In this work, we report the synthesis and electrode applications of iron-carbon nanohybrid particles prepared by carbonization of a nanocomposite of FeOOH nanoneedles and melamine-formaldehyde resin. The chemical composition and microstructure of the material have been characterized using ICP-AES, FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, TEM and XPS. The supercapacitor properties of the MF-Fe-C are studied in detail. A thorough comparison of the supercapacitor performances of MF-Fe-C and bare MF-C has been carried out through detailed electrochemical characterisations employing both two and three-electrode techniques. The nanohybrid showed an enhanced energy density of 127.75 WhKg−1, specific capacitance of ∼408 F g−1 at 1 mVs−1 scan rate, and excellent cyclic stability even after 1000 charge-discharge cycles, making it an intriguing material for high energy density supercapacitor devices. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2017, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.