Biodiesel is one of the main biofuels used to replace fossil resources, and is mainly produced from esterification and transesterification of fatty acids and oils catalyzed by acids, bases or enzymes. Among the existing catalysts, metal oxides and their derivatives play an important role because of their high catalytic activity and low cost. ZnO is a metal oxide and its related nanomaterials are easy to prepare, which gives ZnO superior reactivity and extensive applications. Suitably modified ZnO nanomaterials typically have high specific surface areas, suitable pore sizes, and enhanced catalytic performance in the production of biodiesel. The present review introduces the application progress of ZnO catalysts in biodiesel preparation. The current shortcomings and future challenges of the basic heterogeneous catalytic systems for biodiesel production are also discussed.