Instant Pot Lentils (Perfect, Tender, No Soaking!)

Agree 3 to one ratio is wayyy off
Check your recipe it’s not right
Waste of lentils and broth

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mushy as mushy could be.

So easy and turned out great! I cooked them on high pressure for 9 minutes and got perfectly tender lentils. Thanks for the recipe!

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.

I followed your directions. I ended up with lentil mush.

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!