Fermented meat products are favored by consumers because of their unique flavor and rich diversity. As a coagulase-negative staphylococcus, Staphylococcus xylosus has been widely used in fermented meat products because of its good biosafety and fermentation characteristics. This paper reviews the role and importance of S. xylosus in the quality, flavor and safety of fermented meat products, as well as the composition, succession and metabolic characteristics of microbial communities during fermentation, hoping to provide theoretical reference and technical support for improving the flavor and quality of fermented meat products.