Investment in Loans (Schedule of Residential Mortgage Loans) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		$ 3,627,673	$ 2,366,724
Unamortized Premium (Discount)		(170,979)	(143,262)
Fair Value	[1],[2]	$ 3,490,820	$ 2,415,321
Weighted Average
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.65%	3.52%
Weighted Average Yield		3.78%	3.24%
Weighted average life		7 years 7 days	5 years 11 months 8 days
Residential mortgage loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		$ 3,130,882	$ 1,969,874
Unamortized Premium (Discount)			44,039
Amortized Cost			2,013,913
Gains			15,499
Losses			(13,184)
Fair Value		2,995,584	2,016,228
Residential mortgage loans | Non-performing
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		29,248	33,949
Fair Value		26,586	$ 30,806
Residential mortgage loans | Weighted Average
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon			5.63%
Weighted Average Yield			4.68%
Weighted average life			2 years 18 days
Consolidated securitization trusts [Member] | Residential mortgage loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Gains		12	$ 11,500
Losses		135,400	3,700
Loans held-for-investment [Member] | Residential mortgage loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		3,130,882	1,958,807
Unamortized Premium (Discount)		45,714	45,462
Amortized Cost		3,176,596	2,004,269
Gains		4,351	13,792
Losses		(185,363)	(13,173)
Fair Value		$ 2,995,584	$ 2,004,888
Loans held-for-investment [Member] | Residential mortgage loans | Weighted Average
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		5.80%	5.63%
Weighted Average Yield		4.71%	4.67%
Weighted average life		4 years 2 months 1 day	2 years 21 days
Loans held-for-sale | Residential mortgage loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance			$ 11,067
Unamortized Premium (Discount)			(1,423)
Amortized Cost			9,644
Gains			1,707
Losses			(11)
Fair Value			$ 11,340
Loans held-for-sale | Residential mortgage loans | Weighted Average
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon			4.58%
Weighted Average Yield			5.94%
Weighted average life			29 days
Non-QM loan securitization | Residential mortgage loans | Consolidated Entities [Member] | Securitized loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Fair Value		$ 1,561,813	$ 1,041,545

[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.

[2] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 11 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.