<p>Chitosan (CT)-based gold nanomaterials have emerged as a powerful class of hybrid systems with significant potential in antimicrobial applications. Recently a considerable advancement has been made in the design, synthesis, and functionalization of CT-stabilized gold nanomaterials to enhance their antibacterial and antifungal efficacy. The inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and antimicrobial properties of CT, when combined with the unique physicochemical and photothermal characteristics of gold nanomaterials, result in synergistic effects that significantly boost antimicrobial activity. These nanomaterials have shown excellent effectiveness against a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms, including drug-resistant strains, at remarkably low concentrations. Furthermore, CT serves as both a stabilizing and targeting agent, improving nanoparticle dispersion and enabling selective interaction with microbial cell walls. This review summarizes the key developments from the past five years, highlighting the structure-function correlations, and potential biomedical applications of CT-based gold nanomaterials. The findings emphasize their promise as next-generation antimicrobial agents and point to future directions for improving their selectivity, stability, and clinical relevance.</p>