With anInstant Potandabout 30 minutes, you can make perfectly cooked green lentils every time! Let us show you how.
Instant Pot Lentils
Using the Instant Pot is a quick and easy way to make perfectly tender lentils! For this recipe, we are referring to green lentils, which are the most common, versatile, and easy to find.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Ratio= 1 part green lentils : 3 parts water
- Cook Time= 7-10 minutes
- Release= 15 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure
Lentils go well instews,soups,sloppy joes,lentil “meatloaf,”shepherd’s pie, and much more!
Did you find this helpful? If so, be sure to check out ourInstant Pot Cooking Times Guidefor perfectly cooked grains and beans every time!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo#minimalistbakeron Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Instant Pot Lentils (Perfect, Tender, No Soaking!)
A quick & simple method for making PERFECT green lentils in the Instant Pot every time! No soaking and just 1 ingredient and an Instant Pot required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Prep Time 23 minutes minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 33 minutes minutes
Servings 4 (~2/3-cup servings)
Course Helpful How-to, Side Dish
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 5 Days
Instructions
Add lentils and water (or vegetable broth) to the Instant Pot and stir to prevent sticking. Pressure cook on high for 7-10 minutes (7 minutes for more firm, 10 for more tender // it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
Once the timer goes off, allow to naturally release for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped and strain off any excess cooking liquid.
Enjoy immediately in stews, soups, sloppy joes, lentil "meatloaf," shepherd's pie, and much more! Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a little water, as needed, to prevent sticking.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Total time includes active cook time, release time, and the time it takes for the Instant Pot to heat up (~8 minutes).
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 two-third-cup serving Calories: 169 Carbohydrates: 30.4 g Protein: 11.8 g Fat: 0.5 g Saturated Fat: 0.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.25 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.09 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 3 mg Potassium: 325 mg Fiber: 5.1 g Sugar: 1 g Vitamin A: 18.72 IU Vitamin C: 2.16 mg Calcium: 16.8 mg Iron: 3.12 mg
Reader Interactions
Leave a Comment & Rating!
All commentsI made thisQuestions
Busterbird says
YUM! This is the second time I made these, and both times they turned out perfectly! I went with nine minutes because I planned to use them in soup, with the full 15 minutes natural release. As with another reviewer, I used OLD lentils, and was concerned they might not turn out well. They were packed in an airtight container, so no critters found their way in, thank goodness. 😂 I had some leftover liquid at the end, and I just strained the lentils. I love that they did not turn to mush. Great instructions. Thank you.
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Support @ Minimalist Baker saysWe’re so glad you had success with the recipe! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
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Jane says
I followed your recipe exactly cooking the lentils 10 minutes and natural releasing for 15. I imagine my lentils were old, but they turned out perfectly and now I’m ready to try my first ever lentil “meatloaf “. Thanks so much for an instant pot recipe. It sure beats stirring them on the stovetop. 😊
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you had success with the recipe, Jane. Thank you for sharing and enjoy your lentil “meatloaf”! xo
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Doug says
I just followed your recipe: 7 minutes and then 15 minutes for natural release. I thought they came out perfect. The 1:3 ratio was good and when drained they were perfect all by themselves with a little hot sauce. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 50 years (since 1977) and have always used the slow cooker for lentils. This is great! Thanks for this.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Doug! Thanks so much for sharing!
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Jack Lodi says
Thanks to all the comments, used Gordo’s Green Lentils at 3:1 water to bean. Did 7 minutes with 15 release. Perfect. Might even go 12 release next time. Thanks all for the beta. Made a lentil soup and needed more lentils quick and this was the ticket.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jack! Thanks so much for sharing.
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Ben says
The cooking time was way too long my lentils were super mushy and no where near perfect. I used 1 1/2 cups lentils and 4 1/2 cups water for 9 minutes on high pressure released for 15 minutes. I am new to the instant pot and when I told my wife what I did she was baffled and instantly new it was not right.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear they didn’t turn out right, Ben. Would you mind sharing what type of lentils you were using?
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Chris NoName says
I made this, and it came out perfect. I only let the pressure release for 11 minutes-not 15. I drained the water. I was happy to find a recipe with no other ingredients. Thank you!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So glad you enjoyed, Chris! Thanks for sharing!
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SY says
The lentil to water ratio is off. The lentils always come out extremely soupy.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi, did you drain off the water? That’s what we recommend for this recipe. In our experience, using less water causes the lentils to cook unevenly.
