In the research, zeolite socony mobil-5 (ZSM-5) catalyst was prepared by hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), NH3-temperature programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD) and Brunauer- Emmett-Teller (BET). The catalytic products from Jatropha carcass L. oil were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The effects of crystallization time and crystallization temperature on catalytic cracking performance of ZSM-5 were investigated. According to the results, the catalytic cracking performance of ZSM-5 was closely associated with its pore structure. When the crystallization time was 60 h and the crystallization temperature was 170 °C, ZSM-5 with optimal catalytic cracking performance was synthesized. Catalyzed by the optimal ZSM-5, Jatropha carcass L. oil showed the liquid conversion rate of 26.60% and the acid value of 1.24 mg KOH·g−1. The main catalytic products from Jatropha carcass L. oil included benzene (10.02%), methylbenzene (20.52%), o-xylene (14.45%) and p-xylene (6.59%).