For Serena Williams, the answer to her ‘favorite meal’ is immediate: her mother’s chicken, rice, and gravy. A dish that defined her childhood remained her ultimate comfort food. Even a trip to Australia in 2013, with the promise of that familiar taste, ended in playful disappointment when her mother forgot. “Now she owes me!” she’d declared. Besides, Venus, her sisters, and Serena herself all took turns at the stove. For years, her gumbo was a crowd-pleaser, followed by her ‘seven-bean delight’. Now, a week after cooking gumbo with her daughter, Williams is cooking an early morning recipe.

On March 8th, Serena Williams posted an Instagram video showcasing a heartwarming moment with her 7-year-old daughter, Olympia. They were making gumbo together, with Williams teaching Olympia her special recipe. “Bet you didn’t know I love cooking,” she captioned the video.

On March 17, she posted an Instagram story sharing her next dish for the night—with an “early morning prep”. She posted a video of some vegetables on a baking tray. Speaking in the background, she said, “Early morning prep for dinner. I’m gonna roast these and make the tomato soup. Yum.”

Serena Williams‘s been experimenting with recipes for years. She once mentioned, “I don’t have a ton of time to do it often, but I love cooking and it’s just kind of relaxing for me,” during an interview with Women’s Health in 2021. Back in 2013, when Williams was asked to recite one of the recipes by heart, she said,

“The easiest is my roasted chicken recipe. I make it French style. 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. It’s not a light dish! 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.”

After a whirlwind start to 2025, including performing at the Super Bowl alongside Kendrick Lamar and launching her new clothing line with Janie and Jack featuring Olympia and Adira, Serena must need some time-out! But being the GOAT she is, dives into everything with gusto! Even when it comes to picking out fresh ingredients from her garden!

Serena Williams tries out a new recipe with some “wild” vegetable-picking

Inspired by Meghan Markle’s new Netflix series, ‘With Love, Meghan,’ Serena Williams took to her own garden on Sunday, March 9th, to create a homemade dish. After watching the Duchess of Sussex share her passion for cooking, gardening, and hosting, Williams shared on her Instagram Stories that she was enjoying the show, which premiered on March 4th and is set for a second season.

Two hours later, she followed up with a video of herself harvesting fresh ingredients from her flourishing garden. “Alright, we are having a wild and free day in the garden,” she told the camera, wearing a bright orange matching set with her long locks in waves down her back. “I am fresh-picking some more moringa because I want to cook it.”

Williams continued, “I have a ton of moringa at home, but it’s all dry. I want to actually make it fresh, because I was reading that you can cook it and eat it like spinach,” adding that the nutritious plant can be pan-seared or boiled. “I would pan sear it for just a fresh second or two, maybe like a minute, and then I would eat it. I will let you know how that turns out.” The tennis icon added, “We’re wild today, loud and crazy.”

To celebrate the launch of her Netflix show, Meghan Markle, who has been close friends with Williams since they met at the Super Bowl in 2010, shared delightful footage of her daughter Princess Lilibet spending quality time with ‘auntie’ Serena Williams. The Instagram Stories clip showed Lilibet, dressed adorably in a pink top and floral leggings, playing a personalized Candy Land game with Williams, who was clapping along enthusiastically.

“When the aunties comes to celebrate … and to play! Love you @serenawilliam,” Meghan wrote in a message over the clip as the song “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers played over the top.

Whether it’s gumbo with Olympia or moringa from her backyard, Serena is taking her culinary skills to the next level.