Subsidiary Guarantors Consolidated Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 203,386	$ 279,402	$ 637,891	$ 694,995
Total expenses	424,527	193,300	1,100,810	524,564
Operating (loss) income	(221,141)	86,102	(462,919)	170,431
Net loss on asset sales and impairment	0	(439)	(2,632)	(807)
Interest expense	(18,231)	(18,175)	(56,340)	(54,172)
Other (expense) income	(238)	(245)	1,555	(777)
Earnings in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes	(239,610)	67,243	(520,336)	114,675
Income tax provision (benefit)	26,497	13,490	(43,369)	25,335
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	(9,957)	(9,800)	(26,784)	(25,582)
Net (loss) income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	(276,064)	43,953	(503,751)	63,758
Eliminating Entries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	(21,117)	(19,609)	(63,251)	(54,745)
Total expenses	(21,117)	(19,609)	(63,251)	(54,745)
Operating (loss) income	0	0	0	0
Net loss on asset sales and impairment		0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Earnings in subsidiaries	221,815	(84,393)	465,892	(166,080)
(Loss) income before income taxes	221,815	(84,393)	465,892	(166,080)
Income tax provision (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	221,815	(84,393)	465,892	(166,080)
Matador | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Total expenses	921	1,034	3,066	2,970
Operating (loss) income	(921)	(1,034)	(3,066)	(2,970)
Net loss on asset sales and impairment		0	0	0
Interest expense	(16,465)	(15,716)	(50,283)	(47,391)
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Earnings in subsidiaries	(232,181)	74,193	(493,771)	139,454
(Loss) income before income taxes	(249,567)	57,443	(547,120)	89,093
Income tax provision (benefit)	26,497	13,490	(43,369)	25,335
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	(276,064)	43,953	(503,751)	63,758
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	46,965	52,776	133,828	137,372
Total expenses	24,903	30,317	71,887	78,386
Operating (loss) income	22,062	22,459	61,941	58,986
Net loss on asset sales and impairment		0	(1,261)	0
Interest expense	(1,766)	(2,459)	(6,057)	(6,781)
Other (expense) income	27	0	40	3
Earnings in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes	20,323	20,000	54,663	52,208
Income tax provision (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	(9,957)	(9,800)	(26,784)	(25,582)
Net (loss) income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	10,366	10,200	27,879	26,626
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total revenues	177,538	246,235	567,314	612,368
Total expenses	419,820	181,558	1,089,108	497,953
Operating (loss) income	(242,282)	64,677	(521,794)	114,415
Net loss on asset sales and impairment		(439)	(1,371)	(807)
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	(265)	(245)	1,515	(780)
Earnings in subsidiaries	10,366	10,200	27,879	26,626
(Loss) income before income taxes	(232,181)	74,193	(493,771)	139,454
Income tax provision (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest in subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders	$ (232,181)	$ 74,193	$ (493,771)	$ 139,454