Robert Lewandowski scored his first goal of Euro 2016 inside two minutes in the Marseille clash before his new Bayern Munich teammate, teenager Renato Sanches, equalised with a powerfully driven shot. The game then went through extra-time deadlocked at 1-1.
Goalkeeper Rui Patricio and Ricardo Quaresma were Portugal's heroes in the shootout.
Ronaldo was among the players fist-pumping when Patricio dived to his left to save Jakub Blaszczykowski's tame fourth shot for the Poles, who had reached the quarterfinals for the first time.
Quaresma was next up for Portugal and made no mistake firing high into the net to beat Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
"It hurts and it will hurt for a long time," Lewandowski said as Ronaldo celebrated his new step toward winning a first major international trophy with Portugal.
Poland made a blistering start to the game. After barely 100 seconds, Kamil Grosicki hurried past Southampton right back Cedric Soares to deliver a great cross that Lewandowski drove past a flailing Rui Patricio at his near post.
The Polish striker's first goal of the competition, after hitting a record 13 in qualifying, stunned Portugal.
The early goal gave Poland momentum, and a defiant but borderline interception by Grzegorz Krychowiak on Sanches set Arkadiusz Milik up for a 25-yard drive that sailed wide on the quarter hour.
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