In vitro embryo rescue (ER) serves as a critical biotechnological approach in fruit crop breeding, facilitating the recovery and development of immature embryos that would otherwise abort due to post-zygotic reproductive barriers. This technique requires excising embryos at specific developmental stages, followed by culture on optimized nutrient media to promote growth and plantlet establishment. The effectiveness of ER is influenced by factors such as genotype, embryo maturity, culture medium composition, plant growth regulators, and acclimatization protocols. Optimization of these parameters can substantially increase breeding efficiency and accelerate genetic improvement in fruit crops. For example, in grapes, ER has enabled successful seedless × seedless hybridization, thereby reducing the time needed to develop seedless cultivars. In polyembryonic citrus, integrating immature embryo culture with marker-assisted selection has enhanced hybrid recovery by overcoming competition from nucellar embryos. ER has also supported the incorporation of early-ripening Prunus genotypes into breeding programs by rescuing embryos prior to seed maturity. Recent advancements underscore the capacity of ER to shorten breeding cycles, prevent embryo abortion, and facilitate the recovery of seedless triploids and stress-resilient hybrids, demonstrating its wide-ranging utility in fruit crop improvement.