These easy Instant Pot Lentils are ready in just 10 minutes. Whether you’re cooking red or green lentils, they’re super simple to make!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil such as canola or avocado oil.
- Vegetable broth – chicken broth would also work.
- Dry lentils – this recipe will work for green, brown, red or black lentils.
- Salt – to taste.
How to cook lentils in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Assemble your ingredients.
Step 2: Add everything to the Instant Pot.
Add the olive oil, broth and lentils to the pot then season with salt.
Step 3: Cook on high pressure.
Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure.
Step 4: Stir, serve and enjoy!
Gently stir then lentils then serve and enjoy!
How to serve lentils
Now that you have a protein-packed pot full of perfectly cooked instapot lentils, it’s time to turn them into a delicious dish full of flavor! Here are some different ways you can use your lentils:
- Use them instead of black beans in these stuffed sweet potatoes.
- Add some extra protein to soups like this cabbage soup or make Instant Pot lentil soup.
- Turn them into a lentil salad.
- Make delicious curries like this slow cooker lentil curry.
- Replace ground meat with an equal amount of lentils in recipes like these taco-stuffed avocados.
- Mix and match them with other vegan proteins in these buddha bowls or these easy quinoa salads.
- Use leftover lentils and veggies that you have already cooked for this yummy lentil veggie burger from Veggies Don’t Bite.
- Season them with any herbs and spices of your choice like chili powder, garam masala, cumin seeds, paprika, onion powder, fresh garlic, pepper, bay leaves and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! The best part of making lentils in the Instant Pot is there’s no pre-soaking required. Just stick them straight in the pot with the vegetable broth and follow the instructions in the recipe card.
You’ll be able to tell that the lentils are done cooking when they’re nice and tender and no longer crunchy. If they have any crunch to them, they’re not fully cooked through.
I used vegetable broth for this lentils instapot recipe, but the lentil-to-liquid ratio is 3:2. So for every two cups of dry lentils, you’ll need to add three cups of liquid (either broth or water).
You can use green, black or brown lentils for this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend using red lentils, as they’ll get mushy and will fall apart in the pressure cooker.
One cup of dry lentils will usually give you about two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils. This recipe uses two cups of dry lentils, so you’ll get about four or five cups of cooked lentils.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftover cooked Instant Pot lentils in the refrigerator for up to a week. I suggest storing them in a Ziploc bag or airtight container. To reheat, stick them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. If you’re making one of your favourite sauce or soup recipes, you can just add the lentils directly into the dish so they heat up alongside the other ingredients.
Can you freeze cooked lentils?
You can definitely freeze cooked lentils! They’re always great to have on hand – that way, you can have them ready to go and add them to any meal.
To avoid reheating a big lump of lentils, spread the cooked Instant Pot lentils out on a baking sheet and let them freeze completely for about 2 hours. Then, store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
When you’re ready to use them, let them defrost in the fridge overnight then add them to whatever recipe you need them for.
More Instant Pot vegetarian recipes
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Best, Creamiest Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers.
Instant Pot Lentils {Ready in 10 Minutes}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups dry green, black or brown lentils
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add olive oil to Instant Pot, followed by broth and lentils. Shake salt overtop of lentils. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal.
- Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 10 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 10 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Gently stir, then serve and enjoy!
