This post shows you how to cook Instant Pot lentils to perfection, using either red or green lentils. A great alternative to the stove that cooks through quickly.
The Instant Pot is such a useful appliance for cooking chickpeas, black beans and pinto beans from scratch, so it should come as no surprise that it works great to cook lentils as well!
These Instant pot lentils cook quickly, but for me the true benefit is the 'hands off' factor. The thing I love about the Instant Pot is how you can 'set it and forget it'- no need to stir or to watch for a pot to boil over!
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Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- you can cook your lentils quickly, and use them up in a variety of recipes
- you don't need to stir or watch for a pot to boil over
- you can store them for later
Recipe video
See exactly how to cook red and green lentils in the Instant Pot by watching the video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- lentils- you can use either red or green lentils; each has a different cook and pressure release time
- water- we have cooked the lentils in water, but for added flavor you could add vegetable stock
- salt- we found this amount of salt to yield perfectly seasoned lentils; you can omit or adjust to taste
Step by step directions
Green lentils
1. Prepare lentils- Weigh out 1 lb of lentils (roughly 2 ¼ cups), then rinse in a colander to remove debris. Add the lentils to the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot with water and salt.
2. Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the Instant Pot beeps, allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release, before carefully transitioning the steam release handle to the 'venting' position to release any remaining pressure.
3. Stir- Stir up the lentils, and enjoy!
Red lentils
1. Prepare lentils- Weigh out 1 lb of lentils (roughly 2 ¼ cups), then rinse in a colander to remove debris. Add the lentils to the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot with water and salt.
2. Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Set to cook for '0 minutes' at high pressure. When the Instant Pot beeps, allow for a 5 minute natural pressure release, before carefully transitioning the steam release handle to the 'venting' position to release any remaining pressure.
NOTE- the red lentils cook through while the pot comes up to pressure and depressurizes rather than at high pressure.
FAQ
We tested in both the 6 quart Instant Pot and the 8 quart Instant Pot and it worked great in both. If you use the mini, you may have to cut the batch in half.
Yes. Cut the lentils, water and salt quantities in half, keep the cook times the same.
No, these go straight in without soaking.
Storage & Meal Prep
- fridge- portion out Instant Pot lentils into meal prep containers or jars, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- freezer- portion out into freezer-friendly jars or containers, and allow to cool completely. Freeze for up to 3 months
- reheating- heat in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming hot; heat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot; green lentils are also great served cold.
Ways to use your lentils
More Instant Pot basics
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Perfect Instant Pot Lentils (red + green)
Ingredients
- 1 lb red or green lentils 2 cups
- 5 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Green lentils
- Prepare lentils- Weigh out 1 lb of lentils (roughly 2 ¼ cups), then rinse in a colander to remove debris. Add the lentils to the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot with water and salt.
- Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the Instant Pot beeps, allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release, before carefully transitioning the steam release handle to the 'venting' position to release any remaining pressure.
- Stir- Stir up the lentils, and enjoy!
Red lentils
- Prepare lentils- Weigh out 1 lb of lentils (roughly 2 ¼ cups), then rinse in a colander to remove debris. Add the lentils to the stainless steel insert of the Instant Pot with water and salt.
- Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Set to cook for '0 minutes' at high pressure. When the Instant Pot beeps, allow for a 5 minute natural pressure release, before carefully transitioning the steam release handle to the 'venting' position to release any remaining pressure.
- Stir- Stir up the lentils, and enjoy!
Tips:
- fridge- portion out into meal prep containers or jars, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- freezer- portion out into freezer-friendly jars or containers, and allow to cool completely. Freeze for up to 3 months
- reheating- heat in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming hot; heat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot; green lentils are also great served cold.
Video
Nutrition Information
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Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
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