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B says
I’m still struggling with this one, I’ve gone down to.7 minutes with 10 natural release and still they are breaking apart.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi B, sorry it’s giving you trouble! You can try for less time. If the lentils are smaller, they will cook faster.
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Jeanette says
I followed the directions exactly & cooked for 8 minutes. They were not quite cooked in the center so I just sautéed them a bit. I will try 10 minutes next time. There was quite a bit of water to drain off but that’s no problem.
I am wondering at what altitude you are for your recipe. It can make a difference for some recipes. I wish all posters of recipes would divulge this information. There are charts available to determine the increase cooking time for high altitudes.
Thank you!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jeanette, thank you for sharing your experience! We’re ~500 ft above sea level.
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Gwendolyn Wilson says
I just made this in my 6 qt instant pot and they are perfect. I used 1 c to 1 and 3/4 cup liquid I added onion flakes ans cumin and salt and pepper. I cooked for 10 mins and let slow release for 15 mins. I used green lintels. Perfect! I eat these with protein because. I don’t eat potatoes or rice.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing, Gwendolyn! xo
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Cassandra says
I got soup— lentils were well past tender into mush, and it was very watery. I’m going to see if I can make it into something useful so it doesn’t go to waste, but disappointed.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So sorry that happened, Cassandra! Would you mind sharing what type of lentils you were using? Did they look like the ones in the photos? We’ve tried to troubleshoot this issue several times and the thing that’s making a difference in our experience is the type of lentils. When using the lentils pictured, we find cooking for less time than specified in the instructions causes the lentils to be uncooked in the center.
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Lila says
Hi I’m not the original commentator but after the third time using this recipe I felt I needed to make a comment. Your instant pot timing tend to the best on the web. I used brown then first French lentils then this time I used brown lentils. Too soft, too hard, then way too soft. Cooked last time at 8 mins. Maybe it would best to write in the title the type of lentil this recipe is for.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Lila, thank you for the suggestion and sorry to hear it’s given you trouble!
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Melody Gonez says
I read the comments before making the recipe. I did 1 cup lentils to 3 cups chicken broth but I only pressure cooked them for 5 minutes with a 15 minute natural release. The lentils were mushy and soupy – but they were delicious. So next time I will pressure cook for 5 minutes with a 5 minute natural release. Thank you for the guidance as I don’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing your experience, Melody. Sorry to hear the texture wasn’t right. What type of lentils were you using?
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Laura says
Unlike others, I had the complete opposite problem. 3c was way too much but my lentils were undercooked! Used dried brown lentils.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Laura, it seems there are several factors that can impact how long it takes. If they’re not cooked enough, you can reseal the lid and cook a few minutes longer. It should pressurize much faster if the water is still warm. The biggest factors impacting the cook time seem to be the size of the lentils, how old they are, and how hard/soft the water is.
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Carol says
I have made this 3 times every time I get soup! I have tried 10 min, 8 min, 7 min and allow to naturally release for 15 minutes. Every single time it is a mushy mess, at least lentils are cheap.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry it hasn’t gone well, Carol! Are your lentils a similar size to the ones in the photos? If smaller, they could take less time!
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Madi says
Way too much water!! I used brown lentils and ended up with basically soup.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Madi, did you drain off the water? That’s what we recommend for this recipe. In our experience, using less water causes the lentils to cook unevenly.
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Jules says
I just used this recipe to batch cook a bag of lentils (kitchen refit begins Monday eek!) and it worked perfectly for me. Brown lentils (instructions of 45min, 3 to 1 water/lentils.). I followed this recipe and PC on high for 10minutes. They came out perfect. Only around half a cup of liquid left which was easy enough to strain out. Thankyou from a PC newby! X
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it worked well, Jules! Thank you for the lovely review and best of luck with your kitchen refit! xo
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Mary says
Awesome recipe if you’re making baby food, I guess, since I basically just have mush now. I followed the recipe carefully (at high for 9 minutes, less than the maximum recommended time) and ended up with the most overcooked, soupy mess. I drained the lentils as recommended in the comments, but I can’t un-cook them to a reasonable firmness. The ratio of lentils:liquid is very incorrect based on my experience with this recipe.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry it didn’t turn out right, Mary! What type of lentils were you using? As for the ratio of lentils:liquid, you can try with less, but in our experience, the ones at the top become half cooked with less liquid.
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Mary says
I used brown lentils, like the recipe suggested.
Margaret says
I made this. I did not soak the lentils. The water to lentil ratio was way too much! I see MANY of the other posted comments say the same thing….
