The decay of meat and meat products is primarily attributed to oxidation and microbial contamination during processing and storage. Chitosan, renowned for its remarkable antibacterial and antioxidant properties, has found wide applications in enhancing meat and meat product quality as well as extending their shelf life. Despite this, the antibacterial mechanism of chitosan remains unclear, and there is a dearth of systematic and comprehensive summaries regarding its application in meat and meat products as well as influential factors thereof and its potential synergistic effects with other preservation techniques. Consequently, in order to provide new ideas for the application and research of chitosan in meat and meat products, this article reviews recent progress in the application of chitosan in the meat industry, elucidates its preservation mechanism, systematically analyzes the factors that affect its efficacy in meat and meat products, and summarizes the preservation techniques that can synergistically enhance the efficacy of chitosan.