Wondering how to cook Instant Pot lentils? Here’s how to cook lentils in a pressure cooker, whether you want them as is or flavored for a quick dinner!
If you want to eat more plant-based recipes, you’ve probably heard about: Eat more lentils! To the right? Alex and I have been trying to eat our fair share of lentils for years. But we admit it: it can be difficult to know where to start! We created this recipe to be a delicious lentil staple that can be served a variety of ways: as part of a meal bowl, in a taco, and more! (Our two-year-old Larson loves them.) The great thing: Pressure cooker lentils are within reach! Read on for our Instant Pot lentils recipe and more on how to serve them.
Do you want to make them on the stove? Spiced brown lentils
How to Make Lentils in an Instant Pot
Preparing Instant Pot lentils is one of the easiest things to do in your pressure cooker! Now that we’ve become experts on Instant Pot, I’d like to be the first to admit: I’m talking about the quick release. Why? Because I can’t wait. If you’ve used your Instant Pot a lot, you know that many recipes call for natural release: which is perfectly fine except it adds extra time to the recipe.
We’re excited to announce that this Instant Pot lentil recipe is super quick to make. How long do you cook lentils in an Instant Pot? 9 minutes. Then do a quick release and voila! The only other time you need to consider is the “warm up” time, which takes around 5-10 minutes depending on the Instant Pot. Overall, this Instant Pot lentils recipe requires about 5 minutes prep time and 15-20 minutes from start to finish.
For our Instant Pot lentils recipe, we wanted to add spices so you could serve these lentils as part of a dinner recipe without having to add anything extra. Here are the ingredients for pressure cooker lentils:
- Brown or green lentils (both will work)
- Vegetable broth (you can add water in a pinch, but vegetable broth adds a lot of flavor)
- onion powder
- paprika
- garlic powder
- oregano
- salt pepper
And that’s it! The lentils come out perfectly seasoned and very tender. You’ll notice there’s still some broth in the pressure cooker bowl: give it a stir and the lentils will absorb the broth while they sit. They’ll come out perfectly moist (too dry can be a problem when cooking lentils)!
How to serve these lentils
As I noted above, Alex and I wanted to make this Instant Pot lentil recipe a staple. This works for both if you need lentils for another recipe, but they’re flavored so you can eat them for lunch or dinner as an easy recipe!
If you’re making these Instant Pot lentils as part of another recipe, you can leave out the spices: unless you think they would suit the taste! Remember that this recipe uses salt: so if you use it as a component in another recipe, adjust the salt to match that recipe.
If you’re making these Instant Pot Lentils for an easy lunch or dinnerHere are some ways to operate them:
- In a meal bowl (photo): In a bowl, toss them with flatbread, a dollop of Greek yogurt, tomato wedges, and chopped cilantro
- In a taco: Toss them in a tortilla with salsa and sour cream: or try them in place of the filling in our green lentil tacos
- With eggs: This morning Alex and Larson ate a delicious scrambled egg and lentil brunch! Here is our recipe for the best scrambled eggs.
Looking for lentil recipes?
Here are some of our favorite lentil recipes:
This Instant Pot lentils recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free and vegan.
The description
Wondering how to cook Instant Pot lentils? Here’s how to cook lentils in a pressure cooker, whether you want them as is or flavored for a quick dinner!
- 3 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 1½ cups brown or green lentils (do not use red lentils)
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir. Latch the lid and place the vent in the sealing position.
- Cook at high pressure for 9 minutes: Press the pressure cook button (make sure the ‘high pressure’ setting is selected) and set the time for 9 minutes. Wait for the Instant Pot to boil. (Note: It takes about 5-10 minutes for the pan to “preheat” and build pressure before it begins to boil. Avoid touching the metal part of the lid while cooking.)
- Fast Release: Release any remaining steam from the Instant Pot by setting the pressure release handle to “vent” and covering your hand with a heated towel or pad. Never put your hands or face near the opening when dispensing steam. Open the lid of the pressure cooker.
- Open lid and stir; There will be broth left over, but the lentils will absorb it as they sit and become perfectly moist. Serve hot. (Storage info: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge; reheat on the stovetop.)
- Category: basic recipe
- Method: Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
- Kitchen: vegetarian
Keywords: Lentils in the Instant Pot, lentil recipe, cooking lentils
Looking for Instant Pot Recipes?
Aside from this Instant Pot lentil recipe, here are some of our favorite things we’ve made in our Instant Pot:
