Consolidated Securitization Vehicles and Other Variable Interest Entities - Assets and Liabilities Related to the Consolidated VIEs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Assets:
Non-Agency RMBS, at fair value		$ 1,140,776	$ 1,147,481
Loans held for investment, at fair value		12,382,047	11,359,236
Accrued interest receivable		73,022	61,768
Other assets		97,582	133,866
Assets	[1]	14,203,761	13,401,991
Liabilities:
Securitized debt, collateralized by Non-Agency RMBS		77,742	78,542
Securitized debt at fair value, collateralized by Loans held for investment		7,507,228	7,100,742
Accrued interest payable		31,487	30,696
Other liabilities		18,668	16,616
Liabilities	[1]	11,554,374	10,735,188
Allowance for credit losses		10,251	7,188	$ 453	$ 213
Non-Agency RMBS
Liabilities:
Allowance for credit losses		10,000	7,000
Variable Interest Entities, Primary Beneficiary
Assets:
Non-Agency RMBS, at fair value		271,025	276,030
Loans held for investment, at fair value		10,153,653	9,855,390
Accrued interest receivable		50,767	47,553
Other assets		19,353	20,293
Assets		10,494,798	10,199,266
Liabilities:
Securitized debt, collateralized by Non-Agency RMBS		77,742	78,542
Securitized debt at fair value, collateralized by Loans held for investment		7,096,468	6,673,917
Accrued interest payable		20,214	17,427
Other liabilities		2,114	2,239
Liabilities		7,196,538	6,772,125
Variable Interest Entities, Primary Beneficiary | Non-Agency RMBS
Liabilities:
Allowance for credit losses		$ 3,000	$ 2,000

[1] The Company's consolidated statements of financial condition include assets of consolidated variable interest entities, or VIEs, that can only be used to settle obligations and liabilities of the VIE for which creditors do not have recourse to the primary beneficiary (Chimera Investment Corporation). As of March 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, total assets of consolidated VIEs were $10,494,798 and $10,199,266, respectively, and total liabilities of consolidated VIEs were $7,196,538 and $6,772,125, respectively. See Note 8 for further discussion.