The spinel oxide Ni1-xZnxCo2O4 (x = 0.2–0.8) was synthesized. When x = 0.4, the catalytic activity for oxygen reactions was found to be the most optimal. To enhance its performance, a composites consisting of Co/N-CNT and Ni0.6Zn0.4Co2O4 was prepared. The oxygen electrode catalyzed by 10 % Co/N-CNT exhibited the highest catalytic activity. The current densities of 382.8 mA·cm−2 and 343.7 mA·cm−2 were achieved at the cut-off voltages of 1 V and −0.6 V, respectively. The results of electrochemical impedance test indicated that the charge transfer rate of the oxygen electrode catalyzed by 10 % Co/N-CNT was the fastest, providing further confirmation of its superior catalytic performance.