1. At the bottom of the Instant Pot, pour in the lentils and add some water. If you want them seasoned, you may add up to ½ teaspoon of salt, but you should keep in mind that they will end up a bit firmer. To ensure tender lentils, wait until the cooking cycle ends before you season with salt.
2. Close the lid and turn the steam release valve to the Sealing position. For high-pressure cooking that should last for 9 minutes, use the Manual or Pressure Cook button. (Cook for 10 minutes if you’d prefer softer lentils; this way, they’ll still have a little bite to them.) The pot will need to come to pressure for 10 minutes in order for the cooking cycle to begin, so the screen will simply read “On” until then.
3. As soon as the cooking cycle rounds up, adjust the steam release valve to the “Venting” position, in order to relieve the pressure immediately. To avoid hot steam reaching your skin, ensure that your hand is not positioned over the steam release valve. The pressure is released when the floating valve in the Instant Pot cover descends, and at this point, it is safe to open the lid. (It’s fine if you forget to release the pressure immediately away; the lentils will just be slightly softer when you eventually check on them.)
4. Toss the lentils and check to see whether they’re tender enough. If you want them softer, pour in an extra ½ cup of water and continue to pressure cook them for another 2-3 minutes, but at this point, they should be done already. Because there should still be some liquid remaining in the saucepan, you can use them straight away without straining them.
5. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and serve warm. With lentils, there are many serving suggestions to explore. Cooked lentils can generally be kept in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.

This recipe for Instant Pot lentils takes an entire duration of 24 minutes, including a 5-minute prep time, 9-minute cook time, and 10 minutes for pressurization. You can typically use these lentils as meal prep for your weekly cooking.

If you’re in need of more ideas to explore when cooking lentils in an Instant Pot, we recommend that you check out this video recipe.