Parmigiana is typically sliced veal (Veal Parmesan) or chicken breast (Chicken Parmesan) which is dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, breaded, shallow-fried and topped with a marinara sauce (red Sicilian tomato sauce) and mozzarella cheese. It is then usually baked until the cheese is bubbly and brown.

In the United States and Canada, veal parmigiana or chicken parmigiana is commonly served with a side of or on top of spaghetti. It is also popular as a grinder or sub sandwich. Diced onions or green bell peppers, sautéed or raw, are sometimes added. Parmigiana can also be prepared using other foods as the main ingredient such as Eggplant Parmesan or Meatball Parmesan. Eggplant Parmesan, (also known as melanzane alla parmigiana or parmigiana di melanzane), is a common Italian dish which is known to have actually originated in Sicily.

Some variations of the traditional recipe may call for the use of Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan cheese) in addition to, or very rarely as a substitute for, mozzarella. This may reflect a confused belief that the dish is so-named because it contains Parmesan cheese. In fact, there are two stories as to how the dish got its name. One story is that both the dish and the cheese are (separately) named for the Parma region of Italy. Fact: date=May 2008 The other story is that though parmigiana means literally "from Parma" (a city in Italy), the name derives from parmiggiana, a Sicilian recipe made with fried eggplant, tomato sauce and mozzarella.Fact: date=May 2008

In La Cucina tradizionale siciliana, by Anna Pomar she writes.

"This is an ancient Sicilian dish which, in all cookbooks it is erroneously stated that the dish obtains its name from parmesan cheese which is one of the ingredients. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The name "parmigiana" does not derive from that of the cheese but is the Italianization of the Sicilian dialectic word "parmiciana" which are the slats of wood which compose the central part of a shutter and overlap in the same manner as the slices of eggplant in the dish." (Translated from the Italian)

It is served across the world, most often in Italy and in countries like the U.S., where large numbers of Italian immigrants have settled.

The parmigiana has become very popular in Australia as a pub dish, (often referred to as a parma or a parmi), and can also contain sliced ham, depending on region. A variation on the dish, popular in home cooking but rare in public eateries, includes sliced tomato instead of the sauce.

A variation of the chicken parmigiana, known locally as the "Parmo", can be found in the North East of England. This is usually eaten as a late night take away food. The Parmo consists of deep-fried flattened chicken or pork fillet in an egg and breadcrumb batter, smothered in bechamel sauce and topped off with cheddar cheese.