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Paul says
Awful advice. Unless you’re making soup, 3:1 ratio of liquid to lentil in instant pot is ridiculously to much. About 1.5:1 NOT 3:1.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Paul, we find the lentils cook unevenly if not completely covered with water. We recommend draining off the water at the end.
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Shelly says
Soooo, I followed measurements and since I have older lentils (over 4 years in my pantry) I cooked for 12 minutes with a full natural release and the texture was soft but not mushy. Also, I added a half teaspoon of each onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
There is a bit of delicious pot liquor leftover and that made this a keeper recipe. Today I poured it off into a cup and savored every drop.
My intention is to use the lentils through the week in tacos, salads, and with sautéed mushrooms over mashed potatoes.In my opinion the cooking time is relative to the condition of the lentil. I know that makes it challenging for beginners to lentils.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Shelly! So glad you enjoyed them. xo
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David says
Mine came out too soft, and I don’t think my modifications were radical.
I suspected 3:1 was way too much liquid already so I did 1.5:1 because I’ve never had issues using less water with other recipes. I have the big 8 qt instant pot.
I doubled the recipe, using a 1 lb (roughly 4 cups?) sealed package of what were labeled green lentils, roughly the same size as the ones pictured in the recipe, and 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water.
I pressure cooked on high for 8 minutes and 5 minutes NR.
The lentils are quite soft, still whole, but I think most would fall apart if I tried to rinse them. I was making a soup anyway, so this is fine. I like my lentils more firm than this, though.
I’m at sea level. I have hard water. These are as far as I know the typical grocery store staple green lentils that are brown in color and appear identical to the ones in the recipe. Perhaps mine are smaller and I’m misreading the perspective in the photos?
It looks like you’re using a 6 qt instant pot, maybe the chamber size matters? My green peas cook faster for me, too.
I eat lentils frequently so I will try again with a shorter cooking time next time.
If it matters, I threw a chopped onion and a bunch of cumin and garlic in it before I closed the lid. I got a good soup out of it.
Would love to know why folks are getting such varied outcomes!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi David, thanks for sharing your experience! We’d love to know how it goes for you at a shorter cook time. We found a shorter cook time causes them to remain firm in the middle, but perhaps you’ll have a different result!
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Alexandra says
I think this was way too much water. I doubled it and now have a giant batch of lentil mush that I definitely can’t use for my salad recipe as planned. I’d suggest finding a different recipe.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Alexandra, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right. What type of lentils were you using? They shouldn’t be mushy, but it’s normal for it to have extra water because if you use just enough to be absorbed, the lentils will cook unevenly. We’d recommend draining off the water.
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Alexandra says
Unfortunately it was so mushy I couldn’t drain off water bc it had turned into a big blob. The lentils are just so soft and not separate lentils but a mass of goo, so not drainable like with beans. I followed directions exactly with brown lentils. I tried it again with half the water snd it worked.
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Lindsay Cate says
I read the comments first so I decided on only 7 minutes total, with 15 minute natural release. I used 1 cup of One Degree organic green lentils RINSED to 3 cups of water and it was PERFECT. (Directions on bag calls for 1 cup lentils/4 cups water). I simply drained some of the excess off and seasoned. I will absolutely be using this recipe again!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it worked well for you, Lindsay! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
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Pt says
Mush! I wonder if some lentils are just different. I read the back of my bag afterwards and it says no need to pre soak? Possible. I added seasoning, carrots and celery and they were tasty. This would be perfect for a soup recipe. I didn’t mind draining them but there were mush and I was unable to use them for my salad.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi, sorry they didn’t work out! We don’t recommend soaking lentils for this recipe. They will definitely turn to mush. Did you soak them?
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Dianne Pymble-Ward says
I made this tonight. A perfect Australian winter dinner with grated Parmesan and sourdough toast. Can’t wait for tomorrow night’s bowl.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sounds so simple yet delicious! Thank you for sharing, Dianne! xo
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Tammy says
Hi. The 3 cups of liquid is too much. I used instapot. 11 mins. It’s like soup…good tasting, but soupy. I’m thinking ratio of 1:2, lentils s to liquid.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Tammy, Did you try draining off the excess liquid? In our experience, using less water causes the lentils on top to cook unevenly because they end up below the water line after cooking.
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Mushy says
Should have check the rating read the comments first. Brown lentils, cooked at 8 min. completely unusable.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so sorry that happened for you! We’ve retested several times and haven’t been able to figure out why some readers are having that experience.
