In the mononuclear title complex, [ZnCl2(C15H16N4O)], the Zn(II) cation is five-coordinated in a strongly distorted square-pyramidal environment by two Cl(-) anions and a neutral tridentate Schiff base ligand. The Zn(II) cation is chelated by the carbonyl O atom, the imine N atom and the pyridine N atom, which causes a slight loss of planarity for the ligand; the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 4.61 (8)°.