlexFlame BBQ Worth It?

This isn’t just a BBQ, it’s an outdoor kitchen in one box. Whether you’re smoking brisket, searing tomahawks, or baking pizza, it delivers competition-level results with ease.

For me, the FlexFlame redefines what’s possible in outdoor cooking. Its speed, precision, and versatility make it the ultimate tool for any BBQ enthusiast. If you’re ready to elevate your grilling game, the Ninja FlexFlame is worth every penny.

Available now at Ninja UK

BUY NOW AT NINJA UK

1 Comment

  1. Cole Roberson says:
    Posted on

    It’s the best outdoor cooking system ever

Leave a Reply

You may also like...

Lee Bishop - Smoke & Sear

smoke.sear

1,065 24,066

24,000+ on Instagram.
11,000+ on Facebook.
66,000 website users this year.
130,000 page views.

And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members.

That’s honestly mad.

Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between.

But this year feels like things are starting to properly move.

The big goals are simple.

Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft.

Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward.

And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more.

To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you.

It’s all a bit ridiculous.

But we’re only getting started 🔥

#SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

86 13
Open
24,000+ on Instagram. 11,000+ on Facebook. 66,000 website users this year. 130,000 page views. And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members. That’s honestly mad. Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between. But this year feels like things are starting to properly move. The big goals are simple. Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft. Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward. And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more. To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you. It’s all a bit ridiculous. But we’re only getting started 🔥 #SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥

Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together.

And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me.

Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from.

There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅

But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things.

And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

88 15
Open
Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥 Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together. And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me. Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from. There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅 But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things. And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

First proper hike completed ✅

Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District.

This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start.

📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular
🥾 7.2 miles
⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain
⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes
🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador

12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it.

Groups like Lads Project matter.

No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural.

If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved.

Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side.

I’ll definitely be joining them again soon.

#LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity

60 9
Open
First proper hike completed ✅ Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District. This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start. 📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular 🥾 7.2 miles ⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain ⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes 🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador 12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it. Groups like Lads Project matter. No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural. If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved. Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side. I’ll definitely be joining them again soon. #LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity

TEMPER Smoked Pulled Lamb Flatbreads 🔥

2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder from @thecateringbutcher , hit with TEMPER from @fourge.bbq , smoked low and slow, then pulled into fresh flatbreads with garlic yoghurt, pickled onions, herbs and charred lemon.

Bit more of an involved cook this one, but absolutely worth it.

I also used the @typhur_uk Sync Gold Dual for temps throughout the cook and, to be fair, the Sub-1G connection was solid. No problem getting through the lamb, wrapped in foil, inside the Kamado Joe, through a few walls, while I cracked on writing the full recipe for the website like the BBQ geek I apparently am.

Full recipe is here:

https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/temper-smoked-pulled-lamb-flatbreads/

Enjoy!

103 25
Open
TEMPER Smoked Pulled Lamb Flatbreads 🔥 2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder from @thecateringbutcher , hit with TEMPER from @fourge.bbq , smoked low and slow, then pulled into fresh flatbreads with garlic yoghurt, pickled onions, herbs and charred lemon. Bit more of an involved cook this one, but absolutely worth it. I also used the @typhur_uk Sync Gold Dual for temps throughout the cook and, to be fair, the Sub-1G connection was solid. No problem getting through the lamb, wrapped in foil, inside the Kamado Joe, through a few walls, while I cracked on writing the full recipe for the website like the BBQ geek I apparently am. Full recipe is here: https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/temper-smoked-pulled-lamb-flatbreads/ Enjoy!

DRAGON, edge of the sky.

Flt Lt Tom Nation, the 2026 RAF Typhoon Display Pilot, putting the Typhoon through its paces over Coningsby.

Tom’s name is now on the jet, the black flying suit is on, the helmet has been unveiled, and the 2026 display season is starting to feel very real.

The aircraft, the pilot, the team behind it — all coming together for what looks like it’s going to be an unbelievable season.

Fast, precise, aggressive, controlled . . . and absolutely breathtaking to watch.

@raf_typhoondisplayteam
@eurofighter.typhoon

#RAFTyphoon #TyphoonDisplayTeam #EurofighterTyphoon #RAFConingsby

125 6
Open
DRAGON, edge of the sky. Flt Lt Tom Nation, the 2026 RAF Typhoon Display Pilot, putting the Typhoon through its paces over Coningsby. Tom’s name is now on the jet, the black flying suit is on, the helmet has been unveiled, and the 2026 display season is starting to feel very real. The aircraft, the pilot, the team behind it — all coming together for what looks like it’s going to be an unbelievable season. Fast, precise, aggressive, controlled . . . and absolutely breathtaking to watch. @raf_typhoondisplayteam @eurofighter.typhoon #RAFTyphoon #TyphoonDisplayTeam #EurofighterTyphoon #RAFConingsby