We report electrical characteristics of a porous composite cathode for the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) consisting of ZnO nanowires (ZnO-NW) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) particles. This composite cathode significantly reduces concerns about chemical and mechanical compatibility with the YSZ electrolyte, which has remained one of the main challenges for practical utilization of the SOFC. The area-specific polarization resistivity of this composite electrode was comparable to, if not lower than, that of conventional cathodes. The results demonstrate that, with size and material optimization, the ZnO-NW/YSZ porous composite cathode can be a viable alternative to conventional cathodes for SOFCs.