diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts
index 97163378d5f2f..fd7f11a6a1395 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-eks/lib/cluster.ts
@@ -1800,7 +1800,11 @@ export class Cluster extends ClusterBase {
    * @param options options for creating a new nodegroup
    */
   public addNodegroupCapacity(id: string, options?: NodegroupOptions): Nodegroup {
-    if (options?.instanceTypes?.some(i => nodeTypeForInstanceType(i) === NodeType.INFERENTIA)) {
+    const hasInferentiaInstanceType = [
+      options?.instanceType,
+      ...options?.instanceTypes ?? [],
+    ].some(i => i && nodeTypeForInstanceType(i) === NodeType.INFERENTIA);
+    if (hasInferentiaInstanceType) {
       this.addNeuronDevicePlugin();
     }
     return new Nodegroup(this, `Nodegroup${id}`, {