Do your salads get boring? Begging for extra taste, perhaps some crunch? I’ve the perfect repair: tiny, transformative, crispy fried lentils. They ship an earthy, savory crunch to salads, grain bowls, soups, and sides, they usually make a high-quality snack, too. Better of all, they’re easy to make and can hold for as much as per week in your countertop.

This concept comes from former Washington Submit columnist Joe Yonan, who wrote in regards to the approach—impressed by Mollie Katzen’s 2013 cookbook The Coronary heart of the Plate—in 2014. To make them, I observe the identical approach that Yonan requires in his column: First soak and dry the lentils, earlier than crisping them up. Then I both fry them on the stovetop or roast them within the oven. Beneath, I define precisely make wonderful fried lentils at residence. 

The Finest Lentils to Use

Inexperienced, also called French or Puy and black (“beluga”) lentils, work fantastically. Primary brown lentils, whereas barely bigger and fewer delicate, are a stable different if that’s what you could have available, however they do not get fairly as crunchy. It is best to keep away from utilizing purple or yellow lentils, as they’re too comfortable to carry their form and turn out to be crunchy.

Methods to Fry or Roast Lentils

Plan Forward

Soak your lentils for 1 to 24 hours (the countertop is ok for an hour or two; for longer than that, I shift to the fridge). After not less than an hour, drain, rinse, and pat very dry with paper towels or a clear kitchen towel. Brief on time? Boil for 20 minutes, drain, rinse with chilly water, and pat dry. The outcome will nonetheless be crispy, however with a barely starchier floor.

Cooking the Lentils

For a half cup of dried lentils, you may want about three tablespoons of impartial oil, corresponding to safflower, canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil, for frying. Frying is simple—however a couple of ideas will assist stop sogginess or overcooking: 

1. Warmth the oil over medium to medium-high till it simply shimmers. Check by dropping a single lentil into the pan—if it sizzles on contact, the oil is prepared for frying; if not, wait one other 10 to fifteen seconds and check out once more. 
2. Whereas cooking, regulate the warmth ranges as wanted to take care of a constant warmth. Fry the lentils for about seven minutes, stirring sometimes, till crisp. 
3. Switch to a paper towel–lined plate to soak up any extra oil. 
4. Unfold in a single layer, and season instantly with salt or the spices of your selection, corresponding to smoked paprika, cumin, curry powder, dried herbs, or purple pepper flakes.

If you happen to’re extra of an oven individual, nice information: you possibly can roast soaked or cooked lentils at 425°F (220°C) and get outcomes practically similar to frying. Toss the patted-dry lentils with a couple of tablespoons of oil and a little bit of salt, unfold in a single layer on a rimmed quarter-sheet pan, and roast till crispy, about 10 minutes. Switch to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up extra oil, then season.

Make-Forward and Storage

As soon as cooled, crispy lentils will hold in a sealed container at room temperature for as much as per week—although actually, they not often final that lengthy. Sprinkle them on all of the dishes you already love for an additional layer of crunchy, earthy savoriness. You may additionally simply eat them by the handful. When you’ve tried this trick, you’ll end up at all times on the lookout for excuses to fry—or roast—lentils.

September 2025