Chicken parmigiana, or chicken parmesan (Italian Pollo alla parmigiana) (also referred to colloquially in the United States as 'chicken parm' and in Australia as a parmi[1] or parma[2]) is a popular Italian-American dish.[3][4] It consists of a breaded chicken breast topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, parmesan or provolone cheese. A slice of ham or bacon is sometimes added,[5] but not all chefs are in agreement with the addition of pork.[6] It is based on a combination of the Italian melanzane alla Parmigiana, a dish using breaded eggplant slices instead of chicken, along with costelette Parmigiana.[4]
Chicken parmigiana is included as the base of a number of different meals, including sandwiches[7] and pies,[8][9] and the meal is used as the subject of eating contests at some restaurants.