Investment in Securities (Maturities of Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[1],[2]	$ 1,389,547	$ 1,459,465
Amortized Cost		$ 1,340,721	$ 1,399,411
Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.44%	1.58%
Long
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,389,547	$ 1,459,465
Amortized Cost		$ 1,507,951	$ 1,620,957
Long | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.45%	1.59%
Long | Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 838,173	$ 951,371
Amortized Cost		$ 905,517	$ 1,060,358
Long | Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.66%	3.40%
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 19,952	$ 20,547
Amortized Cost		$ 20,363	$ 21,976
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.72%	3.57%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 316,968	$ 242,472
Amortized Cost		$ 336,873	$ 267,229
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.16%	3.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 499,799	$ 685,742
Amortized Cost		$ 546,523	$ 768,041
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.37%	3.38%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,454	$ 2,610
Amortized Cost		$ 1,758	$ 3,112
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.50%	2.72%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 14,939	$ 16,892
Amortized Cost		$ 14,717	$ 17,365
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.29%	1.36%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,985	$ 2,202
Amortized Cost		$ 2,168	$ 2,501
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.69%	0.90%
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)		$ 10,081	$ 11,081
Amortized Cost		$ 9,705	$ 11,343
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		1.96%	1.58%
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)		$ 2,596	$ 3,345
Amortized Cost		$ 2,518	$ 3,207
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		1.58%	1.94%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 277	$ 264
Amortized Cost		$ 326	$ 314
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.69%	0.68%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 248,333	$ 253,459
Amortized Cost		$ 280,099	$ 279,411
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.42%	4.17%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 81,904	$ 81,122
Amortized Cost		$ 85,166	$ 84,695
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.62%	3.66%
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)		$ 80,754	$ 109,722
Amortized Cost		$ 86,740	$ 115,716
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		5.61%	5.41%
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)		$ 52,894	$ 36,179
Amortized Cost		$ 67,798	$ 44,611
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		4.26%	3.05%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 32,781	$ 26,436
Amortized Cost		$ 40,395	$ 34,389
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.48%	3.53%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 235,208	$ 238,890
Amortized Cost		$ 258,630	$ 258,137
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.61%	4.33%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 33,033	$ 26,972
Amortized Cost		$ 29,771	$ 24,588
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.18%	0.18%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 7,267	$ 4,347
Amortized Cost		$ 6,653	$ 3,913
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%	0.15%
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)		$ 3,089	$ 3,723
Amortized Cost		$ 3,704	$ 4,247
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		1.50%	1.47%
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)		$ 22,351	$ 18,902
Amortized Cost		$ 19,124	$ 16,428
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%	0.16%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 326	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 290	$ 0
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.24%	0.00%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 243,967	$ 199,660
Amortized Cost		$ 268,589	$ 229,436
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.78%	4.91%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 97,458	$ 96,371
Amortized Cost		$ 118,386	$ 120,086
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		5.47%	5.42%
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)		$ 133,695	$ 53,804
Amortized Cost		$ 137,301	$ 59,754
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		3.51%	3.69%
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)		$ 12,814	$ 49,485
Amortized Cost		$ 12,902	$ 49,596
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		4.13%	4.01%
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 Condensed 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.