In this report, we present a facile method for the synthesis of porous MnCo₂O₄ nanorods. When the as-synthesized MnCo₂O₄ nanorods are applied as the anode material for lithium-ion batteries, they exhibit excellent electrochemical performance owing to their porous nature. Because of the delicate balance between structural stability and specific surface area, the porous MnCo₂O₄ nanorods show high discharge capacity and excellent cycling stability. The initial discharge capacity is 1845 mA h g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.4 A g⁻¹. Even being cycled at a current density of 30 A g⁻¹, the discharge capacity is still about 533 mA h g⁻¹. The effects of binders on the electrochemical performance of the electrode have also been investigated, showing that the CMC/SBR binder is more suitable than PVDF for the as-synthesized porous MnCo₂O₄ nanorods. The influences of the calcination temperature also have been systematically investigated, which suggest the electrochemical performance is determined by both the structural stability and surface area of the samples.