Graphene-based sheets that possess a unique nanostructure and a variety of fascinating properties are appealing as promising nanoscale building blocks of new composites. Herein, we present a general and effective approach for the preparation of metal oxide–graphene (metal oxide–G, metal oxide = Fe₃O₄, ZnO and Cu₂O) by in situ nucleation and growth of metal oxide on the surface of graphene in tetraethylene glycol (TEG) solution. TEG, a nontoxic and environmentally friendly agent, acts as both solvent and reductant. Furthermore, the Fe₃O₄–G was employed as a two dimensional support for loading noble metal nanoparticles (Au or Pt) to synthesize Au@Fe₃O₄–G and Pt@Fe₃O₄–G ternary hybrid materials. The as-obtained Au@Fe₃O₄–G exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH₄, and the Pt@Fe₃O₄–G showed remarkable electrocatalytic performance for hydrazine oxidation. We believe that the hybrid catalysts fabricated by this simple, efficient method have great potential for applications in other fields, such as electrochemical energy storage, sensors, and so on.