diff --git a/.changelog/19555.txt b/.changelog/19555.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..161bc3f9034
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/19555.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+resource/aws_cloudwatch_event_target: Fix `ecs_target.launch_type` not allowing empty string values.
+```
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go
index d4c60d91cb8..f4dbe285114 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target.go
@@ -143,10 +143,13 @@ func resourceAwsCloudWatchEventTarget() *schema.Resource {
 							ValidateFunc: validation.StringLenBetween(1, 255),
 						},
 						"launch_type": {
-							Type:         schema.TypeString,
-							Optional:     true,
-							Default:      events.LaunchTypeEc2,
-							ValidateFunc: validation.StringInSlice(events.LaunchType_Values(), false),
+							Type:     schema.TypeString,
+							Optional: true,
+							Default:  events.LaunchTypeEc2,
+							ValidateFunc: validation.Any(
+								validation.StringIsEmpty,
+								validation.StringInSlice(events.LaunchType_Values(), false),
+							),
 						},
 						"network_configuration": {
 							Type:     schema.TypeList,
diff --git a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go
index 987a4b7eaf3..e738b3964b7 100644
--- a/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go
+++ b/aws/resource_aws_cloudwatch_event_target_test.go
@@ -451,6 +451,62 @@ func TestAccAWSCloudWatchEventTarget_ecs(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccAWSCloudWatchEventTarget_ecsWithBlankLaunchType(t *testing.T) {
+	resourceName := "aws_cloudwatch_event_target.test"
+	iamRoleResourceName := "aws_iam_role.test"
+	ecsTaskDefinitionResourceName := "aws_ecs_task_definition.task"
+	var v events.Target
+	rName := acctest.RandomWithPrefix("tf_ecs_target")
+
+	resource.ParallelTest(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:     func() { testAccPreCheck(t) },
+		ErrorCheck:   testAccErrorCheck(t, events.EndpointsID),
+		Providers:    testAccProviders,
+		CheckDestroy: testAccCheckAWSCloudWatchEventTargetDestroy,
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigEcsWithBlankLaunchType(rName),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckCloudWatchEventTargetExists(resourceName, &v),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttrPair(resourceName, "role_arn", iamRoleResourceName, "arn"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "ecs_target.#", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "ecs_target.0.task_count", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttrPair(resourceName, "ecs_target.0.task_definition_arn", ecsTaskDefinitionResourceName, "arn"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "ecs_target.0.launch_type", ""),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "ecs_target.0.network_configuration.#", "1"),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "ecs_target.0.network_configuration.0.subnets.#", "1"),
+				),
+			},
+			{
+				ResourceName:      resourceName,
+				ImportState:       true,
+				ImportStateIdFunc: testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetImportStateIdFunc(resourceName),
+				ImportStateVerify: true,
+			},
+			{
+				Config: testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigEcs(rName),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckCloudWatchEventTargetExists(resourceName, &v),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "ecs_target.0.launch_type", "FARGATE"),
+				),
+			},
+			{
+				ResourceName:      resourceName,
+				ImportState:       true,
+				ImportStateIdFunc: testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetImportStateIdFunc(resourceName),
+				ImportStateVerify: true,
+			},
+			{
+				Config: testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigEcsWithBlankLaunchType(rName),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckCloudWatchEventTargetExists(resourceName, &v),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "ecs_target.0.launch_type", ""),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAccAWSCloudWatchEventTarget_ecsWithBlankTaskCount(t *testing.T) {
 	resourceName := "aws_cloudwatch_event_target.test"
 	var v events.Target
@@ -1275,6 +1331,110 @@ data "aws_partition" "current" {}
 `, rName)
 }
 
+func testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigEcsWithBlankLaunchType(rName string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_rule" "test" {
+  name        = %[1]q
+  description = "schedule_ecs_test"
+
+  schedule_expression = "rate(5 minutes)"
+}
+
+resource "aws_vpc" "vpc" {
+  cidr_block = "10.1.0.0/16"
+}
+
+resource "aws_subnet" "subnet" {
+  vpc_id     = aws_vpc.vpc.id
+  cidr_block = "10.1.1.0/24"
+}
+
+resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_target" "test" {
+  arn      = aws_ecs_cluster.test.id
+  rule     = aws_cloudwatch_event_rule.test.id
+  role_arn = aws_iam_role.test.arn
+
+  ecs_target {
+    task_count          = 1
+    task_definition_arn = aws_ecs_task_definition.task.arn
+    launch_type         = ""
+
+    network_configuration {
+      subnets = [aws_subnet.subnet.id]
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+resource "aws_iam_role" "test" {
+  name = %[1]q
+
+  assume_role_policy = <<EOF
+{
+  "Version": "2012-10-17",
+  "Statement": [
+    {
+      "Action": "sts:AssumeRole",
+      "Principal": {
+        "Service": "events.${data.aws_partition.current.dns_suffix}"
+      },
+      "Effect": "Allow",
+      "Sid": ""
+    }
+  ]
+}
+EOF
+}
+
+resource "aws_iam_role_policy" "test" {
+  name = %[1]q
+  role = aws_iam_role.test.id
+
+  policy = <<EOF
+{
+    "Version": "2012-10-17",
+    "Statement": [
+        {
+            "Effect": "Allow",
+            "Action": [
+                "ecs:RunTask"
+            ],
+            "Resource": [
+                "*"
+            ]
+        }
+    ]
+}
+EOF
+}
+
+resource "aws_ecs_cluster" "test" {
+  name = %[1]q
+}
+
+resource "aws_ecs_task_definition" "task" {
+  family                   = %[1]q
+  cpu                      = 256
+  memory                   = 512
+  requires_compatibilities = ["FARGATE"]
+  network_mode             = "awsvpc"
+
+  container_definitions = <<EOF
+[
+  {
+    "name": "first",
+    "image": "service-first",
+    "cpu": 10,
+    "memory": 512,
+    "essential": true
+  }
+]
+EOF
+}
+
+data "aws_partition" "current" {}
+`, rName)
+}
+
 func testAccAWSCloudWatchEventTargetConfigEcsWithBlankTaskCount(rName string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_cloudwatch_event_rule" "test" {
diff --git a/website/docs/r/cloudwatch_event_target.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/cloudwatch_event_target.html.markdown
index 4bb47f3e22a..b3d6af4652b 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/cloudwatch_event_target.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/cloudwatch_event_target.html.markdown
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 `ecs_target` support the following:
 
 * `group` - (Optional) Specifies an ECS task group for the task. The maximum length is 255 characters.
-* `launch_type` - (Optional) Specifies the launch type on which your task is running. The launch type that you specify here must match one of the launch type (compatibilities) of the target task. Valid values are `EC2` or `FARGATE`.
+* `launch_type` - (Optional) Specifies the launch type on which your task is running. The launch type that you specify here must match one of the launch type (compatibilities) of the target task. Valid values include: an empty string `""` (to specify no launch type), `EC2`, or `FARGATE`.
 * `network_configuration` - (Optional) Use this if the ECS task uses the awsvpc network mode. This specifies the VPC subnets and security groups associated with the task, and whether a public IP address is to be used. Required if launch_type is FARGATE because the awsvpc mode is required for Fargate tasks.
 * `platform_version` - (Optional) Specifies the platform version for the task. Specify only the numeric portion of the platform version, such as 1.1.0. This is used only if LaunchType is FARGATE. For more information about valid platform versions, see [AWS Fargate Platform Versions](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonECS/latest/developerguide/platform_versions.html).
 * `task_count` - (Optional) The number of tasks to create based on the TaskDefinition. The default is 1.