Nanoparticles of barium holmium zirconate, a new complex perovskite ceramic oxide, has been synthesized using a modified self‐propagating combustion process. The solid combustion products obtained were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction, differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, particle size analysis, surface area determination, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. The XRD and electron diffraction studies have shown that the as‐prepared powder is phase pure Ba2HoZrO5.5 and has a complex cubic perovskite (A2BB′O6) structure with a lattice constant a= 8.428 Å. The transmission electron microscopic investigation has shown that the particle size of the as‐prepared powder was in the range 4–16 nm with a mean grain size of 8.2 nm. The nanoparticles of Ba2HoZrO5.5 obtained by the present method could be sintered to 98% theoretical density at 1500°C.