Due to the tough-to-cut reinforced components, machining metal matrix composites presents a greater level of difficulty in comparison to machining solid materials. Metal matrix composites (MMCs), however, are growing in global relevance in the manufacturing sectors. This is because metal matrix composites possess exceptional structural stability, high ultimate tensile strength, temperature resistance, and a high strength-to-weight ratio. The presence of a robust ceramic reinforcement in metal matrix composites makes them challenging to machine as it leads to a considerable reduction in machinability, resulting in increased cutting tool wear, cutting force, and other related factors. Consequently, they are still considered difficult-to-cut materials. Various methods have been employed to enhance the machinability of metal matrix composites, such as conventional and nonconventional machining techniques. This study aims to evaluate the machining potential of metal matrix composites using conventional machining methods like turning, milling, drilling, and grinding, along with nontraditional machining techniques, such as electrochemical machining (ECM), electrical discharge machining (EDM), powder mixed EDM (p-EDM), wire EDM (w-EDM), laser-assisted machining (LAM), ultrasonic-assisted machining (UAM), and many more. In addition to presenting an overview of the machining characteristics of metal matrix composites using different processing technologies, this research establishes optimization parameters as a benchmark for commercial applications.