Porous silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) ceramics can be widely used in various fields, such as sound and shock absorption, filtration and so on, due to its high porosity and outstanding properties of ceramics. However, conventional preparation methods, such as gas-pressure/pressureless sintering, sintering reaction-bonded sintering and carbothermal reduction sintering, perform long sintering time, high energy consumption and high equipment requirements, which makes the preparation of porous Si₃N₄ ceramics expensive. Therefore, it is of great importance to explore a rapid and low-cost preparation method. In recent years, the direct preparation of porous Si₃N₄ ceramics by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) has showed great potential of which the heat released from the nitridation of Si powder could be used for the in-situ sintering of porous Si₃N₄ ceramics. In present paper, researches relating to the initiation of the SHS reaction, and microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and reliability of the fabricated Si₃N₄ ceramics are summerized systematically. Porous Si₃N₄ ceramics with complete nitridation, excellent grain morphology and outstanding mechanical properties and reliability are obtained by adjusting raw materials and process parameters. Furthermore, the relationship between properties of grain boundary phase and high-temperature mechanical properties of SHS-fabricated porous Si₃N₄ ceramics is reviewed. Finally, the development direction of the self-propagating high temperature synthesis of porous Si₃N₄ ceramics is prospected.