In this study, catfish burgers were processed using chitosan and its nanoparticles extracted from shrimp and crab bio-wastes. Chemical composition, physicochemical, microbiological and sensory quality criteria were analyzed. Fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography (CG-FID), while volatile compounds were assessed by CG-MS. Results showed that either chitosan or chitosan nanoparticles significantly decreased pH value, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), trimethylamine (TMAN), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), total bacterial counts and psychrophilic bacteria of catfish burgers; these values did not exceed the acceptable limits for all groups. The incorporation of chitosan and its nanoparticles was effective in controlling the growth of bacteria, and biochemical quality indices, as well as improving the freshness indices of catfish burgers. The above results indicate that it is feasible to obtain fish burgers with improved physicochemical and sensory properties using chitosan nanoparticle pretreatment. Therefore, it could be recommended to advance the field of fish burger production. In addition, this study provided insights for the development of improved processing techniques in the food industry through converting some food additives like chitosan to nanoparticles.