IntroductionCurcumin has highly antimicrobial and antioxidant activities but has poor bioavailability and low solubility in water. The current study aimed to assess curcumin nanoparticles (Curcumin-NPs) antibacterial and antioxidant efficacy against some pathogens in chicken fingers at 4 °C/27 days.MethodsCurcumin-NPs with particle sizes of 80 ± 2 nm were synthesized using a planetary ball-mill and chitosan-gelatin nanoparticle (CS-G-NPs) solution and then placed into chicken fingers at three concentrations, (2, 5, and 10 μg g⁻¹). The physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial capacity were evaluated.Results and discussionCurcumin-NPs showed high phenolic content (67.48 mg GAE g⁻¹) and antioxidant activity (22.47 μg ml⁻¹) at 10 μg g⁻¹ compared to other concentrations and curcumin bulk. Curcumin-NPs showed noticeably greater antibacterial ability (in vitro) against S. aureus (18 mm), E. coli (15 mm), and B. cereus (13 mm). In challenge studies, Curcumin-NPs effectively inhibited the three inoculated pathogens ~3–4 log CFU g⁻¹; in vivo; in chicken fingers kept for up to 27 days, compared to the control. In curcumin-NPs chicken samples, the contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) compared to the control were substantially lower (27 days). TEM analysis provided an estimate of the antibacterial mechanism of Curcumin-NPs. The findings demonstrated that Curcumin-NPs at 10 μg g⁻¹ were more successful in reducing microbial load in chicken fingers as well as improving quality parameters, enhancing shelf life, and reducing lipid oxidation in poultry meat products.