You need to know how to make the BEST creamy lentils in the Instant Pot pressure cooker! These Instant Pot Lentils will become a staple in your kitchen.
Lentils are among the healthiest plant foods out there; they bursting with nutrition and are high in protein and fiber. In spite of these healthy characteristics, lentils are also high in lectins. Lectins are anti-nutrients that can reduce the nutritional value of food by hindering the absorption of certain minerals.
But wait! There’s good news.
Cooking lentils, peas, beans, and other legumes in the pressure cooker reduces the presence of lectins. If you’re going to eat lentils, using an Instant Pot pressure cooker is a great way to cook them!
This Instant Pot Lentils recipe is actually the very first lentil recipe I developed back in 2017. It’s been a staple ever since, and I know you’re going to love it, too!
Recipe Ingredients for Instant Pot Lentils
This pressure cooker lentils recipe is quick and easy and requires only 8 ingredients, including salt and water.
Water
For regular lentil recipes, water is for soaking and cooking the lentils. However, as this is an instant pot recipe, we will skip the soaking part and go right to the cooking process.
You will need ⅓ cup of water to cook the lentils in. The main purpose is to cook the lentils; therefore, you can use any other liquid for added taste. I recommend going for chicken broth or vegetable broth if you are following any vegan diets or looking for plant-based recipes.
Lentils
We need 1 ½ cup of lentils. Lentils are known as a power food for the countless benefits they have to offer. For instance, they are a good source of protein and potassium, with low salt and fat content. Plus, lentils improve heart health, stabilize blood sugar levels, boost energy, and lower cholesterol levels. They are also easy to digest and aid weight loss.
For this recipe, you can use wide varieties of lentils, including brown lentils, black lentils, yellow lentils, French green lentils, or black beluga lentils. However, remember that the cook time may vary depending on the type of lentil. I have only tested brown and green lentils for this recipe.
Coconut Milk
We will add 1 (13.5 oz) can of coconut milk to this easy lentil recipe. Coconut milk adds creaminess from its fat content, improving the texture, while keeping this dairy free. Besides this, it also adds a hint of sweetness and an extra nutty flavor to the lentils, balancing out the spice level.
Coconut milk is lactose-free and has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal properties. It’s a good choice for people following a vegan diet.
Tomato Sauce
I used tomato sauce for this recipe, giving it a distinctly Italian feeling. You can get any brand of canned tomato sauce from the grocery store.
While tomato sauce serves as a base for the instant pot lentils, it also gives the dish an intense flavor and color to make it more tempting.
Tomato sauce is a low-caloric ingredient, rich in vitamins A and C. It has anti-tumor and antioxidant properties, in addition to boosting the metabolism.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste is made by cooking tomatoes and removing their seeds and juices. The result is a highly concentrated paste that has a bold tomato flavor. On the other hand, Tomato sauce is thinner, has lots of spices, and has an aromatic flavor.
Therefore, we will add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the recipe to give it that Unami flavor and pump up the tomato flavor.
Oregano
We will add a teaspoon of dried oregano to this instant pot lentils recipe to give it a light and fragrant undertone. Oregano adds a fresh Mediterranean kick to the lentil soup, making it distinctively aromatic and flavorful.
Basil
To add a strong minty flavor and a hint of anise to your lentils, add 1 teaspoon of dried basil to it. Dried spices and herbs are a great addition to soups for added flavor.
Garlic Salt
We will finish this recipe by adding ¼ teaspoon of garlic salt. Fresh garlic can sometimes burn in the Instant Pot, so I used powdered for this recipe instead. Obviously, salt and black pepper are the primary ingredients in EVERY dish as they bring out the true flavors of the main dish and make it savory.
How to Make Instant Pot Lentils
This recipe is amazing as it takes 5 minutes of prep time and the rest is hands off!
1. Place all of the ingredients in the inner pot of your Instant Pot pressure cooker in the order listed and stir well to make sure the tomato paste is well incorporated. 
2. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
3. Do a quick release of the steam.
4. Stir and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Stirring the ingredients well before cooking, and making sure the tomato paste is well incorporated, prevents you from getting the burn notice. If you get the burn notice, add more water to the pot, ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the inner pot, and continue cooking.
- This recipe is intended for brown or green lentils, not red lentils. Red lentils cook much more quickly than brown and green, and the recipe doesn’t work well with red lentils. If you want to experiment with red lentils, reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes. I do think these Instant Pot Lentils are best with brown or green lentils. If you have red lentils to use, I recommend this Carrot and Lentil Soup!
- I haven’t tried this without an Instant Pot, but I’m sure you can make this on the stovetop if you don’t have a pressure cooker. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and simmer until the lentils are cooked and liquid is reduced, about 35-45 minutes.
- You’ll notice that the recipe says the lentils cook in 20 minutes, but I listed the cook time as 30 minutes. I did this to account for the time it takes for the pressure cooker to heat. I’ve gotten frustrated following recipes that don’t account for that time and then dinner isn’t ready when I thought it was going to be.
Questions and Recipe Variations
Q. Can I add other herbs and spices to the instant pot lentils recipe?
If you want to change the flavor of your lentils, you can swap the recipe spices for garam masala, fresh parsley, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dried chili peppers, or any other seasonings of your choice to make the dish as per your preference.
Q. How to serve instant pot lentils?
These lentils can be a side dish or a vegan main course served with a salad and bread. They are delicious on a bed of lettuce, too!
Q. What are some variations of the Instant Pot lentils?
If you want to tweak the recipe a bit, stir in parmesan cheese at the end. Another variation would be to make instant pot cheesy southwestern lentils. Use chili powder or taco seasoning in place of the oregano and basil and stir in come Colby jack cheese at the end.
Q. How to store leftover Instant Pot lentils?
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. Or place it in a freezer-safe bag and freeze it for up to 4 months.
If you’re looking for more instant pot meals, here are 150 healthy instant pot recipes to try! If you love cooking with your Instant Pot pressure cooker, try some of my Instant Pot soups. Try my Instant Pot Broccoli and Cheddar Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Vegetable Soup, or this Instant Pot Vegetable Soup with Beans. All are fabulous!
If you make this Instant Pot Lentils recipe, please give it a star rating below. It’s so helpful to other readers to see which recipes are tried and true! Also take a pic and share it on Instagram, tag me @happyhealthymama, and I’ll feature you!
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Instant Pot Lentils
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These creamy (but dairy-free) lentils are bursting with Italian flavors!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup brown or green lentils
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (lite or regular both work)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Dump all of the ingredients in the pressure cooker and stir to combine. Make sure everything, especially the tomato paste is well combined.
- Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the steam.
- Stir and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stirring the ingredients well before cooking, and making sure the tomato paste is well incorporated, prevents you from getting the burn notice. If you get the burn notice, add more water to the pot, ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the inner pot, and continue cooking.
- This recipe is intended for brown or green lentils, not red lentils. Red lentils cook much more quickly than brown and green, and the recipe doesn’t work well with red lentils. If you want to experiment with red lentils, reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes. I do think these Instant Pot Lentils are best with brown or green lentils. If you have red lentils to use, I recommend this Carrot and Lentil Soup!
- I haven’t tried this without an Instant Pot, but I’m sure you can make this on the stovetop if you don’t have a pressure cooker. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and simmer until the lentils are cooked and liquid is reduced, about 35-45 minutes.
- You’ll notice that the recipe says the lentils cook in 20 minutes, but I listed the cook time as 30 minutes. I did this to account for the time it takes for the pressure cooker to heat. I’ve gotten frustrated following recipes that don’t account for that time and then dinner isn’t ready when I thought it was going to be.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Instant Pot recipes
- Method: instant Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 248
- Sugar: 3 grams
- Sodium: 293
- Fat: 11 grams
- Carbohydrates: 28 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 10 grams
Keywords: Instant Pot Lentils
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I wanted to comment that I wonder if most people lentils are coming out burnt because they are not rinsing them before adding them to the instant pot. I am not sure if this is a step that you take when prepping this dish but I didn’t find it in the recipe. I imagine that they hold onto a good amount of water after a rinse. That is why yours is not burning. Hope this helps and thanks for the recipe!