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September says
I followed this recipe to a T and the lentils turned out perfect! I used them in my ancho-lentil tacos for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner. This will be my go-to method for cooking brown lentils; thank you!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad to hear it! Thank you for the lovely review, September! P.s. those tacos sound DELICIOUS! xoxo
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Karen says
Should have read the comments before making this: way too much water! I followed the recipe exactly and the lentils were very mushy and there was a ton of water leftover.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So sorry to hear this didn’t work for you, Karen! Many readers have varied experiences with this recipe, so we’re curious how long you cooked them for? And what kind of lentils did you use?
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Andrea says
All mush. I used 2 cups red lentils and followed the instructions closely, but it ended up as mush instead of separate lentils for a salad. I’ll turn it into dal, but I had to cook another batch in a pot for the dish I needed today. I would have been happy to drain extra water out (that’s what I did with my simmered batch)
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Andrea, sorry that happened! This recipe is for green or brown lentils. Red lentils will cook faster and we have a separate recipe for that. That being said, the Instant Pot isn’t a good fit if you’re looking for red lentils for a salad. You’ll either end up with lentils that are too hard or too soft because of how quickly red lentils cook.
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Ellen says
Came out way overcooked and mushy.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So sorry to hear this didn’t work for you, Ellen! Many readers have varied experiences with this recipe, so we’re curious how long you cooked them for? And what kind of lentils did you use?
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LadyHulk says
I used brown lentils. Cooked 8 minutes and NR 10 minutes. I used them anyway to make lentil rice. No food waste allowed at my house.
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Marilyn Nowak says
This recipe did not work for me either however I simply turned it into a lentil soup! A few spices, some dried onion and celery and voila!!
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Jennifer says
way too much water I do – 1 3/4 cups liquid for 1 cup of lentils
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jennifer!
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Michael says
The 3:1 ratio is way too high. The lentils were in a puddle of water after cooking and I had to drain them. I’d recommend modifying to a different water ratio—maybe 2:1?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Michael, if you use a 2:1 ratio, the lentils will be unevenly cooked because there’s no stirring during the process, so the top half would end up below the water line. Needing to drain them is normal when pressure cooking.
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Kacie Hess says
This recipe turned out awful. I was suspicious of the water to lentils ratio but didn’t listen to myself and instead followed the recipe to a T. They came out soggy, with the ton of extra water over the top of the lentils, and instead of a bean texture, they ended up like a paste (much like refried beans). I ended up having to drain some water off the top and then put the Instant Pot on Saute mode to get the remaining water out.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kacie, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out well. It’s normal for there to be extra water leftover because if you use less water in the Instant Pot, the lentils will cook unevenly with the top ones undercooked. As for the cook time, we haven’t been able to replicate the issue of the lentils being overcooked, but it may have to do with the type of lentils used, with smaller ones cooking faster.
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Angi says
Awful. Had to throw it out instead of eat it. Instead of lentils I was left with something between creamed corn & mashed potatoes. I tried to ‘drain the excess water off’ but since it was more like applesauce than water it wouldn’t run thru my strainer. The lentil to water ratio seemed accurate- same as on the bag. So I’m assuming cook time was too long or needed to be quick release instead of natural. I’m so sad. 😞
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so sorry that was your experience, Angi! What type of lentils did you use?
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De Aun Tollefson says
As has been pointed out, there are several varieties of lentils and they require different cooking times. However, I have an additional theory on the mushy mystery. I suspect people having poor results are probably cooking the lentils with broth or bouillon, which tends to have quite a bit of sodium. Salt should be added to lentils after cooking them.
I prepare brown lentils using 5 cups of water for 1 lb legumes, cook 6 minutes HP, NPR for 6 minutes. These are not drained and are added to a pot with a sauteed veggie, fresh spinach and tomato sugo. (ie they will continue to cook a bit)Reply
Gggg says
This recipe works very well for regular whole brown/green lentils.
People who are using French green lentils (puy lentils) need to drastically reduce the cook time or use a recipe made for puy lentils.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing!
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Yolanda Garfield says
Followed directions exactly and they came out perfectly! Thanks so much!!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing, Yolanda!
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Candi J Costner-Jensen says
1 lb bag (3 cups) of brown lentils from walmart
2 3/4cup veg broth
4 mn high manual pressure with the keep warm button OFF
10 mn natural pressure release
No liquid left, lentils have a bite. Just what I wanted for making a lentil loaf!
