Borrowings (Details) $ in Thousands				3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Feb. 13, 2019	Aug. 18, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) counterparty	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) counterparty
Borrowings [Line Items]
Total secured borrowings				$ 2,800,000	$ 3,200,000
Number of Counterparties with Outstanding Reverse Repurchase Agreements | counterparty				28	28
Financial Instruments transferred as collateral for repurchase agreements				$ 2,283,000	$ 2,763,000
Financial Instruments transferred as collateral for repurchase agreements, Unsettled				$ 360,500	64,700
Repurchase Agreements amount at risk threshold				10.00%
Other secured borrowings	[1]			$ 177,855	150,334
Other secured borrowings, at fair value	[1]			$ 549,668	$ 594,396
Minimum
Borrowings [Line Items]
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Maturity				30 days
Repurchase agreements, remaining days to maturity				1 day	2 days
Repurchase Agreements Interest Rate				(0.15%)	0.15%
Maximum
Borrowings [Line Items]
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Maturity				180 days
Repurchase agreements, remaining days to maturity				791 days	882 days
Repurchase Agreements Interest Rate				6.99%	5.20%
Reverse repurchase agreements
Borrowings [Line Items]
Cash collateral posted for securities sold under agreements to repurchase				$ 98,700	$ 31,000
Security Owned and Pledged as Collateral, Fair Value				33	200
Securitized residential mortgage loans
Borrowings [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Transfered and Accounted for as Secured Borrowings				581,800	629,100
Secured borrowing recourse facility collateralized by unsecured loan portfolio
Borrowings [Line Items]
Other secured borrowings				$ 15,000	$ 16,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Rate				3.08%	3.85%
Secured borrowing recourse facility collateralized by unsecured loan portfolio | Unsecured loans
Borrowings [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Transfered and Accounted for as Secured Borrowings				$ 19,800	$ 22,300
Non-QM loan securitization
Borrowings [Line Items]
Other secured borrowings					$ 594,400
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Rate				3.19%	3.19%
Secured borrowing facility collateralized by unsecured loan portfolio
Borrowings [Line Items]
Other secured borrowings				$ 116,500	$ 102,500
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Rate				3.23%	4.01%
Secured borrowing facility collateralized by unsecured loan portfolio | Unsecured loans
Borrowings [Line Items]
Fair Value of Assets Transfered and Accounted for as Secured Borrowings				$ 157,400	$ 144,100
Secured borrowing facility collateralized by ABS backed by consumer loans [Member]
Borrowings [Line Items]
Other secured borrowings				$ 40,000	$ 31,800
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Rate				4.37%	5.23%
Fair Value of Assets Transfered and Accounted for as Secured Borrowings				$ 54,000	$ 47,900
Commercial mortgage loans
Borrowings [Line Items]
Other secured borrowings				6,300
Fair Value of Assets Transfered and Accounted for as Secured Borrowings				$ 16,800
Senior Notes
Borrowings [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Rate				5.80%
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			$ 86,000
Proceeds from Debt, Net of Issuance Costs			$ 84,700
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		5.50%	5.25%
Redemption percentage		100.00%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date			Sep. 01, 2022

[1] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet includes assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 9 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.