Crispy Roasted Lentils

Prepping canned lentils

To prevent gas from lentils, try avoiding canned lentils that are high in sodium. The salty brine in canned legumes is often the culprit of gas complaints.

The canned lentils I buy are actually salt free. I looked on Amazon for you, but I don’t see them on there. {Amazon affiliate links} They do carry no salt black lentils, and low sodium lentils both of which would also work for this recipe.

Make sure to drain the canned lentils and then rinse them well even if they are salt free. Rinsing canned lentils helps reduce the amount of indigestible carbohydrates.

How to cook dried lentils

Sure, canned lentils are quick, but what if you want to make roasted lentils from scratch? Don’t worry, cooking dried lentils on the stove is nice and easy. Just follow the steps below to get great cooked lentils.

Rinse the lentils

Just like any other dried bean, give the lentils a rinse in water. Rinsing them removes and dust and debris, it also helps reduce those carbohydrates that might cause gas.

And always examine and sort as you rinse to ensure maximum wholesomeness. You’re looking to remove any shriveled lentils, any little stones, or anything that doesn’t quite look right.

I’ve been cooking dried lentils for many years, and I’ve never seen any of those stones that are mentioned on the packaging, but I always feel that it’s better safe than sorry.

Do you have to soak dried lentils before cooking them?

Lentils to do not require soaking, but they can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half.

Soaking may also help in decreasing any gasiness that’s experienced after eating lentils. To get these benefits, cover them in cool tap water for 2 to 4 hours, and drain well. Rinse them once more with fresh, cold water before using them.

Cooking on the stove top

In a large pot, for each pound of dried lentils (about 2 cups dried lentils), add 6 to 8 cups hot water. Simmer gently with lid tilted until desired tenderness is reached, about 15-20 minutes for unsoaked lentils and 7 to 10 minutes for soaked lentils. Drain any excess liquid from the pot.

How to roast lentils

For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below.

Now that you have your lentils all prepped, you’re ready to oven roast or air fry those little nuggets of yumminess. And, my recipe isn’t fussy at all, it’s just 3 simple ingredients mixed together and cooked.

Roasted lentils in the oven

Mix everything together in a bowl (this goes for oven roasting and air frying.

When I oven roast my lentils, I like to cook them in a large cast iron skillet, but they can also be roasted on a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper or a Silpat style mat.

Roasted lentils in the air fryer

I decided to create my own little baking sheet for the lentils out of aluminum foil. That way everyone has an air fryer safe tray they can use. Make sure the “tray” is small enough for the air to move around it when it’s in the air fryer drawer.

Fold the sides of the tray up about an inch or so. And, once you place the tray in the drawer of the air fryer, feel free to move it around a bit if it doesn’t fit perfectly.

Have the lentils spread out in a as much as possible in the tray; don’t crowd them too much. And, you may need to cook these in batches depending on how large your air fryer is.

How to use roasted lentils

You can use these lentils in so many ways.  

Think of them as small protein filled croutons, and use them as a salad topper. They’re terrific in my Lentil sweet potato salad.

On top of Buddha bowls: you know how you see Buddha bowls with roasted chickpeas? Well, these lentils can take their place so there’s a nice change to your fresh and healthy bowl. Try them in place of the chickpeas in my Garbanzo and avocado salad bowl. Try them in a Cottage Cheese Sweet Potato Bowl for a fun crunch.

They’re great just on their own as a crunchy healthy snack.

Build your dinner using them as a base or part of the meal like I did with this Sausage, broccoli and lentils dinner. They could even be used in Spinach Lentil Lasagna.

How do I store these cooked lentils?

Roasted lentils will last quite a while in your fridge in a tightly covered container, about 3 weeks or so.

Can they be frozen?

Yes, if you would like to store your cooked lentils for up to 3 months in an airtight container in the freezer, they will do well. They taste great, but do lose their crispiness. To crisp them back up, simply pop them in the oven at 425° or in the air fryer at 400° for about 5 minutes.