Investment in Securities (Maturities of Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[1],[2]	$ 1,459,465	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,399,411	$ 1,975,520
Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.58%	3.52%
Long
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,459,465	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,620,957	$ 2,095,765
Long | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.59%	3.37%
Long | Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 951,371	$ 1,663,328
Amortized Cost		$ 1,060,358	$ 1,671,020
Long | Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.40%	2.95%
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 20,547	$ 45,956
Amortized Cost		$ 21,976	$ 45,678
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.57%	3.99%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 242,472	$ 950,723
Amortized Cost		$ 267,229	$ 955,157
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.46%	3.24%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 685,742	$ 665,617
Amortized Cost		$ 768,041	$ 669,147
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.38%	2.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 2,610	$ 1,032
Amortized Cost		$ 3,112	$ 1,038
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.72%	1.99%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 16,892	$ 33,288
Amortized Cost		$ 17,365	$ 32,607
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.36%	3.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 2,202	$ 8,981
Amortized Cost		$ 2,501	$ 8,466
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.90%	3.10%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 11,081	$ 22,497
Amortized Cost		$ 11,343	$ 22,379
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.58%	3.76%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 3,345	$ 1,810
Amortized Cost		$ 3,207	$ 1,762
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.94%	1.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 264	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 314	$ 0
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.68%	0.00%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 253,459	$ 224,485
Amortized Cost		$ 279,411	$ 220,050
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.17%	4.03%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 81,122	$ 96,277
Amortized Cost		$ 84,695	$ 92,396
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.66%	4.31%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 109,722	$ 93,787
Amortized Cost		$ 115,716	$ 90,822
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		5.41%	4.79%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 36,179	$ 26,639
Amortized Cost		$ 44,611	$ 28,293
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.05%	1.80%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 26,436	$ 7,782
Amortized Cost		$ 34,389	$ 8,539
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.53%	0.34%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 238,890	$ 201,605
Amortized Cost		$ 258,137	$ 196,747
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.33%	4.17%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 26,972	$ 17,712
Amortized Cost		$ 24,588	$ 16,701
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.18%	0.64%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 4,347	$ 6,360
Amortized Cost		$ 3,913	$ 5,504
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.15%	0.85%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 3,723	$ 2,187
Amortized Cost		$ 4,247	$ 2,141
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.47%	0.12%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 18,902	$ 9,165
Amortized Cost		$ 16,428	$ 9,056
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.16%	0.63%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 0	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 0	$ 0
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.00%	0.00%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 199,660	$ 140,991
Amortized Cost		$ 229,436	$ 149,599
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.91%	7.55%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 96,371	$ 110,953
Amortized Cost		$ 120,086	$ 114,392
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		5.42%	8.82%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 53,804	$ 30,038
Amortized Cost		$ 59,754	$ 35,207
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.69%	3.42%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 49,485	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 49,596	$ 0
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.01%	0.00%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 0	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 0	$ 0
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.00%	0.00%

[1] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Consolidated Balance Sheets include assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 11 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.

[2] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 13 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.