How to Cook Tapioca Pearls Fast

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: June 28, 2021 References Tested

Are you craving yummy bubble tea but worried it'll take forever to prepare the tapioca pearls for it? There's a lot of confusing information out there about soaking, cook times, and different types of pearls, so it's a bit overwhelming! Turns out, you can cook tapioca pearls in 5-15 minutes, depending on what kind you're making. Don't worry, we've researched all the nitty gritty details and we’ll answer your most common questions about it.

Question 1 of 6:

Do you have to soak tapioca pearls overnight first?

1
No, not if you’re making boba or bubble tea. The quickest path to delicious bubble tea is by boiling the pearls, not soaking them. If you do choose to soak the pearls overnight, you won’t have to boil them. Soaking takes 8-12 hours, though—you want your bubble tea fast!^{[1]
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- Bubble tea is usually made with large, black tapioca pearls, but you can make it with small, white pearls, too. Both types taste exactly the same—neutral. They don’t have a flavor! It’s all about that texture.
2
Yes, if you’re making tapioca pudding, but 30 minutes will do the trick. Your pudding texture just won’t turn out right if you don’t soak the tapioca pearls first. Recipes often say to soak for 12 hours, but you can cut that down to 30 minutes and still achieve the creamy, custard-like texture that makes tapioca pudding so delicious.^{[2]
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- Soaking is easy! Measure out the tapioca pearls and dump them in a large bowl with 1 quart (950 ml) of water. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let the pearls soak at room temperature. Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the water and set the bowl aside.^{[3]
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Question 2 of 6:

How do you cook small, white tapioca pearls quickly?

1
Bring the water to a boil before you pour in the tapioca pearls. If you boil the water after adding the tapioca pearls, it will take way longer! Measure out the amount of water you need, pour it into a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.^{[4]
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- The water to pearls ratio can vary by brand, but generally, use 5 cups (1 liter) of water for every ½ cup (100 g) of small, white tapioca pearls.
- 1 cup (128 g) of tapioca pearls makes about 2 1/2 cups (320 g) of cooked tapioca pearls.^{[5]
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2
Dump the pearls into the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Don’t rinse the pearls first! Pour them straight from the package into the boiling water. Stir the pearls gently until they float to the top. Then, bring the heat down from high to medium.^{[6]
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3
Cover the pot and let the pearls boil for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the pearls around every few minutes so they don’t scorch or stick to the bottom of your pot. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for another 15 minutes, or until the pearls look translucent.^{[7]
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- If you're making tapioca pudding, cooking the pearls may take a little longer – just keep an eye on them and remove them from the heat when they look translucent.^{[8]
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Question 3 of 6:

Do you cook white and black tapioca pearls the same way?

1
It’s pretty much the same except for the amount of water and cook time. Use 2 cups (473 ml) of water for every 1/4 cup (30 g) of uncooked boba. Bring the water to a boil first and dump the large, black pearls in carefully. Stir the pearls gently until they float to the top. Then, reduce the heat to medium.^{[9]
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- Don't rinse the pearls before you boil them! Dump them straight from the package into the boiling water.
2
Boil the large, black pearls for 12-15 minutes. You don’t need to cover the pot or do anything, really. Just set a timer for 12 minutes and check on the pearls at that point to see if they’ve softened. If they haven’t, boil them for a few more minutes.^{[10]
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- Once they’re cooked, remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the pearls sit for about 12 minutes.

Question 4 of 6:

Is it possible to cook them faster, like in 5 minutes or so?

1
Yes, you can boil black tapioca pearls for boba tea in 5-10 minutes. For shortcut bubble tea, boil the large, black tapioca pearls until they’re just tender—basically, al-dente boba! This usually takes 10 minutes max.^{[11]
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- Use “al-dente” pearls as soon as they cool off since they’ll harden right back up in a few hours.
2
Yes, if you’re using the quick-cooking variety, it only takes 5-7 minutes. Check the package to confirm what kind of pearls you’re using before you dump them in the water. If you’re using quick-cooking boba, reduce the cook time from 12-15 minutes down to 5-7 minutes.^{[12]
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3
No, not if you’re cooking small, white pearls. Small, white tapioca pearls are harder than the large black ones. Boil them for the full 15 minutes and remove them from the heat once they look translucent.^{[13]
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Question 5 of 6:

Why did my tapioca pearls dissolve?

You probably left them in their cooking liquid too long. Tapioca pearls hold their shape well, but they do eventually dissolve in water and other liquids. Don't add them to the cooking water until the water is boiling. It's also important to drain the water as soon as the tapioca pearls finish cooking so they don’t sit in it any longer than necessary. ^{[14]
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- If you’re making bubble tea, consume it immediately so the pearls don’t get super mushy and disintegrate in your beverage.

Question 6 of 6:

Can tapioca pearls make me sick?

Don't worry, tapioca pearls won't make you sick. Tapioca pearls are made of a root veggie called cassava. Raw cassava root is toxic if you eat it, but packaged tapioca pearls are processed and safe. ^{[15]
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Research source} Pearls also won’t block your digestive tract or constipate you. Drink bubble tea in moderation and you’ll be fine!^{[16]
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- Tapioca pearls don't cause cancer. Bear with us as we explain the science behind this: basically, traces of carcinogenic compounds were detected in boba pearls by a lab and the rumor went viral. Turns out, the compounds were incorrectly identified and boba pearls are perfectly safe.^{[17]
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