# Lentils, chickpeas and dried beans cooking times

How long to cook lentils: **15–20 min boiled, 35–40 min in a pressure cooker and 8–10 hours in a slow cooker**. Every way to cook it is below, with the temperature and how to tell it’s done.

Source: https://feastflow.co.uk/lentils-and-beans-cooking-times (FeastFlow free cooking-time guides). Last checked 11 November 2026.

## How long to cook lentils

Times are for 75 g dry per person.

Lentils, chickpeas and dried beans: cooking times by method:

| Method | Time | Heat | How |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Boil](https://feastflow.co.uk/boiling-times) (Red lentils) | 15–20 min | simmering | Red lentils, until they collapse (for dal and soup). |
| [Boil](https://feastflow.co.uk/boiling-times) (Green or Puy lentils) | 20–25 min | simmering | Green, brown or Puy lentils, until tender but holding their shape. |
| [Boil](https://feastflow.co.uk/boiling-times) (Soaked beans) | 1–1½ hours | simmering, after soaking | Chickpeas and most beans; kidney beans boil hard for 10 minutes first. |
| [Pressure cooker](https://feastflow.co.uk/pressure-cooker-cooking-times) (Soaked beans) | 35–40 min | on high pressure | Soaked chickpeas; soaked kidney beans take 25–30 minutes; natural release. |
| [Slow cooker](https://feastflow.co.uk/slow-cooker-cooking-times) (Soaked beans) | 8–10 hours | on low | Soaked beans, after boiling hard for 10 minutes. |

## Before you start

Rinse lentils; no soaking needed. Soak dried beans and chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain.

## How to tell it’s done

Tender all the way through: squash one against the roof of your mouth.

**Food safety:** Dried red kidney beans must boil hard for at least 10 minutes before simmering, to destroy a natural toxin. Slow cookers alone don’t get hot enough.

## Questions

### How long to boil lentils?

Red lentils: 15–20 min simmering. Red lentils, until they collapse (for dal and soup). Green or Puy lentils: 20–25 min simmering. Green, brown or Puy lentils, until tender but holding their shape. Soaked beans: 1–1½ hours simmering, after soaking. Chickpeas and most beans; kidney beans boil hard for 10 minutes first.

### How long to cook lentils in a pressure cooker?

Soaked beans: 35–40 min on high pressure. Soaked chickpeas; soaked kidney beans take 25–30 minutes; natural release.

### How long to cook lentils in a slow cooker?

Soaked beans: 8–10 hours on low. Soaked beans, after boiling hard for 10 minutes.

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Times are a guide for typical home portions: ovens, air fryers, microwaves and sizes vary. Check meat, poultry and fish with a thermometer. Safe temperatures follow USDA and UK Food Standards Agency guidance.

FeastFlow also plans a whole meal backwards from serving time, with every dish timed and oven temperatures that don’t clash: https://feastflow.co.uk/