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This Instant Pot lentils recipe is so quick and easy! Here’s how to cook lentils in a pressure cooker, whether you want them straight up or seasoned for a fast dinner.
If you like eating plant based recipes, you’ve probably heard this: eat more lentils! Right? I’ve been eating my good share of lentils for years. But it can be hard to know where to start!
I’ve created this recipe to be a delicious basic lentil recipe that can be served many different ways: as part of a bowl meal, in a taco, and more! (My kids actually adore them.) The great part: pressure cooker lentils are totally hands off! Here’s my Instant Pot lentils recipe and all the ways I like to serve it.
5 Star Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “These came out beautifully cooked, firm and soft, melt in my mouth lentils. They even tasted good. They’re now sitting in the fridge, heading for Taco Bowl dinner tonight. Thank you for publishing this recipe and all the information!” -Bernadette
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Oh my! These were so good! We bought green lentils and they were amazing! We served them with the sheet pan veggie bake and used fat free Greek yogurt as a dipping sauce. Sooooo good! My hubs did not even miss the meat!” -Sherelle
The Best Lentils for Instant Pot Cooking
Brown lentils are my favorite here: they’re cheap, they’re in every store, and they hold their shape after cooking. Green lentils are my second favorite and can be used as a substitute!
The type I would avoid here is red or yellow lentils. They’re split and skinless, so they break down into mush quickly: which is great for a red lentil soup, but not really what we’re going for here.
How to Cook Lentils in a Pressure Cooker
Making Instant Pot lentils is one of the easier things you can make in your pressure cooker! If you’ve used your Instant Pot a lot, you’ll know that many recipes call for a natural release, which can add a lot of time to a recipe.
I’m happy to report that this Instant Pot lentils recipe is seriously quick. The cook time for lentils in an Instant Pot is only 9 minutes, then you do a Quick Release and you’re done! Here are the basic steps, or jump to the recipe below for quantities:
- Combine everything. Broth, lentils, spices, salt, and pepper all go in at once. Give them a stir.
- Lock the lid and turn the vent to Sealing.
- Set the timer. Press Pressure Cook, confirm High Pressure, set 9 minutes. Keep in mind, the pot takes 5 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure first.
- Quick release. Cover your hand with a towel, move the handle to Venting, and keep your face away from the steam.
- Stir and rest. Open the lid, stir the remaining broth back in, and let it sit 5 minutes before serving.
My Water to Lentil Ratio
For my Instant Pot lentils recipe, I use 2 cups liquid to 1 cup dry lentils. Stovetop lentils usually call for something like to 3:1 because water evaporates as it simmers. A sealed pressure cooker loses almost nothing, so you don’t need the extra liquid you’d use on thestovetop.
These lentils come out perfectly spiced and very moist. One thing to keep in mind: notice that the bowl of the pressure cooker comes out with a bit of broth left over: stir it in and the lentils will absorb the broth upon sitting. They turn out perfectly moist (being overly dry can be a complaint when cooking lentils).
Ways to Serve These Lentils
I wanted to make this Instant Pot lentils recipe to function as a base recipe. It will work both if you need lentils for another recipe, but it’s seasoned so that you can eat it as an easy lunch or dinner recipe!
If you’re making these Instant Pot lentils as a component for another recipe, you can omit the spices: unless you think they would go with the flavor! Keep in mind that this recipe uses salt: so if you use them as a component in another recipe, adjust the salt accordingly based on that recipe.
If you’re making these Instant Pot lentils as an easy lunch or dinner, here are a few ways that I like to serve them:
- As a bowl meal: Throw them in a bowl with pita bread, a dollop of Greek yogurt, tomato wedges, and chopped cilantro
- In a taco: Throw them into a tortilla with salsa and sour cream as Instant Pot Tacos.
- With eggs: They’re great for brunch with my best scrambled eggs recipe.
- On nachos: They’re the protein in the best vegan nachos.
- In a salad: Cooled, with feta and vinaigrette: see my easy lentil salad.
- Stuffed into sweet potatoes: Try baked sweet potatoes with Moroccan lentils.
Storage and Freezing
Cooked lentils keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water to loosen them back up.
They freeze beautifully, which is the real argument for making a big batch. Cool them completely, portion into freezer bags, press flat, and freeze for up to 3 months. Flat bags thaw in minutes under warm water. I keep a stack of them for nights when dinner needs to happen in ten.
Dietary Notes
This Instant Pot lentils recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, plant based, dairy free and vegan.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Lentils never need soaking, and soaking before pressure cooking will overcook them into mush at standard cook times.
Use 2 cups of liquid per 1 cup of dry lentils. A sealed pressure cooker barely evaporates, so the stovetop 3:1 ratio leaves you with soup.
Cook them in seasoned broth rather than plain water, and stir the leftover liquid back in instead of draining it.
Instant Pot Lentils
Wondering how to cook Instant Pot lentils? Here’s how to cook lentils in a pressure cooker, whether you want them straight up or seasoned for a fast dinner!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 (about 4 cups) 1x
- Category: Base recipe
- Method: Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Mediterranean Diet, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 ½ cups brown or green lentils (do not use red lentils)
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In the Instant Pot, place all ingredients and give them a stir. Lock the lid and place the vent in the “Sealing” position.
- Cook on high pressure for 9 minutes: Press the Pressure Cook button (making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected) and set the time for 9 minutes. Wait while the Instant Pot cooks. (Note: It takes about 5 to 10 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
- Quick release: Vent the remaining steam from the Instant Pot by moving the pressure release handle to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. Open the pressure cooker lid.
- Open the lid and stir; there will be some leftover broth but the lentils will soak it up as they sit and become perfectly moist. Serve warm. (Storage info: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator; reheat on the stovetop.)
Thank you!