Thank you for the assist Minimalist Baker and for the comments everyone. Using your recipes often. I pray you all are blessed and eating and drinking to the glory of God 🙌Reply
- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Candi. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo
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Milenka says
I followed the instructions and now I have mush lentils.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear that was your experience, Milenka! What type of lentils were you using? Were they particularly small?
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Vernon says
good with vegetable broth and bourbon on red lentils 2 minutes.
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Vernon says
good with vegetable broth and bourbon
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Adam says
I made two batches. The first I threw away. Too mushy. I cooked them for 10 minutes. The second batch I cooked for 8 minutes. Again very mushy. I would try cooking them for six minutes.
Also the liquid quantity also seems to be off. The second batch I used a half cup less and that helped.Reply
- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear that was your experience! What type of lentils were you using? Were they particularly small? It’s normal for there to be excess liquid leftover with the Instant Pot and it can be drained off. If you don’t use enough water, the lentils won’t cook evenly (the top ones will be half-cooked).
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Heather says
Something with this timing is off. Wish I had noticed the ratings and read the review first. Mily lentils were complete mush. Luckily I was making lentil soup so it’s okay but I do prefer a bite even in lentil soup.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Heather, sorry to hear that was your experience! Would you mind sharing what type of lentils you were using? We’ve tried troubleshooting this recipe and have only been able to replicate the issue when using lentils that are really small in size or are red lentils.
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John S says
In researching lentil cooking times according to the instant pot website cooking times are as follows; NON soaked (dry) whole green/brown lentils 8-10 minutes; split red/yellow lentils 1-2 minutes. Lentils used in the instant pot pressure cooker are not recommended to have any soak time. This comes directly from the instant pot website. So for all those with beans that are mush this is likely the reason….to long of a cook time. In my lentil cooking in the instant pot I go anywhere from 2-5 minutes cook time. Living in Florida everything cooks drastically faster compared to others not at sea level so adjust slightly depending on altitude, the higher the elevation the longer the cooking time.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for sharing, John!
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Matt says
I followed the instructions and the green lentils were reduced to paste. Are you sure about the cook time?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear this happened, Matt! Were your green lentils on the smaller side? We find that variance in lentil size can affect the results. If you decide to try them again you could reduce the cook time to 6-7 minutes instead of 8-10. Thanks for your honest review!
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Kinara says
I’m having the same issue as many others. I used regular Bob’s Red Mill brown lentils. I tried them once at 8 minutes cook time, 15 minutes natural release and they were mush. I did 8 minutes cook time and immediately released pressure- also mush.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kinara, sorry to hear that! Is it possible the lentils are on the small side? We’d suggest trying 6 or 7 minutes next time. With really small lentils they could even cook faster. The time they are pressure cooking has more effect on the texture than whether you quick release or naturally release. Hope that helps!
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Mat says
These came out perfect! I did the measurements exactly as you listed. I did the times differently, though. I don’t know which instant pot I have, but I’ve noticed my times need to be adjusted sometimes. I did 8 minutes pressure cooking and 3 minutes natural release. It wasn’t too much broth either, they’re perfect! Thank you so much!!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Mat!
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Caelyn says
I had lentil mush which my kids ate on chips… ummm I think they were in too long… I had pork tenderloin in before the lentils! it was good just not right lol! Two stars because they were mush!
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Caelyn says
Also forgot to post red lentils…
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Caelyn, sorry to hear they didn’t turn out right. Were you using red lentils? This recipe is for green or brown lentils. Red lentils will definitely be mushy in the Instant Pot.
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Jameel says
I made this recipe with a much larger portion of lentils, a cereal bowl full, and two bowls of water, one of beef broth, salt, pepper, half a stick of butter, onion, garlic, a splash of soy and a few drops of liquid smoke. Cooked it on the “Bean” setting for 12 minutes, and the result is delightful. A bit mushy, a bit chewy, this turned out just right. (Full disclosure: my dad is Pakistani and I grew up eating dál).
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing, Jameel! Your additions sound lovely!
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Janet Phillips says
Followed the instructions and these were mush. Basically made dahl without the seasoning. I wanted these lentils in tact for a salad. Threw them all away as I don’t really like plain mushy lentils.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Janet, sorry to hear that was your experience! Were your lentils the same size as the ones in the photo? We’ve found that some green lentils are smaller and cook much faster.