I made this recipe after reading all of the reviews. I did not change anything. I added some fresh garlic and used brown lentils. It was delicious! I served it with a fried egg for breakfast. I would definitely make it again. I did not see where the recipe was updated to use brown or green lentils. That would be helpful. Thanks!
★★★★
Burn! before it even started to cook. Guess you need to specify what kind of lentils – I used red. And have to add I used almost a full cup of stock. Oddly enough, transferred to sauce pan and they were delicious!
I’m sorry that happened. I updated the recipe to specify brown or green lentils.
np – loved the flavor and will def make again using the right kind of lentil!
★★★★★
What is the nutritional value per serving size so I can calculate it? I am making this tonight.
I followed the directions exactly and turned out great! I did use the 1/2 cup of water, probably would reduce to 1/4 cup next time. Very good, thanks for the recipeb
WARNING: This recipe is a disaster
I followed the instructions exactly with no substitutions. I used 1/2 cup water instead of 1/4 cup. I used red lentils. I have an Ultra Instant Pot.
When I started it I got the “burn” warning from my Instant Pot which I had never seen before. After reading about it, I opened it up, added another 1/4 cup water and started it again.
Five minutes later I got the same burn warning and added another 1/4 cups water and tried again.
Five minutes after that I received the burn notice for the third time. I removed the lentils from the Instant Pot and finished on the stove. I had to add more water to get them to cook. By the time they were done, they were flavorless mush. I composted them.
I wasted nearly an hour on this recipe and it’s going to take me another 15 minutes to get my Instant Pot clean.
I hate to be so critical but this was a huge waste of time and food.
Mike, I have an Ultra Instapot as well, and I have had no problems with this recipe. There must be something wrong with your instapot. I would look into it, see if you can get an exchange, because seriously there is no reason why your pot should be burning with these items in it. I have made this recipe at least 5 times without a hitch. Good Luck!
There is nothing the matter with my Instant Pot. I use it all the time.
This recipe clearly needs more work based on the number of commenters who experienced burning problems.
Nope I have a regular old IP and got the burn message once it heated – never even got to start cooking. I too used Red lentils.
★★★★★
I suggest green or brown lentils for this recipe. I just updated the recipe to ensure everyone knows which variety works best.
Hey Mike–It’s okay. I appreciate the feedback. I have never gotten the burn message on my Instant Pot with this recipe. I am really sorry this was your experience. The biggest issue I can think of based on your feedback is that you used red lentils and they cook much faster than brown or green lentils. I’ve never tried this recipe with red lentils, but I’m guessing that’s why it didn’t work.
You should specify a type of lentil in the recipe. I too used Red and got the Burn message.
I have not tried this with red. I just updated the recipe so everyone knows this is for green or brown lentils.
Three stars because burnt on bottom and did not come to pressure. I use my IP daily and cook beans, lentils, rice, etc. I think the problem is not with the amount of liquid but from stirring the pot. I know this can make steel cut oats burn. You have to actually NOT stir all the ingredients so that the IP can come to pressure with enough liquid. I think 1/4 c water plus the can of tomatoes and can of coconut milk should be plenty of liquid. Even without coming to pressure, the lentils were tasty! And I was able to scoop most of it out and leave the charred bits behind. As always the clean up was easy, even with the charred bottom. I might try again. Always trying dah recipes but I don’t usually like the spices (I don’t care for cumin, garam masala or curry), but this one has wonderful flavors. To lower my Weight Watcher Points, I may try the tip in one of the comments and omit the coconut milk and tomato paste and stir in some plain (vegan for me) yogurt at the end.
★★★
This Lentil recipe was amazing!!! I did increase water to a half cup and did get a “burn” message but it was ok but will add a cup of water next time. I added spices from Penzeys Spices: 2 teaspoons of their Sweet Curry Powder and 2 teaspoons of their Vindaloo Seasoning and also threw in some chopped garlic. Stirred everything really well. My son also made this recipe and loved it. This will become our go to meal when we need something fast. Thanks for this recipe so much!!
