Because of their excellent physical and chemical properties, namely, their good solubility, high conductivity, wide electrochemical window, good thermal and chemical stability, reusability, and easy regeneration, ionic liquids have been widely used in many fields such as organic synthesis, separation, electrochemistry, catalysis, metallurgy, nuclear energy recycling, and nanomaterials. In particular, the introduction of ionic liquids enables metallurgical reactions to occur at low temperatures, which in turn reduces energy consumption and pollution. Therefore, this new “green” solvent has great application potential in the field of metallurgy. This paper summarizes the research and application status of ionic liquids in hydrometallurgy, with a focus on the dissolution of metals and their oxides, the leaching of complex minerals and electronic wastes, and the preparation of various metals and their alloys by electrodeposition with ionic liquids as the medium. The developmental prospects of ionic liquids in metallurgy are also discussed.