The study analyzes global traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) from 2000–2024 based on 855 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection database and clinical trials from PubMed. TCM research in NAFLD shows a general upward trend, with China leading the field, followed by the United States and South Korea. The leading institution is Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the most prolific author is Ji G, and the most cited scholar is Younossi ZM. Journal of Ethnopharmacology published the most publications, while Hepatology has the highest number of citations. Key topics include gut microbiota, network pharmacology, inflammation, insulin resistance, and lipid metabolism. Research hotspots focus on the mechanisms of TCM compounds such as berberine and Lingguizhugan Decoction, with increasing use of network pharmacology. The analysis outlines the current status and development trends of TCM research in NAFLD.