Core–shell structured Fe/C have been successfully derived from a metal-organic framework for microwave absorbing. Based on the measured electromagnetic parameters, it is found that the maximum reflection loss (RL) of Fe/C reaches [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB at 5.8[Formula: see text]GHz with a thickness of 3.0[Formula: see text]mm and the broadest absorption bandwidth ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB) is up to 6.0[Formula: see text]GHz (from 11.2 to 17.2[Formula: see text]GHz) with a thickness of 1.5 mm. The excellent microwave absorption is mainly ascribed to the multiple reflections, good impedance matching, dielectric loss and interface polarization originating from the core–shell structure. It is believed that Fe/C can be a promising microwave absorbing material.