Abstract： The sequestration of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) constitutes a pivotal component of global climate change mitigation strategies. While the “microbial carbon pump” and biotic anabolism have traditionally dominated conceptual paradigms of humification, emerging evidence suggests that this biocentric view may underestimate the contribution of abiotic geochemical pathways. This review systematically delineates the role of the non-enzymatic Maillard reaction as a critical geochemical bridge linking mineral weathering processes to long-term SOC persistence.We propose a mechanistic framework of “mineral interfacial catalysis-melanoidin formation-organo-mineral complexation” to elucidate this abiotic stabilization trajectory. Specifically, soil minerals, particularly Fe/Mn oxides and phyllosilicates, act as natural catalysts by providing Lewis acid sites that lower the apparent activation energy for the condensation and polymerization of reducing sugars and amino compounds. This process transforms labile precursors into chemically recalcitrant, aromatic-rich polymers commonly referred to as melanoidin-like substances. These reactions are thermodynamically and kinetically favored under conditions of elevated temperature, alkaline to neutral pH, and intermediate to fluctuating moisture regimes, potentially representing a dominant stabilization pathway in subsurface horizons or anaerobic environments where microbial activity is energetically or kinetically constrained.The resulting melanoidin-type products exhibit a pronounced dual-protection capacity, beyond their inherent structural heterogeneity and low biological accessibility, they form robust associations with mineral matrices through physical confinement, ligand exchange, and polyvalent cation bridging. By acting as a non-enzymatic hub that integrates plant-derived carbon inputs and microbial metabolites into persistent organo-mineral complexes, the Maillard reaction challenges conventional theories of humic substance formation and provides a mechanistic framework for an underexplored abiotic pathway of carbon stabilization. Despite growing recognition of its potential importance, current understanding remains constrained by a reliance on simplified laboratory proxies, a scarcity of in situ field evidence, and the absence of diagnostic molecular biomarkers capable of distinguishing abiotic melanoidins from microbially derived necromass. Consequently, the quantitative contribution of this abiotic module to long-term SOC persistence remains poorly constrained. Future research should prioritize resolving environmental controls, multi-factor interactions, and identifying the molecular fingerprints of soil Maillard products in natural ecosystems. Incorporating mineral-mediated, non-enzymatic stabilization processes into terrestrial carbon cycle models will be essential for accurately capturing the coupled “climate change-rock weathering-carbon stability” continuum and for informing strategies that integrate geological and ecological carbon sequestration.