Traditions and signature dishes. Every now and then, the tennis community gets glimpses of these from the Williams-Ohanian household. Although Sundays are reserved for Alexis Ohanian’s Papa Pancakes tradition – where he makes pancake art for his daughters – this Wednesday was Serena Williams‘ turn to take over the kitchen. And she went back to a Williams family classic!

In a 2013 interview with Bon Appetit, Williams revealed her family’s signature dish: “My mom’s chicken, with rice and gravy. It was my favorite dish as a kid, and it still is now.” During her time on the tour, while Serena presumably ate loads of chicken and rice – one of the best recovery meals for athletes – her mom’s rendition of it must’ve been a welcome change from time to time. And now that she’s “evolved away” from her playing days, it’s Serena’s roasted chicken recipe that her daughter looks forward to.

In that 2013 interview, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said, “Everyone loves my roasted chicken… I just love to cook!” When asked about her recipe, the one she described seemed like almost the same roasted chicken she prepared for Olympia and the rest of the Williams-Ohanian clan on Wednesday night.

“I make it French style,” she’d told Bon Appetit. “I put whole cloves of garlic all over the dish. Some under the skin, some inside the chicken, some inside the pan. I put butter on top of the bird and butter inside the gut.” Then comes the garnish. “I add only a little salt and pepper, not too much. Then I throw small baby onions everywhere, drizzle olive oil on top, and roast away.” Well, fast forward to now, and she followed this recipe almost to the T.

Posting the entire process on her Instagram story, Serena Williams was dressed in a red Nike T-shirt and pink skirt and was humming a tune. Tagging Olympia in the video, she wrote, “roasted chicken recipe.” As she described in 2013, Williams spread some butter on top of chopped vegetables and the chicken, sprinkling a few spices on top, too. “It’s really crispy with the butter,” Serena remarked. Putting it in the oven, her creation made it to the plate in what looked like a mouth-watering delicacy.

Roasted chicken with broccoli, mashed potatoes, and rice! What could be better than a heartfelt homemade meal to satisfy not just Olympia and Adira’s appetites but also herself as she channeled her mother’s culinary skills into her own dish? After all, when Serena Williams was asked if she “could eat a meal cooked by any chef in the world, who would it be?” she had just one word to say: “Mom!” Well, it seems like the trend of enjoying Roasted Chicken cooked by Mom has carried onto the Williams-Ohanian household, too!

Hopefully, for Alexis Ohanian’s sake, the mother-daughter trio saved some for the business dad. If not, he must’ve unfortunately missed a mouthwatering treat! And this time, maybe Serena Williams would have to take him out on a date night in a follow-up to their Mexican snacks date. Speaking of dates and Serena’s love for chicken…

Serena Williams’ second anniversary was a date with a Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

And, of course, Alexis Ohanian. Joining the couple on their second wedding anniversary trip (in 2019) to Popeyes was Olympia, who witnessed her mom hilariously say, “Have I known life before this day?”

After making a quick run into the establishment, Alexis Ohanian walked back to the car with a paper bag in hand, filled with Popeyes’ famous chicken sandwiches. However, he came bearing a little bit of bad news. “They’re out of pickles,” he said, and Serena couldn’t believe it. After mourning the absence of pickles for a bit, the 23-time Grand Slam champion finally tasted her first-ever Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. And she wasn’t disappointed.

“Have I known life before this day?” she asked while savoring the sandwich’s goodness. What made this hilarious (but also iconic) was the fact that she said this on her wedding anniversary. When she had not just Alexis but also their daughter for company! It’s clear that the tennis legend’s love for chicken knows no bounds, as was evident in her Fourth of July appearance on the YouTube show Hot Ones.

That said, life has come full circle for Serena Williams. From loving her mom’s cooking to cooking for her daughters! As she somewhere cooked a mix of both her recipe and her favorite dish.