★★★★★
Tried it twice. Burned both times. First time I blamed myself: has doubled the recipe. Second time I used only prescribed amounts, put in more water etc -and burned again!
Really sorry to hear this! Some people really seem to have a problem with this recipe, but it works well for me. I continue to make it and it’s never burned.
These were delicious! I have an 8 quart 9 in 1 and I used 1 cup of water, and green lentils. I also made sure I mixed everything thoroughly. Thanks for a wonderful and easy recipe!
Glad to hear this, Josselyn!
Please which pressure cooker function on the instant pot do I choose? Multigrain? Rice? Bean?
How many servings are there? I’m trying to figure out the calories in what I ate tonight.
I simply noticed that each type of lentil gave different results, but only a minor differences. I like to experiment, so I did note that certain lentils needed a couple of minutes more in the pressure cooking time, but nothing significant. I seriously have not had any problems with my Instapot. I’m sorry yours are burning. that sounds like a defective pot.
I don’t have these problems with my instapot burning my lentils or undercooking. It could depend on the type of lentil (french vs. green vs. red). I do find they cook up differently, but never burning. Maybe there is something wrong with your instapot? I have the ULTRA and have complete control over my settings.
Well if I had any problems with my Instant Pot I wouldn’t know because I’ve had it for a couple years now and nothing seems to have changed.
Yes, it would indeed make a great difference if the type of lentils were specified. I used red because it looked like that was the kind used in the photos, but clearly they have very different cooking times.
Like almost every other “recipe” I’ve tried using the instant pot, it burned the bottom of the pot, even with a 1/2 cup water (and it left the lentils slightly undercooked). Do I need to put it on another setting besides manual? Is anyone else extremely disappointed by the instant pot?!?! At this point I would rather use a stovetop than get burned food every single time.
★★★
I’m sorry that keeps happening to you! I almost always use the manual setting, so I’m not sure what your issue is. 🙁
Also had a problem with scorching but not too bad. I think there are likely 2 issues: type of lentils (I was searching red lentil recipes and this came up, I just assumed it was for red lentils and it came out as total mush), and the tomatoes which are known to scorch. I think if you specify which type of lentil you are using that would keep many people from being disappointed. Additionally I always cook any tomato products in the IP by just dumping them on top of the rest of the ingredients which significantly reduces scorching
Made yesterday. Scorched lentils but oddly that added to taste. I had to make myself stop eating! think the variations in our results are from different size/models of IP.
I am making again today and instead of Italian spices will try some Indian.
This is definitely a keeper for me!
Made this without the coconut milk, substituted sun dried tomatoes for tomato paste, added some siracha and a few more spices (dried shallots, paprika, garlic powder) and it came out amazingly good. I’ll try with the coconut milk another time, but the above was really great.
I love what you did with this! Sounds fantastic!
So I should have stuck with the recommended 1/4 cup water. I used 1/2 cup because of all the comments about burning but they were mushy and watery. (I have an instant pot 6qt if anyone is wondering) Also, I used red lentils which are more delicate so that may have been a factor. Regardless, they were delicious. Simple yet satisfying. I may throw some peas or spinach in next time just for some greens. Thanks for the recipe!!
★★★★★
You’re welcome! Thanks for leaving your feedback.
This was really good, super easy to make and it makes quite a bit. Nice flavor. I used a cup of water. May be what you’d consider mushy, but I liked the texture.
★★★
I clicked on 5 stars and it only showed 3!
Well, that’s strange! Thanks for trying to give it 5 stars. 🙂
Thanks for your feedback, Liz!
I’m late to this party, but can I make this without Coconut Milk? I don’t have any on hand, and would like to use regular milk or another alternative. Any ideas?
The healthy fat from the coconut milk, and the sweetness, is what makes the dish. You are also wanting the creaminess from the coconut, which you cannot get from cow’s milk. Canned coconut milk can be found in most grocery stores, so it shouldn’t be too hard to locate.