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Risa says
I made 1/2 cup dry brown lentils and a tad over 3/4 cup water (14 tablespoons if you want to measure). Perfect at 10 minutes and 9 min natural release. I added 1/2 tsp sea salt. Delicious. Softer side, but that’s how I like lentils.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Great! Thank you for sharing your experience, Risa! xo
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Patricia says
The timing was too long. I set the timer for 8 minutes and let the pressure off after natural release of 10 minutes. My lentils were complete mush.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Patricia, sorry to hear that! We’re a little stumped as to what’s causing this issue for some people. Perhaps different varieties of lentils? You could try 6 or 7 minutes next time, but in our experience, they aren’t tender enough.
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Patricia says
I used green Spanish lentils, from an opened bag. After I open a bag, I fold it down tight with the remainder and put a couple of elastic bands around it. I live in a warm climate at sea level. I don’t know if that affects cooking times?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for the additional info! We wonder if perhaps green Spanish lentils are the difference? Do they look smaller than the brown lentils we used (see second photo)? We’ll see if we can find that variety and do some more testing!
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justine says
Followed the recipe with green lentils and it came out super mushy.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear that, Justine! How long did you pressure cook it?
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Alex says
I tried this only cooking for 4 minutes on high, and 8 minutes natural release… it still turned out as mush.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear that, Alex! What type of lentils are you using?
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Donna says
Agree 3 to one ratio is wayyy off
Check your recipe it’s not right
Waste of lentils and brothReply
- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Donna, when cooking lentils in the Instant Pot, it’s normal for there to be water leftover at the end – simply drain it off. The excess water is needed to fully cover the lentils so they cook evenly (otherwise the ones at the top won’t be submerged during cooking and will be half cooked).
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Darlene Begovich says
I usually have great success with your recipes. On this one my lentils came out mushy. I used the eight minute recommendation.I wish I would’ve read the comments first because it seems like a lot of people are having that issue. Next time I will cook them for half the time and then I can cook them a little longer if they need it. This would be OK for soup, but I want to add them to grain bowls so I would’ve preferred them to be firm.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you, Darlene. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Fran says
I just made these with green lentils just as you instructed and most of the water was still in the instant pot and the lentils were whole but really, really soft. No idea what went wrong.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Fran, sorry to hear the texture wasn’t right! It’s normal for there to be water leftover at the end – simply drain it off. The excess water is needed to fully cover the lentils so they cook evenly (otherwise the ones at the top won’t be submerged during cooking and will be half cooked). Were you using whole lentils or split lentils? If you try it again, you can start with 7 minutes.
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C says
Alright, science mode activated. We have a burger recipe we’re trying to work out that calls for cooked lentils, so we can make lentils over and over and report back and try to work out why there’s this disparity in your comment section D:
Made it as-directed in our 6qt instant pot (duo evo plus). 9 minutes, natural release. Unsoaked brown lentils were mostly from an open-but-tightly-closed bag.
Liquid was mushroom broth (mushroom bouillon is basically salt, msg, and dried mushroom). We have somewhat hard water, and are at 1k feet over sea level (which is nothing).
The hard water/broth/elevation are likely to remain stable across iterations.I wouldn’t call the results “mush” but it definitely wasn’t fairly clean lentils as pictured. We put them in a strainer and let a sludge leak out.
For what it’s worth, we have a lentil curry recipe that has a significantly lower curry:liquid ratio — 1.5C lentils, 1C water, 1 14oz can coconut milk — and a longer cook time, 15 min/10min release — and I’d say that even despite the other ingredients making a sauce, they come out more discrete than these.
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C says
Next effort! 1 cup lentils, two cups mushroom broth (plus half a tsp each cumin/paprika), 8 minutes, 10 min release. Lentils are from an open-but-tightly-closed bag.
Came out great! Might, on next attempt, go for a heaping cup of lentils (there was just a liiiittle extra liquid) and might go still less time/release-time (they were pretty soft).
I also feel like we got more lentils out of this batch, which says to me that the leaking sludge was dissolved lentils.Reply
- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing your experimentation!
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Diane says
I used brown lentils, cooked for 10 mins with a 10 min natural release. Result – borderline mushy lentils. I was dubious about that 15 minute natural release so I cut the time down. Will do quick release next time. I think that is the problem.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Diane, sorry to hear they turned out overcooked. We find it’s more so the pressure cooking time that impacts the texture than the release time. So maybe try reducing that by a couple minutes? Are you using small lentils?
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emma says
Unfortunately total mush. I think the 15 minute release is too long so they keep cooking during that time.
