Oxidative deterioration in meat causes discoloration, development of off flavor, formation of toxic compounds, poor shelf life and nutrient losses. Products from lipid oxidation such as malondialdehyde can induce mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. While antioxidants can be of synthetic or natural origin, synthetic antioxidants have been widely used in meat products. But the demand for natural antioxidants, especially of plant origin has increased due to the potential toxicological effects of synthetic antioxidants. The application of medicinal plants including rich-antioxidants in meat can provide functional or nutraceutical meat or meat products and promote consumers health and wellness compared to the use of synthetic antioxidants. Studies have demonstrated that oregano, rosemary, clove, sage, thyme and vanillin showed high antioxidant activities in meat and meat products. The antioxidant properties of medicinal plants depend on the plant, its variety, environmental conditions, climatic and seasonal variations and many other factors. Antioxidant compounds are usually added at a moderate dosage level, since high level of inclusion may mechanistically cause adverse effects through pro-oxidative action in meat. Further research will be needed to evaluate the efficient use of medicinal-plant-rich antioxidants to preserve the functionality of meat and ensure production of meat products with nutraceutical properties.