Poultry meat especially chicken meat is loved by consumers due to its high protein, low fat, low cholesterol, low calorie, and high nutritional value, and in recent years chicken meat has become the second most consumed meat after pork in China. As the broiler slaughter industry continues to develop, animal welfare is being taken increasingly seriously in China and pre-slaughter treatment of broilers is receiving growing attention. Stunning, as an important step in ensuring animal welfare, has a positive effect on reducing stress and improving meat quality in broilers. Electrical stunning is convenient, economical and requires little space, which is widely used in poultry slaughter lines. It can reduce carcass damage and pre-slaughter stress, reduce defective products, improve the quality of chicken meat and enhance its taste. Finding out suitable stunning parameters has been a focus of research for many years. This paper introduces different stunning methods for animals, reviews the current status of research on the effect of pre-slaughter electrical stunning on chicken meat quality, the factors affecting electrical stunning and the current status of domestic and international standardization of electrical stunning, analyzes the advantages and application of electrical stunning, and provides an outlook on future development, aiming to provide a reference for follow-up research and standard formulation.