Used water no salt. lentils were from an unopened package so maybe they retrain nite moisture? I did make a larger quantity thank the recipe but seems like that would make for longer cooking time, not shorter, if it had any effect. I’ll probably go back to stovetop cooking which isn’t longer, and just use IP for dried beans
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Oh no! So sorry this happened, Emma. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us, we’ll take a look at the timings of this recipe!
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Dorothy Cline says
I made the lentils in the bottom of my 8 quart using leftover beef stock. Over the lentils I put my trivet with “pot in pot” a cup of rice and a cup of meat juice. The recipe timing turned out perfect on both the lentils and the rice!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it worked well! Thank you for sharing your method, Dorothy!
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Darin Anthony says
I had the same issue. Mine is more like soup. I double the recipe and used stock. Did 10 minutes because of the doubling. Not good.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Oh no! Thanks for sharing your experience, Darin. We will work on trouble-shooting this recipe!
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Melanie Price says
Thanks for the way to easily make dried lentils. I jsut bought my instant pot mainly for cooking dried beans and rice and of course anything that cooks quick which I’m learning so many other things too. ♡♡♡ Your directions Worked perfectly with my green sprouted dried lentils. Thanks for the share.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad to hear it worked well! Thank you for sharing your experience, Melanie! xo
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MM says
I’ve also got hard water from southern Arizona, but I made this twice using the 10-minute cook time (once with 8oz lentils and 3 cups tap water, once with 8oz lentils and “low sodium” vegetable broth), and they were perfect each time. So the experiments continue :)
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thank you for sharing your experience!
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Espiritus says
I substituted a cup of Tikka Masala sauce for one cup of water, followed your instructions and they came out beautifully.
I’m wondering if perhaps “high” pressure setting is too much for some of the complainants, since at least one mentioned being at a lower altitude. They could modify this using the low pressure setting and see if it works better for them.Reply
Deecee says
I just made this in my brand new Instant Pot 6 qt. Ultra, and the lentils came out perfect!
I sorted and wash-rinsed the lentils, added 4 cups of water, 1 tsp. vegetable base, pressure cooked on high for 10 minutes, and used the quick release button.
I live at over 3,000 feet above sea level in Southeastern Arizona, and we have very hard well water.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! So happy to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your experience, Deecee!
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KC says
For the mush issue, I would suggest it’s an issue with water. My gram always said with beans and lentils how hard or soft your water was would vastly change your cooking times. It may be this recipe works great with hard water but not soft water.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for the tip, KC! This is super interesting!
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Meemers says
Perfect every time. My Instapot and Ninja Foodi both automatically turn on the “keep warm” setting; I have to turn them off or my lentils will be mush by the time I complete the natural release. I’m wondering if the people who are reporting mush have the keep warm setting on.
Also, I’m wondering if you could include if that setting should be on or off in your recipes.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it turns out well for you! We haven’t had an issue when leaving on keep warm, but perhaps if it’s kept on too long that is the issue – thanks for bringing it to our attention!
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Crystal says
I did everything the way the recipe said. It almost completely released the pressure in 15 minutes; there wasn’t a lot left to release with the quick release valve. I hit the valve when the natural release time was down to 30 seconds and set my computer timer to time it. I had perfectly cooked lentils once I drained them. Once my instant pot cools, I’ll wash it, then make the vegan sloppy joes.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Crystal!
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Alex says
Maybe the people who are having them turn out mushy are using red lentils instead of brown? Because that would do it.
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Rose says
I tried instant pot lentils. I read everyone comments before making it. I decided to let it naturally release for 4 minutes. Then immediately removing them from the water and letting them drain. The lentils came out perfect not mushy.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Rose, thanks for sharing your experience. Glad to hear they turned out well!
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Doug says
Mushy as mushy could be.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Doug, we’re so sorry that was your experience! Other readers have reported that, but we’ve tried troubleshooting and can’t figure out what’s causing that for some people while others report it works great. Did you make any modifications? Are you using lentils that have been sprouted or soaked?
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Sean says
I had issues with softness, even after reducing both cooking time and depressurization time. I wonder if the difference is in how long lentils have been unsealed and exposed to air (and therefore moisture.)
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That’s an interesting theory, Sean! Thanks for sharing that idea!
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Michelle North says
Every time I try to make lentils in the instant pot they are still hard, but when I cook soup in the instant pot (with lentils) it comes out perfect every time.
I don’t know what I do wrong when I try to cook lentils without soup, but always have to put them on the stove and finish cooking. Even when I follow the recipe verbatim. Maybe because of the salt?
