
With an Instant Pot and about 30 minutes, you can make perfectly cooked 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 or brown lentils, which are the most common, versatile, and easy to find.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Ratio = 1 part lentils : 3 parts water
- Cook Time = 8-9 minutes
- Release = 15 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure
Lentils go well in stews, soups, sloppy joes, lentil “meatloaf,” shepherd’s pie, and much more!

Did you find this helpful? If so, be sure to check out our Instant Pot Cooking Times Guide for 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 #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Instant Pot Lentils (Perfect, Tender, No Soaking!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 3 cups water (or vegetable broth for more flavor)
Instructions
- Add lentils and water (or vegetable broth) to the Instant Pot and stir to prevent sticking. Pressure cook on high for 8-10 minutes (8 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
*Total time includes active cook time, release time, and the time it takes for the Instant Pot to heat up (~8 minutes).
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?
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.
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.
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.
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. 😞
We’re so sorry that was your experience, Angi! What type of lentils did you use?
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)
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.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing!
Yolanda Garfield says
Followed directions exactly and they came out perfectly! Thanks so much!!
Thank you for sharing, Yolanda!
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 🙌
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Candi. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo
Milenka says
I followed the instructions and now I have mush lentils.
Sorry to hear that was your experience, Milenka! What type of lentils were you using? Were they particularly small?
Vernon says
good with vegetable broth and bourbon on red lentils 2 minutes.
Vernon says
good with vegetable broth and bourbon
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Thanks so much for sharing, John!
Matt says
I followed the instructions and the green lentils were reduced to paste. Are you sure about the cook time?
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!
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.
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!
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!!
Yay! Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Mat!
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!
Caelyn says
Also forgot to post red lentils…
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.
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).
Thank you for sharing, Jameel! Your additions sound lovely!
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.
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.
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.
Great! Thank you for sharing your experience, Risa! xo
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.
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.
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?
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!
justine says
Followed the recipe with green lentils and it came out super mushy.
Sorry to hear that, Justine! How long did you pressure cook it?
Alex says
I tried this only cooking for 4 minutes on high, and 8 minutes natural release… it still turned out as mush.
Sorry to hear that, Alex! What type of lentils are you using?
Donna says
Agree 3 to one ratio is wayyy off
Check your recipe it’s not right
Waste of lentils and broth
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).
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.
Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you, Darlene. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thank you for sharing your experimentation!
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.
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?
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
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!
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!
We’re so glad it worked well! Thank you for sharing your method, Dorothy!
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.
Oh no! Thanks for sharing your experience, Darin. We will work on trouble-shooting this recipe!
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.
We’re so glad to hear it worked well! Thank you for sharing your experience, Melanie! xo
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 :)
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thank you for sharing your experience!
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.
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.
Woohoo! So happy to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your experience, Deecee!
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.
Thanks for the tip, KC! This is super interesting!
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.
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!
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.
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Crystal!
Alex says
Maybe the people who are having them turn out mushy are using red lentils instead of brown? Because that would do it.
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.
Hi Rose, thanks for sharing your experience. Glad to hear they turned out well!
Doug says
Mushy as mushy could be.
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?
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.)
That’s an interesting theory, Sean! Thanks for sharing that idea!
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.
That is very perplexing! Salt can make them take longer to cook, but it sounds like perhaps you’re having the opposite issue?
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!
We’re so glad they turned out well for you, Amy! Thanks for sharing! xo
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.
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.
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!
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.
That’s a good thought, Crystal. Thanks for sharing! Let us know how it goes if you try it!
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!
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!
Bee Noomin says
Similar result with brown lentils. So that makes two of us!
Jay says
I’ll give it a try – TY
Bee Noomin says
I followed your directions. I ended up with lentil mush.
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!
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?
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.
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!
Wow yay!! Thanks for sharing, Sherry!!
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!
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 =)
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?
Sorry to hear this! We would suggest reducing the cook time even further. Hope this helps!