Advanced glycation end products (AGE) are potential harmful substances formed in the advanced Maillard reaction and increasingly investigated in muscle foods. However, the contribution of oxidation to the AGE formation is controversial. Moreover, reports on glyoxal (GO) induced AGE formation in chicken meat emulsion (CME) are limited. Thus, the effects of GO on emulsifying properties, rheological behavior and AGE formation in CME were investigated. Our findings exhibited that levels of N^ε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) and N^ε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL) were associated with lipid oxidation but not significantly (P > 0.05). Levels of AGE peaked when GO concentration ranged from 5 mmol/L (CML) to 10 mmol/L (CEL). The droplets' aggregation associated with the disulfide bond when the concentration of GO was at 0.5–30 mmol/L while non-disulfide bond association occurred at 30–50 mmol/L GO concentration. In conclusion, compared to the effect of oxidation, GO exhibited the main role in the AGE formation of CME. This study will provide theoretical significance for further understanding and controlling the formation of AGE in CME.