It perplexes me.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That is very perplexing! Salt can make them take longer to cook, but it sounds like perhaps you’re having the opposite issue?
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Amy Jones says
So easy and turned out great! I cooked them on high pressure for 9 minutes and got perfectly tender lentils. Thanks for the recipe!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad they turned out well for you, Amy! Thanks for sharing! xo
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Silvi says
Mine came out mushy too :( Followed directions exactly, using green lentils (not soaked). Luckily I’m adding them to something the food processor so it’s not a big deal but think I’ll stick with my stovetop method for now.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So sorry about that, Silvi! We’re a little stumped as to why that’s happening. You could try reducing the time to 7-8 minutes. We’ll revisit this one and see if we can troubleshoot what’s going on.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Silvi, we retested and can’t replicate the issue of the lentils being mushy. For us they were perfectly tender and it seemed like less time would have made them too firm/uncooked. Is it possible you let them naturally release for longer than 15 minutes? Let us know if you’re still having trouble with these!
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Crystal says
Did you drain the leftover cooking liquid? If you did not, that’s why they seem mushy. It sounds like this is happening to a lot of people, but I wonder if they are draining the lentils after removing them from the Instant Pot. I’m going to try these once I do my water test. My Instant Pot should be delivered tomorrow. I want to try the vegan sloppy joes recipe myself, using pressure-cooked lentils like another user did, but I’m a new instant pot user so it will wait until I have more experience with Instant Pot and know how to use it. I did write down the recipe for later reference, though. I am going to have to find an alcohol-free replacement for the Worcestershire due to my medications.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That’s a good thought, Crystal. Thanks for sharing! Let us know how it goes if you try it!
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Jay says
I made this – 1 1/3 cups green lentils, and 4 cups water, 9 min on high, and I ended up with (tasty)Lentil mush :-(. I was thinking of now forming it into lentil patties and baking or frying them. I will try with less water again – or what other suggestions? Could it be elevation(I am in Boston)?
I did notice your quinoa instant recipe has a bit more liquid than what I use (1 1/2 cups quinoa to 2 cups water – only 1 min on high), and mine does come out wonderfully.
I do appreciate your website and all you share – thank you!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jay, thanks for the feedback! We find that using less water can cause the lentils to cook unevenly (the top ones don’t cook fully). But if you’re scaling up the recipe, it’s possible you don’t need quite as much water. You’re at a similar elevation to us, so that shouldn’t be the issue. Perhaps you’re using fresher lentils or prefer them more firm? You could try scaling back to 7 or 8 minutes. Sorry about that!
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Bee Noomin says
Similar result with brown lentils. So that makes two of us!
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Jay says
I’ll give it a try – TY
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Bee Noomin says
I followed your directions. I ended up with lentil mush.
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so sorry to hear that, Bee! What type of lentils were you using? How long did you cook them? Were they soaked or unsoaked? We’ve used unsoaked green and brown lentils several times with this method and they always turn out perfectly – we’re curious what the difference could be!
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Bee Noomin says
Unsoaked brown lentils, 9 minutes, natural release for 15. I was going to use the tiny black lentils, which might have held up better–but I didn’t have a full cup. I used my new 6-qt. InstantPot.
Would you suggest shortening the cooking time, the release time, or both?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Bee, so strange, we’re a little stumped as to why it’s happening! We’d suggest trying to shorten the cook time slightly.
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Sherry says
So, I just made these for the first time. A N D . . . the are PERFECT! I used them in your vegan Sloppy Joes, which are also perfect! Thanks for the great recipes, ALWAYS!
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- Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Wow yay!! Thanks for sharing, Sherry!!
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Sherry says
Thank you! I don’t eat many lentils but have decided that I would like to work them into my diet once a week. I was thinking of potential recipes and realized that I would like to cook them in an Instant Pot, so I Googled how to do that. As I was scrolling through recipes for soups and stew, not what I wanted, I saw a MINIMALIST BAKER entry and knew I could count on you for what I was looking for–yet another time! You are one of my all time go to favorite cooks. Thank you, once again!
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, so kind Sherry! We’re so glad it’s helpful! The Instant Pot is such a speedy way to cook lentils and they end up perfectly tender. Enjoy =)
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Matthew Simon says
I tried again and did only 5 minutes on my Instant Pot. It still obliterated the green lentils. What am I doing wrong?
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- Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sorry to hear this! We would suggest reducing the cook time even further. Hope this helps!
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